Bridging Histopathology and Radiomics Toward Prognosis of Metastasis in Early Breast Cancer.

Tumor histomorphology is crucial for the prognostication of breast cancer outcomes because it contains histological, cellular, and molecular tumor heterogeneity related to metastatic potential. To enhance breast cancer prognosis, we aimed to apply radiomics analysis-traditionally used in 3D scans-to 2D histopathology slides. This study tested radiomics analysis in a cohort of 92 breast tumor specimens for outcome prognosis, addressing -omics dimensionality by comparing models with moderate and high feature counts, using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator for feature selection and machine learning for prognostic modeling.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A, -C and VE-cadherin as potential biomarkers in early breast cancer patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A and -C act as multifunctional molecules and growth factors, while VE-cadherin (cadherin 5, CDH5) is the endothelial junction protein.

Aim: To assess the relationship between intratumoral VEGF -A, -C and CDH5 levels and clinical outcome, in primary, early-stage, breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: The study included 69 node-negative (N0) breast cancer patients, all of whom had not received any prior hormonal or chemotherapeutic systemic therapy that would affect the course of disease.

Can granulysin provide prognostic value in primary breast cancer?

Background: Granulysin (GNLY) is a cytolytic and proinflammatory molecule which also acts as an immune alarmin. The multifunctional nature of this molecule has made it challenging to define its full potential as a biomarker in breast cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value of intratumoral GNLY in primary breast cancer patients and its association with established clinicopathological parameters.

Analysis of Spatial Distribution and Prognostic Value of Different Pan Cytokeratin Immunostaining Intensities in Breast Tumor Tissue Sections.

Cancer risk prognosis could improve patient survival through early personalized treatment decisions. This is the first systematic analysis of the spatial and prognostic distribution of different pan cytokeratin immunostaining intensities in breast tumors. The prognostic model included 102 breast carcinoma patients, with distant metastasis occurrence as the endpoint.

The prognostic time dependence of intra-tumoural IFNγ mRNA and protein in patients with breast cancer followed for 14 years after surgery and radiotherapy, without subsequent systemic therapy.

There is increasing evidence for the importance of immunity in breast cancer. IFNγ is expected to have a prognostic value based on its major role in innate and specific cell-mediated immunity. In this retrospective study, based on the 14-year follow-up of 73 patients with breast cancer after surgery and radiotherapy but no subsequent systemic therapy, we investigated the prognostic time dependence of intra-tumoural IFNγ mRNA and protein levels.

The time-dependent prognostic value of intratumoral cytokine expression profiles in a natural course of primary breast cancer with a long-term follow-up.

Despite the increasing evidence for the importance of immunity in breast cancer, the contradictory role of inflammation has not been thoroughly researched. In this study, we investigate the prognostic value of intratumoral inflammation as evaluated by cytokine mRNA levels. Intratumoral mRNA was measured for IL1β, IL6, IL8, IL10 and IL17A, using Taqman quantitative PCR.

Effects of different preprocessing algorithms on the prognostic value of breast tumour microscopic images.

The purpose of this study was to improve the prognostic value of tumour histopathology image analysis methodology by image preprocessing. Key image qualities were modified including contrast, sharpness and brightness. The texture information was subsequently extracted from images of haematoxylin/eosin-stained tumour tissue sections by GLCM, monofractal and multifractal algorithms without any analytical limitation to predefined structures.

bFGF in tumor tissue independently prognosticates disease outcome of a natural course of invasive breast cancer.

Background: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent angiogenic and mitogenic factor that has been functionally predisposed to promote tumorigenesis, while literature data also associate bFGF with a favorable outcome of breast cancer.

Objective: In order to help resolve such controversy, this study set out to investigate the role of bFGF in breast cancer for the first time by use of the node-negative patient group with smaller tumors and without any systemic adjuvant therapy. This has allowed an increased homogeneity of the group and a far more reliable interpretation of results.

Prognostic biomarker value of binary and grayscale breast tumor histopathology images.

Aim: Breast cancer prognosis is in the spotlight owing to its potentially major clinical importance in effective therapeutic management. Following our recent prognostic establishment of the fractal features calculated on binary breast tumor histopathology images, this study aimed to accomplish the first optimization of this methodology by direct comparison of monofractal, multifractal and co-occurrence algorithms in analysis of binary versus grayscale image formats.

Patients & Methods: The study included 93 patients with invasive breast cancer, without systemic treatment and a long median follow-up of 150 months.

Markers of progression and invasion in short term follow up of untreated breast cancer patients.

Background: Cancer progression and metastasis are complex processes, dependent of molecules involved in inflammation, degradation and invasion. These molecules can be used as prognostic indicators to single out patients with higher risk of recurrence. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has a role in inflammation, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9 have a decisive part in the process of degradation and invasion, while vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is consequential for angiogenesis.

Potential clinical relevance of uPA and PAI-1 levels in node-negative, postmenopausal breast cancer patients bearing histological grade II tumors with ER/PR expression, during an early follow-up.

We evaluated urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) prognostic value in postmenopausal, node-negative breast cancer patients bearing tumors with estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) expression, treated with locoregional therapy alone, within an early follow-up. We focused our analysis on tumors of histological grade II in order to improve its prognostic value and, consequently, to improve a decision-making process. The cytosol extracts of 73 tumor samples were used for assessing several biomarkers.

Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix Texture Analysis of Breast Tumor Images in Prognosis of Distant Metastasis Risk.

Owing to exceptional heterogeneity in the outcome of invasive breast cancer it is essential to develop highly accurate prognostic tools for effective therapeutic management. Based on this pressing need, we aimed to improve breast cancer prognosis by exploring the prognostic value of tumor histology image analysis. Patient group (n=78) selection was based on invasive breast cancer diagnosis without systemic treatment with a median follow-up of 147 months.

Change of influence of prognostic markers on metastasis free interval during and after adjuvant tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of molecular biomarkers (estrogen receptor - ER, progesterone receptor - PR, and human epidermal growth factor receptor2 - HER2) and pathological parameters on metastasis free interval (MFI) in adjuvantly tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients, during different follow up periods (0-2.5 years, 2.5-5 years and 5-12 years).

Selection of clinically useful angiogenesis-related biomarkers: an update.

Angiogenesis is a complex phenomenon that involves interaction between growth factors/cytokines and their receptors, and proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, which, in addition to and in accordance with their main roles, act together during this multistep process. Cancer angiogenesis is specific, because the same factors that enable angiogenesis are involved in the process of carcinogenesis. The aim of this review was to analyze the current knowledge regarding the significance of selected biomarkers in cancer angiogenesis, with emphasis on their prognostic value in the circulation.

In silico dynamic molecular interaction networks for the discovery of new therapeutic targets.

Systems biology has emerged as a major trend in biological research during the past decade. As living organisms are described in more and more detail, it aims at filling the gap between understanding basic molecular processes and complex biological systems in which new properties often emerge from the combination of these elementary processes. This approach culminates in the development of computer-based mathematical models of physiological and pathophysiological processes.

A novel sensitive microarray approach for differential screening using probes labelled with two different radioelements.

We have developed a novel microarray approach for differential screening using probes labelled with two different radioelements. The complementary DNAs from the reverse transcription of mRNAs from two different biological samples were labelled with radioelements of significantly different energies (3H and 35S or 33P). Radioactive images corresponding to the expressed genes were acquired with a MicroImager, a real time, high resolution digital autoradiography system.