Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and PD-L1 Expression in Pleomorphic Lobular Breast Carcinoma.

Background: The prognostic and predictive role of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) is undetermined in pleomorphic invasive lobular cancer (pILC). The same applies for the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in this rare breast cancer subtype. Here, we aimed to investigate the expression of sTILs and analyze the PD-L1 expression levels in pILC.

Breast Amyloidosis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Amyloidosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by extracellular accumulation of misfolded proteins in tissues. We report a unique case of localized breast amyloidosis in an asymptomatic 56-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus, presented as suspicious microcalcifications without mass on mammography. Vacuum biopsy confirmed amyloidosis, producing the typical apple-green birefringence under polarized light after staining with Congo-red.

Safety of pre- or postoperative accelerated radiotherapy in 5 fractions: A randomized pilot trial.

Objective: Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy (NART) for breast cancer has shown promising survival results in retrospective trials. However, there are some obstacles such as a chemotherapy delay, an increased overall treatment time (OTT) and the risk of increasing surgical morbidity. Accelerated radiotherapy (RT) in 5 fractions allows to deliver NART in a very short time span and minimizes the delay of surgery and chemotherapy.

B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia of the Uterus.

Uterine involvement of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is exceedingly rare. Globular enlargement of the uterus with diffuse homogeneous signal intensity is suggestive for the diagnosis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinically suspected cases.

18F-FDG micro-PET/CT for intra-operative margin assessment during breast-conserving surgery.

Positive surgical margins for invasive breast cancer (BC) treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS) are defined as ink on tumor. The rate of positive margins is approximately 20%, since a time- and cost-effective method for margin assessment is lacking. In this study, we investigated margin status by intra-operative imaging using high-resolution F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT).

Heterogeneous Response of Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Decline in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study.

Objective: A significant proportion of adjuvant-treated breast cancer patients experience cognitive decline, challenging the person's ability to return to normal activities after treatment. However, not every patient experiences cognitive problems, and even in patients with impairments, determining clinically important cognitive decline remains challenging. Our objective was to explore differences in neuropsychological performance following adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) in patients with breast cancer.

DNA double strand breaks induced by low dose mammography X-rays in breast tissue: A pilot study.

Breast tissue is very sensitive to ionizing radiation due to the presence of reproductive hormones, including estrogen. In the present pilot study, the efficiency of mammography X-rays to induce DNA double strand breaks (DSB) in mammary epithelial cells was investigated. For this, freshly resected healthy breast tissue was irradiated with 30 kV mammography X-rays in the dose range 0-500 mGy (2, 4, 10, 20, 40, 100 and 500 mGy).

External partial breast irradiation in prone position: how to improve accuracy?

Introduction: In view of the limited incremental benefit between whole breast irradiation (WBI), accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and omission of radiotherapy in favorable early-stage breast cancer (ESBC), APBI can only be justified if it combines adequate target coverage with the lowest achievable toxicity. Interobserver exercises demonstrated the difficulty of precise target delineation, especially in prone position; information on accuracy is even scarcer. We tested the impact of inserting an additional indicator clip, marking the depth of the tumor in the breast, and the added value of a preoperative CT in treatment position on precision and accuracy.

Confounding factors of ultrafiltration and protein analysis in extracellular vesicle research.

Identification and validation of extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated biomarkers requires robust isolation and characterization protocols. We assessed the impact of some commonly implemented pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical variables in EV research. Centrifugal filters with different membrane types and pore sizes are used to reduce large volume biofluids prior to EV isolation or to concentrate EVs.

Secretome analysis of breast cancer-associated adipose tissue to identify paracrine regulators of breast cancer growth.

Adipose tissue secretes a plethora of adipokines as evidenced by characterization of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue secretomes. However, adipose tissue composition and secretion pattern is depot and disease dependent, influencing the adipose tissue secretome. We investigated the secretome of cancer-associated adipose tissue (CAAT) explants from breast cancer patients and explored its role in breast cancer proliferation.

Highly Accelerated Irradiation in 5 Fractions (HAI-5): Feasibility in Elderly Women With Early or Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.

Purpose: To investigate, in a prospective phase 1 to 2 trial, the safety and feasibility of delivering external beam radiation therapy in 5 fractions to the breast or thoracic wall, including boost and/or lymph nodes if needed, to women aged ≥65 years with breast cancer.

Methods And Materials: Ninety-five patients aged ≥65 years, referred for adjuvant radiation therapy, were treated in 5 fractions over 12 days with a total dose of 28.5 Gy/5.

The isolation of morphologically intact and biologically active extracellular vesicles from the secretome of cancer-associated adipose tissue.

Breast cancer cells closely interact with different cell types of the surrounding adipose tissue to favor invasive growth and metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometer-sized vesicles secreted by different cell types that shuttle proteins and nucleic acids to establish cell-cell communication. To study the role of EVs released by cancer-associated adipose tissue in breast cancer progression and metastasis a standardized EV isolation protocol that obtains pure EVs and maintains their functional characteristics is required.

Intratissular expansion-mediated, serial fat grafting: A step-by-step working algorithm to achieve 3D biological harmony in autologous breast reconstruction.

Background: Breast reconstruction involves the use of autologous tissues or implants. Occasionally, microsurgical reconstruction is not an option because of insufficient donor tissues. Fat grafting has become increasingly popular in breast surgery.

Differential regulation of extracellular matrix protein expression in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts by TGF-β1 regulates cancer cell spreading but not adhesion.

Cancer progression is characterized by a complex reciprocity between neoplastic epithelium and adjacent stromal cells. In ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, both reduced stromal decorin expression and myxoid stroma are correlated with increased recurrence risk. In this study, we aimed to investigate paracrine regulation of expression of decorin and related extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).

Reproducibility of deep inspiration breath hold for prone left-sided whole breast irradiation.

Background: Investigating reproducibility and instability of deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) in the prone position to reduce heart dose for left-sided whole breast irradiation.

Methods: Thirty patients were included and underwent 2 prone DIBH CT-scans during simulation. Overlap indices were calculated for the ipsilateral breast, heart and lungs to evaluate the anatomical reproducibility of the DIBH maneuver.

Heart dose reduction by prone deep inspiration breath hold in left-sided breast irradiation.

Background And Purpose: Cardiac disease has been related to heart dose after left-sided breast radiotherapy. This trial evaluates the heart sparing ability and feasibility of deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) in the prone position for left-sided whole breast irradiation (WBI).

Materials And Methods: Twelve patients underwent CT-simulation in supine shallow breathing (SB), supine DIBH, prone SB and prone DIBH.

Cancer-associated adipose tissue promotes breast cancer progression by paracrine oncostatin M and Jak/STAT3 signaling.

Increasing evidence supports the critical roles played by adipose tissue in breast cancer progression. Yet, the mediators and mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that breast cancer-associated adipose tissue from freshly isolated tumors promotes F-actin remodeling, cellular scattering, invasiveness, and spheroid reorganization of cultured breast cancer cells.

Histopathological characterization of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast according to HER2 amplification status and molecular subtype.

This study aimed to characterize ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) according to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification status and molecular subtype. In addition, we performed a detailed HER2 and CEP17 copy number analysis and we assessed the impact of recent changes in the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) guidelines on HER2 immunohistochemical (IHC) scores in DCIS. Nuclear grade, extensive comedonecrosis, stromal architecture, stromal inflammation, and progesterone receptor (PR) expression were significantly associated with HER2 amplification status.

Primary intestinal type adenocarcinoma of the female genital tract, arisen from a tubulo-villous adenoma: Case report.

► An extremely rare neoplasm, especially in the absence of DES ► It's important to distinguish it from an adenocarcinoma from another location ► Little is known about the aetiology, several explanations have been postulated.

On-chip light sheet illumination enables diagnostic size and concentration measurements of membrane vesicles in biofluids.

Cell-derived membrane vesicles that are released in biofluids, like blood or saliva, are emerging as potential non-invasive biomarkers for diseases, such as cancer. Techniques capable of measuring the size and concentration of membrane vesicles directly in biofluids are urgently needed. Fluorescence single particle tracking microscopy has the potential of doing exactly that by labelling the membrane vesicles with a fluorescent label and analysing their Brownian motion in the biofluid.

Hypofractionated whole breast irradiation for patients with large breasts: a randomized trial comparing prone and supine positions.

Background And Purpose: Comparison of acute toxicity of whole-breast irradiation (WBI) in prone and supine positions.

Materials And Methods: This non-blinded, randomized, prospective, mono-centric trial was undertaken between December 29, 2010, and December 12, 2012. One hundred patients with large breasts were randomized between supine multi beam (MB) and prone tangential field (TF) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Stromal architecture and periductal decorin are potential prognostic markers for ipsilateral locoregional recurrence in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Aims: The incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased since the introduction of screening mammography. Recurrence prediction is still not accurate, and could be improved by identifying additional prognostic markers. Periductal stroma actively participates in early breast cancer progression.

The addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy in breast cancer: which patient benefits the most?

Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor, is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for patients with breast cancer. Bevacizumab has demonstrated a gain in progression-free survival and a trend towards an overall survival benefit in various subgroups of breast cancer. Given the lack of a predictive biomarker, we performed a literature search with regard to efficacy and tolerability of bevacizumab in different subgroups of breast cancer patients and in different settings.

Completion surgery after intensity-modulated arc therapy in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer: feasibility, surgical outcome, and oncologic results.

Introduction: Since the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy, the survival rates of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) have improved but are still disappointing. Therefore, the idea of surgery after chemoradiation in case of LACC or bulky disease was adopted. One of the concerns regarding surgery following chemoradiotherapy is surgery-related morbidity.