Bridging Histopathology and Radiomics Toward Prognosis of Metastasis in Early Breast Cancer.

Tumor histomorphology is crucial for the prognostication of breast cancer outcomes because it contains histological, cellular, and molecular tumor heterogeneity related to metastatic potential. To enhance breast cancer prognosis, we aimed to apply radiomics analysis-traditionally used in 3D scans-to 2D histopathology slides. This study tested radiomics analysis in a cohort of 92 breast tumor specimens for outcome prognosis, addressing -omics dimensionality by comparing models with moderate and high feature counts, using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator for feature selection and machine learning for prognostic modeling.

Therapeutic implications of the interplay between interferons and ER in breast cancer.

The involvement of interferons (IFNs) in various diseases, including breast cancer, has sparked controversy due to their diverse roles in immunity and significant impact on pathological mechanisms. In the context of breast cancer, the heightened expression of endogenous IFNs has been linked to anti-tumor activity and a favorable prognosis for patients. Within the tumor tissue and microenvironment, IFNs initiate a cascade of molecular events involving numerous factors, which can lead to either cooperative or repressive interactions.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A, -C and VE-cadherin as potential biomarkers in early breast cancer patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A and -C act as multifunctional molecules and growth factors, while VE-cadherin (cadherin 5, CDH5) is the endothelial junction protein.

Aim: To assess the relationship between intratumoral VEGF -A, -C and CDH5 levels and clinical outcome, in primary, early-stage, breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: The study included 69 node-negative (N0) breast cancer patients, all of whom had not received any prior hormonal or chemotherapeutic systemic therapy that would affect the course of disease.

Can granulysin provide prognostic value in primary breast cancer?

Background: Granulysin (GNLY) is a cytolytic and proinflammatory molecule which also acts as an immune alarmin. The multifunctional nature of this molecule has made it challenging to define its full potential as a biomarker in breast cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value of intratumoral GNLY in primary breast cancer patients and its association with established clinicopathological parameters.

The prognostic significance of serum interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in hormonally dependent breast cancer.

Background: Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic immunomodulatory cytokine. Because of its contradictory and even dualistic roles in malignancies, its potential as a biomarker remains to be unraveled.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic significance of serum IFN-γ in hormonally treated breast cancer patients.

The significance of HOXB7 and IL17RB serum levels in prognosis of hormonally dependent breast cancer: A pilot study.

Purpose: Improved prognostication of a patient's outcome could allow for personalized treatment decisions in breast cancer. Homeobox B7 (HOXB7) and interleukin 17 receptor B (IL17RB) are proteins reportedly involved in the development of hormonal therapy resistance. Their prognostic value was previously investigated in tumor tissue but recent mass spectrometric detection of HOXB7 and IL17RB proteins in serum has prompted us to perform the first prognostic evaluation of their serum levels.

Between immunomodulation and immunotolerance: The role of IFNγ in SARS-CoV-2 disease.

Interferons have prominent roles in various pathophysiological conditions, mostly related to inflammation. Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) was, initially discovered as a potent antiviral agent, over 50 years ago, and has recently garnered renewed interest as a promising factor involved in both innate and adaptive immunity. When new disease epidemics appear such as SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus), MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus), IAV (Influenza A virus), and in particular the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is especially timely to review the complexity of immune system responses to viral infections.

Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization (CISH) as a Method for Detection of C-Myc Amplification in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissue: An Update.

In situ hybridization (ISH) allows evaluation of genetic abnormalities, such as changes in chromosome number, chromosome translocations, or gene amplifications, by hybridization of tagged DNA (or RNA) probes with complementary DNA (or RNA) sequences in interphase nuclei of target tissue. However, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) is also applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE ) tissues, besides metaphase chromosome spreads. CISH is similar to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) regarding pretreatments and hybridization protocols but differs in the way of visualization.

The prognostic value of cyclin D1 in breast cancer patients treated with hormonal therapy: A pilot study.

The Aim: of the study was to determine the clinical relevance of cyclin D1 (cD1) and its association with clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients treated with hormonal therapy.

Material And Methods: The study included 96 primary breast cancer patients with known clinicopathological parameters. In adjuvant setting, 44 patients were tamoxifen-treated and 52 were treated with ovarian irradiation/ablation.

The role of cytokines in the evolution of cancer: IFN-γ paradigm.

The evolution of malignant cells implies an increase in oncogenic fitness of cells which arises in active and reciprocal interaction with the tumor microenvironment. The mechanisms facilitating the adaptive evolution of cancer cells involve clonal selection of cancer cells, in a direction of increased adaptive potential under the selective pressure of host defensive strategies. Once reached, this potential could go the other way, changing the same evolutionary force in the tumor microenvironment which influenced its emergence and favoring cancer progression.

Size and Shape Filtering of Malignant Cell Clusters within Breast Tumors Identifies Scattered Individual Epithelial Cells as the Most Valuable Histomorphological Clue in the Prognosis of Distant Metastasis Risk.

Survival and life quality of breast cancer patients could be improved by more aggressive chemotherapy for those at high metastasis risk and less intense treatments for low-risk patients. Such personalized treatment cannot be currently achieved due to the insufficient reliability of metastasis risk prognosis. The purpose of this study was therefore, to identify novel histopathological prognostic markers of metastasis risk through exhaustive computational image analysis of 80 size and shape subsets of epithelial clusters in breast tumors.

Interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 serum levels in prognosis of hormone-dependent breast cancer.

Background: Increasing amount of evidence points to the importance of immunity in breast cancer. The prognostic value of cytokines and their effect on tumorigenesis remains inconsistent.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic significance of IL6 and IL8 and their association with ER and HER2 in estrogen-dependent (ER+) breast cancer.

The prognostic time dependence of intra-tumoural IFNγ mRNA and protein in patients with breast cancer followed for 14 years after surgery and radiotherapy, without subsequent systemic therapy.

There is increasing evidence for the importance of immunity in breast cancer. IFNγ is expected to have a prognostic value based on its major role in innate and specific cell-mediated immunity. In this retrospective study, based on the 14-year follow-up of 73 patients with breast cancer after surgery and radiotherapy but no subsequent systemic therapy, we investigated the prognostic time dependence of intra-tumoural IFNγ mRNA and protein levels.

The time-dependent prognostic value of intratumoral cytokine expression profiles in a natural course of primary breast cancer with a long-term follow-up.

Despite the increasing evidence for the importance of immunity in breast cancer, the contradictory role of inflammation has not been thoroughly researched. In this study, we investigate the prognostic value of intratumoral inflammation as evaluated by cytokine mRNA levels. Intratumoral mRNA was measured for IL1β, IL6, IL8, IL10 and IL17A, using Taqman quantitative PCR.

Assessment of ovarian function after chemotherapy in women with early and locally advanced breast cancer from Serbia.

Purpose: Among harmful effects of chemotherapy is the reduction of ovarian function. The aim was to determine the serum levels of FSH, LH, estradiol and AMH after chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients.

Methods: The study included 40 premenopausal hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients aged 33-50 years.

bFGF in tumor tissue independently prognosticates disease outcome of a natural course of invasive breast cancer.

Background: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent angiogenic and mitogenic factor that has been functionally predisposed to promote tumorigenesis, while literature data also associate bFGF with a favorable outcome of breast cancer.

Objective: In order to help resolve such controversy, this study set out to investigate the role of bFGF in breast cancer for the first time by use of the node-negative patient group with smaller tumors and without any systemic adjuvant therapy. This has allowed an increased homogeneity of the group and a far more reliable interpretation of results.

The role of interleukin 8 and matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in breast cancer treated with tamoxifen.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of interleukin 8 (IL8) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9 as potential parameters of response to adjuvant tamoxifen and to examine possible associations between biomarkers that might imply possible biological dependence.

Methods: The study included 59 postmenopausal breast cancer patients who received adjuvant tamoxifen. Biomarker levels were determined by ELISA in cytosol tumor extracts.

Markers of progression and invasion in short term follow up of untreated breast cancer patients.

Background: Cancer progression and metastasis are complex processes, dependent of molecules involved in inflammation, degradation and invasion. These molecules can be used as prognostic indicators to single out patients with higher risk of recurrence. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has a role in inflammation, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9 have a decisive part in the process of degradation and invasion, while vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is consequential for angiogenesis.

Breast cancer in postmenopausal patients: Impact of age.

Purpose: We analyzed the significance of age together with other classic prognostic parameters on the course of breast cancer in postmenopausal patients.

Methods: Our study included 151 postmenopausal patients with primary breast cancer, of which 55% received adjuvant tamoxifen therapy and 45% did not receive any kind of therapy. Probabilities of disease-free interval (DFI) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared by the log-rank test.

Detection of c-myc amplification in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).

In situ hybridization (ISH) allows evaluation of genetic abnormalities, such as changes in chromosome number, chromosome translocations or gene amplifications, by hybridization of tagged DNA (or RNA) probes with complementary DNA (or RNA) sequences in interphase nuclei of target tissue. However, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) is also applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, besides metaphase chromosome spreads. CISH is similar to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) regarding pretreatments and hybridization protocols but differs in the way of visualization.

Interleukin-8 in breast cancer progression.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemokine that has an autocrine and/or paracrine tumor-promoting role and significant potential as a prognostic and/or predictive cancer biomarker. In breast cancer, which is mostly determined by expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), IL-8 could play a specific role. IL-8 is highly expressed in ER- breast cancers, but it increases invasiveness and metastatic potential of both ER- and ER+ breast cancer cells.

Selection of clinically useful angiogenesis-related biomarkers: an update.

Angiogenesis is a complex phenomenon that involves interaction between growth factors/cytokines and their receptors, and proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, which, in addition to and in accordance with their main roles, act together during this multistep process. Cancer angiogenesis is specific, because the same factors that enable angiogenesis are involved in the process of carcinogenesis. The aim of this review was to analyze the current knowledge regarding the significance of selected biomarkers in cancer angiogenesis, with emphasis on their prognostic value in the circulation.

C-myc as a predictive marker for chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.

C-myc is considered to have an important role in cancerogenesis and tumor progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible significance of c-myc amplification as a clinically useful prognostic/predictive parameter in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Eighty-seven MBC patients with known clinicopathological parameters were included in the study, at the time of diagnosis of metastatic disease.

TGF-β and its coreceptors in cancerogenesis: an overview.

Besides signaling serine/threonine kinases, such as TGF-β receptors I and II, the TGF-β pathway involves several auxiliary receptors or coreceptors. Recent studies show that these coreceptors, particulary endoglin and β-glycan, have greater significance than previously thought. They regulate the availability of ligands to the key receptors, as well as their interaction and response, which could be variable and context-dependent.