Case series of metastatic breast cancer patients with visceral crisis treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors.

There is an ongoing clinical dilemma of how best to treat patients who present themselves with visceral crisis. The time needed to undo the state of visceral crisis is the most relevant outcome for this patient group. We describe four patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitor plus endocrine therapy for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer who presented themselves with a visceral crisis.

The prognostic impact of BMI in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer: a study of the SONABRE registry.

Purpose: This study determines the prognostic impact of body mass index (BMI) in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced (i.e., metastatic) breast cancer (ABC).

Real-world time trends in overall survival, treatments and patient characteristics in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer: an observational study of the SONABRE Registry.

Background: This study aims to evaluate whether changes in therapeutic strategies have improved survival of patients diagnosed with hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) in real-world.

Methods: All 1950 patients systemically treated for HR+/HER2- ABC and diagnosed between 2008 and 2019 in eight hospitals were retrieved from the SONABRE Registry (NCT-03577197). Patients were categorized per three-year cohorts based on year of ABC diagnosis.

Looking bad: Female patients drawing their representation of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

This study explored the experienced impact of alopecia using patient's drawings. Forty patients made drawings of their feelings about appearance of their head and hair before and during chemotherapy. Patients also reported illness perceptions (B-IPQ).

"Dear hair loss"-illness perceptions of female patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the most common and distressing side effects of chemotherapy treatment. This study aims to assess the illness perceptions of female patients dealing with CIA, and their associations with demographic and clinical characteristics, coping strategies, and quality of life. The secondary aim was to compare the illness perceptions of patients with CIA with other samples, to help elucidate the specific perceptions of patients with CIA.

The initial hormone receptor/HER2 subtype is the main determinator of subtype discordance in advanced breast cancer: a study of the SONABRE registry.

Purpose: The hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are the main parameters in guiding systemic treatment choices in breast cancer, but can change during the disease course. This study aims to evaluate the biopsy rate and receptor subtype discordance rate in patients diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (ABC).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with ABC in seven hospitals in 2007-2018 were selected from the SOutheast Netherlands Advanced BREast cancer (SONABRE) registry.

Unique Metastatic Patterns in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Different Primary Origin.

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) can originate in different organs, for example, the gastroenteral tract (GE), pancreas (Pan), or lungs (L). Our aim was to examine metastatic patterns for patients with NEN of various primary origins with a special focus on brain metastases to indicate utility for screening.

Methods: All NEN patients except for small cell lung cancer registered in the Netherlands Cancer Registry from 2008 to 2018 were selected.

Driver mutations occur frequently in metastases of well-differentiated small intestine neuroendocrine tumours.

Aims: To investigate the clinicopathological significance of driver mutations in metastatic well-differentiated small intestine neuroendocrine tumours (SI-NETs).

Methods And Results: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 35 metastatic SI-NETs and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of eight metastatic SI-NETs were performed. Biopsies were obtained between 2015 and 2019.

Quality of life in a real-world cohort of advanced breast cancer patients: a study of the SONABRE Registry.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) using the European Quality of Life Five-Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) in a real-world cohort of Dutch advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients. Secondary, we reported differences in QoL between subgroups of patients based on age, comorbidity, tumor-, and treatment characteristics, and assessed the association of duration of metastatic disease and time to death with QoL.

Methods: ABC patients who attended the outpatient clinic between October 2010 and May 2011 were asked to fill out the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire.

Giving A Face to Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia: A Feasibility Study on Drawings by Patients.

Objective: Individuals with cancer experience the impact of chemotherapy on hair loss in different ways. The aim of this pilot study was to explore patients' experiences of alopecia through patients' drawings.

Methods: Fifteen female patients diagnosed with cancer and treated with chemotherapy were recruited at the oncological day-care unit of a teaching hospital in the Netherlands.

Preserving fertility in young women undergoing chemotherapy for early breast cancer; the Maastricht experience.

Purpose: We assessed the uptake of fertility preservation (FP), recovery of ovarian function (OFR) after chemotherapy, live birth after breast cancer, and breast cancer outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer.

Methods: Women aged below 41 years and referred to our center for FP counseling between 2008 and 2015 were included. Data on patient and tumor characteristics, ovarian function, cryopreservation (embryo/oocyte) and transfer, live birth, and disease-free survival were collected.

High ctDNA molecule numbers relate with poor outcome in advanced ER+, HER2- postmenopausal breast cancer patients treated with everolimus and exemestane.

We determined whether progression-free survival (PFS) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients receiving everolimus plus exemestane (EVE/EXE) varies depending on circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) characteristics. Baseline plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from 164 postmenopausal women with ER-positive, HER2-negative MBC refractory to a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor and treated with standard EVE/EXE (Everolimus Biomarker Study, Eudract 2013-004120-11) was characterised for 10 relevant breast cancer genes by next-generation sequencing with molecular barcoding. ctDNA molecule numbers, number of mutations and specific variants were related with PFS and overall survival (OS).

Paraganglion, a pitfall in diagnosis after regular cholecystectomy.

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasm of the gallbladder is an extremely uncommon diagnosis. We present a case of a benign gallbladder paraganglion that was initially incorrectly diagnosed as a neuroendocrine tumour (NET).

Presentation Of Case: A 27-year-old female with symptomatic gallstone disease underwent an uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Addition of zoledronic acid to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not beneficial in patients with HER2-negative stage II/III breast cancer: 5-year survival analysis of the NEOZOTAC trial (BOOG 2010-01).

Background: Adjuvant bisphosphonates are associated with improved breast cancer survival in postmenopausal patients. Addition of zoledronic acid (ZA) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not improve pathological complete response in the phase III NEOZOTAC trial. Here we report the results of the secondary endpoints, disease-free survival, (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

[Infection or metastases? The amoebic abscess].

Background: Cases of Entamoeba histolytica infections in the Netherlands are usually imported diseases. The most common extra-intestinal manifestation of E. histolytica is the amoebic abscess.

Cost and cost-effectiveness of adjuvant trastuzumab in the real world setting: A study of the Southeast Netherlands Breast Cancer Consortium.

Background: We assessed the real world costs and cost-effectiveness of the addition of trastuzumab in HER2 positive early breast cancer compared to chemotherapy alone in the Dutch daily practice as opposed to the results based on trial data and based on a subset of patients that were treated according to the guidelines.

Patients And Methods: In a cohort study, we included all patients with stage I-III invasive breast cancer treated with curative intent in 5 Dutch hospitals between 2005 and 2007 (=2684).We assessed three scenarios: a real-world scenario, a trial scenario and a guideline scenario, with costs and effectiveness based on either the cohort study, the published trials or the guidelines.

Neutrophil Recovery in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Docetaxel-Containing Chemotherapy with and without Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Prophylaxis.

Objective: The primary outcome of the current study is, whether there is a protective effect of prior chemotherapy or of prior granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the next cycle blood cell counts.

Methods: Hematologic toxicity was evaluated, based on a randomized phase III study in breast cancer patients (n = 167) with >20% risk of febrile neutropenia. The primary endpoint was the nadir blood cell counts for patients treated with G-CSF given during all 6 chemotherapy cycles or limited to the first 2 chemotherapy cycles only.

Alternating Treatment With Pazopanib and Everolimus vs Continuous Pazopanib to Delay Disease Progression in Patients With Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer: The ROPETAR Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: To our knowledge, this is the first randomized clinical trial evaluating an alternating treatment regimen in an attempt to delay disease progression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Objective: To test our hypothesis that an 8-week rotating treatment schedule with pazopanib and everolimus delays disease progression, exhibits more favorable toxic effects, and improves quality of life when compared with continuous treatment with pazopanib.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was an open-label, randomized (1:1) study (ROPETAR trial).

Real-Life Use and Effectiveness of Adjuvant Trastuzumab in Early Breast Cancer Patients: A Study of the Southeast Netherlands Breast Cancer Consortium.

Background: The impact of drug prescriptions in real life as opposed to strict clinical trial prescription is only rarely assessed, although it is well recognized that incorrect use may harm patients and may have a significant impact on health care resources. We investigated the use and effectiveness of adjuvant trastuzumab in daily practice compared with the effectiveness in clinical trials.

Methods: We included all patients with stage I-III invasive breast cancer, irrespective of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, diagnosed in five hospitals in the southeast of The Netherlands in 2005-2007.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and impact on quality of life 6 months after treatment with chemotherapy.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major dose-limiting toxicity of cytostatics. With improved survival among cancer patients, CIPN may have a major impact on quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors.

Objective: To determine the occurrence of CIPN induced by oxaliplatin and taxanes and its impact on QoL median 6 months after chemotherapy.

Cost effectiveness of primary pegfilgrastim prophylaxis in patients with breast cancer at risk of febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: Guidelines advise primary granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis during chemotherapy if risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) is more than 20%, but this comes with considerable costs. We investigated the incremental costs and effects between two treatment strategies of primary pegfilgrastim prophylaxis.

Methods: Our economic evaluation used a health care perspective and was based on a randomized study in patients with breast cancer with increased risk of FN, comparing primary G-CSF prophylaxis throughout all chemotherapy cycles (G-CSF 1-6 cycles) with prophylaxis during the first two cycles only (G-CSF 1-2 cycles).

Prognosis of metastatic breast cancer subtypes: the hormone receptor/HER2-positive subtype is associated with the most favorable outcome.

Contrary to the situation in early breast cancer, little is known about the prognostic relevance of the hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in metastatic breast cancer. The objectives of this study were to present survival estimates and to determine the prognostic impact of breast cancer subtypes based on HR and HER2 status in a recent cohort of metastatic breast cancer patients, which is representative of current clinical practice. Patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer between 2007 and 2009 were included.

Primary granulocyte colony-stimulating factor prophylaxis during the first two cycles only or throughout all chemotherapy cycles in patients with breast cancer at risk for febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: Early breast cancer is commonly treated with anthracyclines and taxanes. However, combining these drugs increases the risk of myelotoxicity and may require granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support. The highest incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) and largest benefit of G-CSF during the first cycles of chemotherapy lead to questions about the effectiveness of continued use of G-CSF throughout later cycles of chemotherapy.

Diabetes alone should not be a reason for withholding adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer.

Background: With increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus and colon cancer, the number of patients suffering from both diseases is growing, and physicians are being faced with complicated treatment decisions.

Objective: To investigate the association between diabetes and treatment/course of stage III colon cancer and the association between colon cancer and course of diabetes.

Materials And Methods: Additional information was collected from the medical records of all patients with both stage III colon cancer and diabetes (=201) and a random sample of stage III colon cancer patients without diabetes (=206) in the area of the population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry (1998-2007).