Axillary staging and management of cN + breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: results of a survey among breast cancer surgeons in Spain.

Introduction: Given the high rate of complete nodal response, the role of axillary lymph node dissection on staging the axilla has been questioned. This survey, addressed to breast cancer surgeons in Spain, has the objective of assessing current clinical trends on axillary staging of cN + patients treated with NAC.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among breast surgeons from the Spanish Society of Surgery (AEC), Spanish Surgical Oncology Society (SEOQ), Spanish Breast Cancer Surgeons Society (AECIMA) and Spanish Gynecology and Obstetrics Society (SEGO).

Molecular subtypes of breast cancer: metabolic correlation with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.

Purpose: To determine whether the metabolic features of breast tumours differ among molecular subtypes.

Methods: This prospective study included 168 women diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer. PET/CT was requested in the initial staging before neoadjuvant treatment (multicentre study, FISCAM grant).

Semi-quantitative lymph node assessment of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in locally advanced breast cancer: correlation with biological prognostic factors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the correlation between dual-time-point (18)F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) uptakes in lymph nodes assessed by positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and histopathological and immunohistochemical prognostic factors.

Methods: Seventy-five women with locally advanced breast cancer were prospectively evaluated. PET/CT was requested in the initial staging previous to adjuvant chemotherapy (multicentre study).

Electrochemotherapy for treatment of skin and soft tissue tumours. Update and definition of its role in multimodal therapy.

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a therapeutical procedure based on the induction of cell membrane electroporation, by cell exposure to electric fields lasting a few microseconds, combined with the local or systemic administration of cytotoxic drugs, with an intracellular target and high intrinsic efficacy, but poor cell membrane permeability. ECT is an effective local therapy for any histological tumour that has been used clinically since 2005 and is currently in use in 83 centres all over Europe. In the literature, ECT as a local oncological treatment shows an objective response between 70 and 90% in mucocutaneous primary and metastatic lesions, is cost effective and has few local and systemic side effects.

[Merkel cell carcinoma in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia].

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an infrequent neuroendocrine tumor of the skin with a high potential for local recurrence, lymphatic dissemination and distant dissemination. We present a case of MCC in a male patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The immunosuppression induced by the leukemia or by the chemotherapy could play a pathogenic role in the association of these diseases.