Outcomes of Abbreviated MRI (Ab-MRI) for Women of any Breast Cancer Risk and Breast Density in a Community Academic Setting.

Background: Abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (Ab-MRI) has been evaluated for elevated breast cancer risk or dense breasts but has not been evaluated across all risk profiles.

Methods: Patients selected underwent Ab-MRI from February 2020 to September 2021. Women were older than aged 30 years, up to date with screening mammography, and paid $299 cash.

The use of neoadjuvant therapy increases the rate of breast conservation in men with locally advanced breast cancer.

Background: Male breast cancer (MBC) is often diagnosed at a later stage and with a more unfavorable tumor-to-breast ratio compared to women, prompting lower rates of breast conservation (BCT). We sought to assess the practice patterns of neoadjuvant therapy (NT) in MBC patients and the impact on BCT.

Methods: Men with nonmetastatic, invasive breast cancer were identified from the National Cancer Database.

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and mortality in Pennsylvania.

Purpose: Many studies have demonstrated disparities in breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality among Black women. We hypothesized that in Pennsylvania (PA), a large economically diverse state, BC diagnosis and mortality would be similar among races when stratified by a municipality's median income.

Methods: We collected the frequencies of BC diagnosis and mortality for years 2011-2015 from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry and demographics from the 2010 US Census.

Institutions Treating Breast Cancer Patients of a Low Socioeconomic Status Achieve Multidisciplinary Quality Standards at Lower Rates.

Background: The National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers (NAPBC) certifies institutions that provide quality breast care. Whereas low socioeconomic status (SES) has a negative impact on patient outcomes, it is unknown whether an institution's patient SES mix is associated with meeting NAPBC standards.

Methods: All institutions submitting at least 100 breast cancer patients to the National Cancer Database (2006-2017) were ranked based on the patients' insurance status, income, and education.

Comparison of open and minimally invasive approaches to colon cancer resection in compliance with 12 regional lymph node harvest quality measure.

Background: There has been a growing trend toward minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for colon cancer. Pathological analysis of a minimum of 12 lymph nodes (LNs) is a benchmark for adequate resection. Here, we present a comparison of surgical techniques in achieving a full oncologic resection.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes in Care for a Community Academic Breast Center and Patient Perception of Those Changes.

Background: Philadelphia and its suburbs were an epicenter for the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, alterations were made in breast cancer care at a community hospital.

Methods: The authors developed a prospective database of all the patients with invasive or in situ breast cancer between March 1 and June 15 at their breast center.

Metabolic Syndrome: does this influence breast cancer outcomes in the triple-negative population?

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined by having at least 3 of 4 components: obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension (HTN), and diabetes. Prior studies analyzed the individual components of MS for all breast cancers which are predominantly hormone positive. Our study is the first to evaluate MS in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel node biopsy accurately stage melanoma in patients presenting after wide local excision.

Background: Patients have traditionally been considered candidates for sentinel node biopsy (SNBx) only at the time of wide local excision (WLE). We hypothesized that patients with prior WLE may also be staged accurately with SNBx.

Methods: Seventy-six patients, including 18 patients from the University of Virginia and 58 from a multicenter study of SNBx led by investigators at the University of Vermont, who had previous WLE for clinically localized melanoma underwent lymphoscintigraphy with SNBx.

Breast Cancer Cells in the Blood: A Pilot Study.

The goal of this pilot study was to determine in patients with operable breast cancer the incidence of breast cancer cells present in the blood, the clearance rate after surgical resection of the primary tumor, and the incidence of patients with persistent cancer cells in the blood after the primary tumor was removed. Twenty-one patients with operable breast cancer had 15 ml venous blood obtained twice prior to surgery and after surgery at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours and also on days 7 and 14. Immunomagnetic selection of malignant cells was performed on each sample.