Comment to "An unusual "linitis plastica" like breast cancer bladder metastasis".

Dear Editor, We read with interest the recently published article by Farci et al., titled "An unusual 'linitis plastica' like breast cancer bladder metastasis" and we congratulate the authors for the very interesting topic and case presented..

The landscape of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with novel Therapies: Secret alliances against breast cancer.

This review focuses on the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the context of breast cancer (BC) management. These innovative treatments, by targeting proteins expressed on both tumor and immune cells, aim to overcome tumor-induced immune suppression and reactivate the immune system. The potential of this approach is the subject of numerous clinical studies.

A Rare Case of Breast Metastasis from a Primary Lung Tumor: Case Report.

Breast metastasis originating from a primary lung tumor is exceedingly rare and can present challenges in distinguishing it from primary breast cancer. This case report discusses the management of a 64-year-old woman who initially presented with a nodule in her left breast. A biopsy revealed an infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

Fertility and Pregnancy-Related Issues in Young Carriers With Breast Cancer.

Approximately 10% to 15% of breast cancer cases in young women are diagnosed in patients harbouring germline (g) pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PVs) in the BReast CAncer 1 () or BReast CAncer 2 () genes. Preclinical and clinical studies showed a potential negative effect of germline 1/2 (g) PVs on ovarian reserve and reproductive potential, even before starting anticancer therapies. The aim of this article is to summarize the current literature on the fertility potential of young g PVs carriers with breast cancer and the risk of gonadotoxicity associated with anticancer treatments.

Multidisciplinary and Tailored Treatment of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer in Progression during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Case Report.

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a complex disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is usually performed in order to achieve loco-regional radical resection; although its importance in the multidisciplinary approach to LABC is well recognized, a small number of patients show Progressive Disease (PD). No standard salvage treatment (ST) has been defined and different strategies can be adopted, such as second-line systemic therapies, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Ovarian Suppression: Early Menopause and Late Effects.

Around 90% of breast tumours are diagnosed in the early stage, with approximately 70% being hormone receptor-positive. The cornerstone of adjuvant therapy for early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is endocrine therapy, tailored according to disease stage, biological characteristics of the tumour, patient's comorbidities, preferences and age. In premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, ovarian function suppression is a key component of the adjuvant endocrine treatment in combination with an aromatase inhibitor or tamoxifen.

Prognostic and clinical impact of the endocrine resistance/sensitivity classification according to international consensus guidelines for advanced breast cancer: an individual patient-level analysis from the Mammella InterGruppo (MIG) and Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) studies.

Background: Prior exposure to adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) and timing to recurrence are crucial factors for first-line treatment choices in patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer (BC) and in clinical trial eligibility, classifying metastatic HR+/HER2- BC as endocrine sensitive (ES) or primary (1ER)/secondary (2ER) resistant. However, this classification is largely based on expert opinion and no proper evidence exists to date to support its possible prognostic and clinical impact.

Methods: This analysis included individual patient-level data from 4 adjuvant phase III randomized trials by the Mammella InterGruppo (MIG) and Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) study groups.

Technological advancements and future perspectives in breast cancer radiation therapy.

Introduction: Breast cancer is still one of the most common tumors worldwide and radiation therapy has a central role in the oncological pathway. Several technological options are now available with the aim to improve therapeutic index, target definition, and patient selection.

Areas Covered: In this review, we summarize current available technologies in the management of breast cancer.

Oncoplastic level II volume displacement surgery for breast cancer: oncological and aesthetic outcomes.

Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery (OBCS) is increasingly used to treat breast cancer with the dual purpose of performing a radical oncological resection while minimizing the risk of post-operative deformities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the patient outcomes after Level II OBCS as regards oncological safety and patient satisfaction. Between 2015 and 2020, a cohort of 109 women consecutively underwent treatment for breast cancer with bilateral oncoplastic breast-conserving volume displacement surgery; patient satisfaction was measured with BREAST-Q questionnaire.

A Case of Life-Threatening Bleeding Due to a Locally Advanced Breast Carcinoma Successfully Treated with Transcatheter Arterial Embolization.

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) may rarely present with acute severe bleeding. A case report dealing with transcatheter arterial embolization to control acute bleeding in a patient with a voluminous ulcerated breast mass is described. Our findings confirm that the endovascular approach is effective in such patients in order to stabilize the patient whenever conventional treatments have failed or bleeding may be life-threatening.

Inferior Pedicle Reduction Mammoplasty as Corrective Surgery after Breast Conserving Surgery and Radiation Therapy.

Background/Aim-Twenty patients had corrective reconstruction surgery by means of a reduction mammaplasty or mastopexy after a previous BCS (Breast Conserving Surgery) and RT (Radiation Therapy); the risk factors and post-operative complications were reported in order to define a safe and effective technique for reduction mammaplasty in previously irradiated breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods-From June 2011 to December 2019, 20 pts. were operated on at the Breast Surgery Clinic of San Martino Policlinic Hospital, Genoa, Italy.

The evolving scenario of cancer care provision across the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

Purpose Of Review: Over the past 2 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has had short-term and long-term effects on the delivery of cancer care. Some European countries faced an unprecedented widespread crisis during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, only being able afterwards to gradually recover, thanks to the improvement in preventive measures, changes in public health and reactive processes in cancer care and a better understanding of the ongoing heath emergency.

Recent Findings: The development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and COVID-19 specific treatments, the growing testing and tracking capability to limit virus diffusion, and research efforts to better define areas of action have all greatly limited the negative impact of the health emergency on routine cancer care.

"" in Breast-Conserving Surgery after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background/Aim: Patients with Stage I-II breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (BCS-NAC) were retrospectively assessed in order to evaluate the extent of a safe excision margin. Materials and Methods: Between 2003 and 2020, 151 patients underwent risk-adapted BCS-NAC; margin involvement was always assessed at definitive histology. Patients with complete pathological response (pCR) were classified as the RX group, whereas those with residual disease and negative margins were stratified as R0 < 1 mm (margin < 1 mm) and R0 > 1 mm (margin > 1 mm).

Reporting ChAracteristics of cadaver training and sUrgical studies: The CACTUS guidelines.

Introduction: Recent systematic reviews highlighted increasing use of cadaveric models in the surgical training, but reports on the characteristics of the models and their impact on training are lacking, as well as standardized recommendations on how to ensure the quality of surgical studies. The aim of our survey was to provide an easy guideline that would improve the quality of the studies involving cadavers for surgical training and research.

Methods: After accurate literature review regarding surgical training on cadaveric models, a draft of the CACTUS guidelines involving 10 different items was drawn.

The Margins' Challenge: Risk Factors of Residual Disease After Breast Conserving Surgery in Early-stage Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: Clinicopathological features of patients undergoing margin enlargement after lumpectomy for early breast cancer with positive/close excision margins were analyzed in order to define whether a re-operative procedure could have been avoided. Furthermore, a standardized protocol of specimen orientation was adopted in order to optimize both the widening procedure as well as the oncologic outcome.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed including pre-, peri-, and post-operative parameters, and a predictive score by means of a multivariate model was developed using all clinically and statistically significant variables associated with residual disease (RD).

Plasma Cell-Free DNA Integrity Assessed by Automated Electrophoresis Predicts the Achievement of Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Purpose: The study of plasma cell-free DNA integrity (cfDI) has shown potential for providing useful information in neoplastic patients. The aim of this study is to estimate the accuracy of an electrophoresis-based method for cfDI evaluation in the assessment of pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Patients And Methods: Fifty-one patients with BC undergoing anthracycline-/taxane-based NACT were recruited.

Development of a hoRizontal data intEgration classifier for NOn-invasive early diAgnosis of breasT cancEr: the RENOVATE study protocol.

Introduction: Standard procedures aimed at the early diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) present suboptimal accuracy and imply the execution of invasive and sometimes unnecessary tissue biopsies. The assessment of circulating biomarkers for diagnostic purposes, together with radiomics, is of great potential in BC management.

Methods And Analysis: This is a prospective translational study investigating the accuracy of the combined assessment of multiple circulating analytes together with radiomic variables for early BC diagnosis.

Long-Term Outcomes With Pharmacological Ovarian Suppression During Chemotherapy in Premenopausal Early Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Although use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) during chemotherapy is an established strategy to protect ovarian function in premenopausal breast cancer patients, no long-term safety data are available, raising some concerns in women with hormone receptor-positive disease. There are controversial data on its fertility preservation potential.

Methods: The Prevention of Menopause Induced by Chemotherapy: a Study in Early Breast Cancer Patients-Gruppo Italiano Mammella 6 (PROMISE-GIM6) trial is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III superiority trial conducted at 16 Italian centers from October 2003 to January 2008.

De novo Metastatic Breast Cancer Arising in Young Women: Review of the Current Evidence.

Women with metastatic breast cancer remains a heterogeneous group of patients with different prognostic outcomes and therapeutic needs. Young women with de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) represent a peculiar population with respect to tumor biology, prognosis, clinical management and survivorship issues. Overall, these patients are able to attain long-term survival with a proper management of both primary tumor and distant metastases.

Safety of systemic hormone replacement therapy in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Symptoms of treatment-induced menopause negatively affect quality of life and adherence to endocrine therapy of breast cancer (BC) survivors. Nevertheless, the use of systemic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to mitigate these symptoms may be associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence in these patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety of systemic HRT on risk of disease recurrence in BC survivors.

Ten Daily Fractions for Whole Breast Cancer Irradiation: Long Term Results.

Background/aim: To report the feasibility and oncological outcomes in breast cancer patients treated with a short hypofractionated radiotherapy schedule.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated 380 breast cancer patients treated with ten daily fractions of radiotherapy up to 39 Gy on tumor bed. Primary endpoint was local relapse rate (LRR).

Assessment of Circulating Nucleic Acids in Cancer: From Current Status to Future Perspectives and Potential Clinical Applications.

Current approaches for cancer detection and characterization are based on radiological procedures coupled with tissue biopsies, despite relevant limitations in terms of overall accuracy and feasibility, including relevant patients' discomfort. Liquid biopsies enable the minimally invasive collection and analysis of circulating biomarkers released from cancer cells and stroma, representing therefore a promising candidate for the substitution or integration in the current standard of care. Despite the potential, the current clinical applications of liquid biopsies are limited to a few specific purposes.