Introduction: The essential goal of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is to downstage the primary tumor making it amenable for breast conservation surgery (BCS). However, since the safety of this surgery is paramount, post-NACT breast conservation rates remain low. As per the recommendation of the 2018 Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) overview of long-term post-NACT follow-up, we have devised a protocol for imaging, localization, rad-path analysis, and documentation of radiotherapy techniques to ensure the safety of post-NACT breast conservation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Evaluation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) distribution in an Indian cohort of breast cancer patients for its prognostic significance.
Methods: A retrospective cohort of breast cancer patients from a single onco-surgeon's breast cancer clinic with a uniform treatment strategy was evaluated for TILs. Tumor sections were H&E stained and scored for the spatial distribution and percent stromal TILs infiltration by a certified pathologist.
The report evaluates the effect of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on breast cancer treatment and management at a single-surgeon cancer care unit in one of the hotspots of COVID-19 in India. In response to the pandemic, the adjustments were made in the clinical practice to accommodate social distancing. Patient consultations were done over phone call or in-clinic visit with prior appointment to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A breast cancer biobank with retrospectively collected patient data and FFPE tissue samples was established in 2018 at Prashanti Cancer Care Mission, Pune, India. It runs a cancer care clinic with support from a single surgeon's breast cancer practice. The clinical data and tissue sample collection is undertaken with appropriate patient consent following ethical approval and guidelines.
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