Breast-conserving Surgery In Patients Research Articles

A Prospective Study on the Use of Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold Technique in External Beam Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Background Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of death in women. The deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) technique helps reduce the dose received by the heart and lungs in breast cancers during adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). We present the dosimetry of heart and lungs with DIBH technique, reproducibility, and ease of execution. Materials and Methods This is a prospective study among breast cancer patients planned for adjuvant RT following either breast conservation or mastectomy. Patients received adjuvant RT to a dose of 42.5 Gy/16 Fr to the chest wall/whole breast followed by a boost of 10 Gy/5 Fr for breast conservation surgery patients with either three-dimensional conformal RT or volumetric modulated arc therapy technique. The dosimetric parameters such as lung mean dose, heart mean dose, and V25 Gy were compared between DIBH and free-breathing (FB) scans. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, and p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The study was conducted from September 2018 to August 2020, and 32 patients were included. The compliance to the DIBH technique was good. The dose received by ipsilateral lung V20 (17 vs. 25%) and mean dose (9 vs. 12 Gy) were significantly lower in DIBH compared with FB (p < 0.001). The V5 (31 vs. 15%), V25 (9 vs. 2%), and mean dose (7 vs. 3.3 Gy) to the heart were much higher in FB compared with DIBH (p < 0.001). Conclusion DIBH-based RT treatment delivery for breast cancer patients requiring adjuvant RT showed good compliance and offers a significant reduction in radiation dose to the heart and lung.

Abstract PO4-07-08: Impact of an MRI/US fusion imaging for preoperative planning using non-wire localization technique in breast conserving surgery in patients with non-mass enhancement on MRI. A prospective multicenter study

Abstract [Background] Preoperative breast MRI is used to evaluate for additional and extent disease for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with dense breasts. The potential benefit of preoperative MRI is still being controversial. However, when breast conserving surgery (BCS) is considered for non-mass enhancement (NME) on MRI, the precise image-guided localization is required. Although breast ultrasound (US) plays an adjunctive role in evaluation of MRI findings in preoperative planning for BCS, NME is less likely than a mass or focus to have a US correlate. Furthermore, the presence of NME increases the re-operation rate in BCS because of the difficulty in evaluating the tumor margin. An MRI/US fusion imaging has recently been developed that uses either real-time virtual sonography TM (RVS) or volume navigation TM (Vnav), and can overlay an US with the MRI image of the same site in real time by using magnetic position tracking system. The purpose of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate the effect of MRI/US fusion imaging for preoperative planning using non-wire localization technique in BCS in patients with NME. [Methods] In 3 Japanese hospital, 13 patients who had lesions with NME that exceeded the US hypoechoic area were enrolled in this study from 2019 to 2022. Written informed consent was acquired, and then an additional supine MRI using a body surface coil was performed. During preoperative planning before BCS, RVS/Vnav was used to determine the NME enhancing area and to mark the area on the skin. Tissue markers were inserted under US at a location assessed by RVS/Vnav as the edge of extent of NME. We analyzed both the surgical margin positivity rate and the reoperation rate. [Results] The preoperative diagnosis by core needle biopsy were 6 DCIS and 7 invasive ductal carcinoma. NME distribution types were 7 segmental, 3 focal, 2 linear 4 and 1 regional. The median diameters of the NME and hypo-echoic lesions were 31 mm (range: 18–39 mm) and 16 mm (range: 9–32 mm), respectively (p = 0.0005). After confirming the localization of the tissue marker with intraoperative US, 12 lumpectomy and 1 quadrantectomy were conducted. The median specimen weight was 63g (range: 54-105g). In the final pathologic diagnosis of excised specimens were 5 DCIS and 8 IDC. In 8 cases (62%), the pathologic diameter was larger than the US diameter. All surgical margins were negative. None of the patients required additional resection. [Conclusions] The findings of study suggest that preoperative planning using non-wire localization technique under MRI/US fusion imaging for BCS in patients with NME could improve both a surgical margin positive rate and a reoperation rate. Citation Format: Shogo Nakano, Manabu Futamura, Keitaro Kamei, Takayoshi Uematsu, Miwa Yoshida, Sadako Akashi-Tanaka, Junta Sakakibara, Ichiro Isomoto, Hiroko Satake, Maiko Takahashi, Minami Hatono, Junko Araki. Impact of an MRI/US fusion imaging for preoperative planning using non-wire localization technique in breast conserving surgery in patients with non-mass enhancement on MRI. A prospective multicenter study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-07-08.

Abstract PO1-19-01: NRG-BR008: A Phase III Randomized Trial of Radiotherapy Optimization for Low-risk HER2-positive Breast Cancer (HERO)

Abstract Background: Breast radiotherapy (RT) is the standard of care for patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) who undergo breast-conserving surgery (BCS). However, the magnitude of benefit of RT is less clear in BCS patients with low-risk disease who receive effective systemic therapy. Among patients with early-stage HER2-positive (HER2+) BC, 10-year locoregional recurrence has been reported as low as 1.5% following BCS, adjuvant chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy, and RT. Given these exceedingly favorable outcomes, with the addition of HER2-directed therapy, we seek to evaluate the feasibility of omitting RT among patients with early-stage HER2+ BC following BCS and appropriate systemic therapy. Methods: This is a phase III randomized trial for patients ≥40 years with early-stage, node-negative HER2+ (IHC/FISH) BC treated with BCS with negative margins and sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary dissection. Patients undergoing primary surgery must have pathologic T1 (< 2 cm) N0 disease, while patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy must have clinical T1-2 (with radiographically T< 3.0 cm) N0 disease and exhibit a pathologic complete response (ypT0N0) at surgery. All patients must receive cytotoxic chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy, either in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting. Stratification is by age (< 60; ≥60), tumor size (≤1 cm; >1 cm), estrogen-receptor status (positive; negative), and systemic therapy sequencing (adjuvant vs neoadjuvant). Patients will be randomized to standard breast RT in addition to continuation of trastuzumab to complete a year of treatment (Arm 1), or trastuzumab alone (Arm 2). Endocrine therapy will be recommended for patients with hormone-receptor positive tumors. The primary endpoint is the recurrence-free interval (RFI). Secondary endpoints include the time to ipsilateral breast recurrence, locoregional recurrence, disease-free survival, and overall survival, in addition to the 7-year ipsilateral breast recurrence rate among those not receiving RT. A health-related quality of life sub-study will assess differences in patient-reported breast pain and worry. We estimate a 7-year RFI of 97.5% with RT and allow for a clinically acceptable decrement of 3.63% without RT (7-year RFI of 93.87%; HR 2.5) to establish omission of RT as non-inferior. NRG-BR008 aims to enroll 1,300 patients over 4.5 years, yielding 80% power to detect the non-inferiority of RT omission with a one-sided α=0.05. We expect to observe the required 38 RFI events within 6 years of additional follow-up. The NRG-BR008/HERO trial opened to accrual in March, 2023. NCT05705401. Support: U10CA180868, -180822, UG1CA189867, U24CA196067; Susan G. Komen Foundation (JR) Citation Format: Lior Braunstein, Melissa Mitchell, Hanna Bandos, William Sikov, Atif Khan, Peter Chen, Patricia Ganz, Reshma Jagsi, Julia White, Reena Cecchini, Hyejoo Kang, Shannon Puhalla, Kelly Bolton, Eileen Connolly, Erica Stringer-Reasor, Kimberly Gergelis, Thomas Julian, Eleftherios Mamounas, Norman Wolmark. NRG-BR008: A Phase III Randomized Trial of Radiotherapy Optimization for Low-risk HER2-positive Breast Cancer (HERO) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-19-01.

Abstract PO4-17-05: Patterns of care: radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery and the use of endocrine therapy for screen-detected ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the UK

Abstract Background The use of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and endocrine therapy (ET) in the management of pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial. We investigate how the use of adjuvant RT after breast conserving surgery (BCS) and use of adjuvant ET (in BCS and mastectomy patients) has changed over time. Methods A prospective cohort SQL database of 11,284 patients (the Sloane Project) diagnosed 2003-2012 with screen-detected DCIS in the UK was interrogated for use of adjuvant RT and ET over time and association with factors reported to be predictive of recurrence (patient age, DCIS nuclear grade, size, comedo necrosis, resection margins), as well as institution of surgery, travel time to radiotherapy facility, Index of Multiple Deprivation and outcome (provided by the National Disease Registration Service, NDRS). RT data by site were confirmed with more recent data from the National Audit of Breast Cancer in Older Patients (NABCOP), which looked at patterns of care and outcomes for women aged 70 years and over, compared with those aged 50-64 in England and Wales. Results Among the 7,949 women (70.6%) treated by BCS, post-operative adjuvant RT was given to 4,939 (62.1%); RT use after BCS increased over time (R2 =0.92; p< 0.01). RT use was associated with year of diagnosis (p < 0.01), younger age at diagnosis (p < 0.01), larger DCIS size (p < 0.01), presence of comedo necrosis (p < 0.01), higher nuclear grade (p < 0.01) and presence of microinvasion (p < 0.01). Adjusted analyses showed the most significant factor for RT after BCS was the surgery institution. Travel time to RT facility, Index of Multiple Deprivation and final radial margin were not associated with RT use. When compared with the more recent data from the NABCOP, a marked variation in radiotherapy use across hospitals remains. Ipsilateral recurrence rate varied significantly by hospital, with some of the difference associated with RT utilisation. ET was prescribed in 1313 women (12%), more often following BCS than mastectomy (p < 0.001), with significant variation by institution and a decline in the use of ET over time. Conclusion Marked geographic variation in the use of RT and ET after surgery for DCIS persists in the UK and is likely due to physician choice rather than other factors such as travel times to RT facilities. This is contributing to geographic variation in ipsilateral recurrence rates, suggesting the need for adoption of more authoritative guidelines to support clinical decision-making. Consistent national practice could provide auditable performance standards for adjuvant therapy of screen detected DCIS and contribute to more uniform patient care. Citation Format: Karen Clements, David Dodwell, Elinor Sawyer, Ramsey Cutress, Nisha Sharma, Abeer Shaaban, Alastair Thompson. Patterns of care: radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery and the use of endocrine therapy for screen-detected ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the UK [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-17-05.

Abstract PO4-19-10: Selective Avoidance of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In HER-2 Positive/Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients With Excellent Radiologic Response to the Breast and Axilla

Abstract Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for breast cancer (BC) is downstaging inoperable tumors into operable tumors and de-escalating breast/axillary surgery. According to advanced NACT, dual human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2) blockage in HER2-positive BC, carboplatin, and immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) revealed pathologic complete response (ypCR) rates of up to 68% and 80%, the indications for NACT have expanded to early BC and the expected ypCR rate has increased. Therefore, it may be reasonable to consider omitting surgery in cases with excellent responses to NACT. Although sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is minimally invasive, some patients still experience complications such as lymphedema, pain, sensory loss, and axillary web syndrome. Several recent retrospective studies and pilot prospective studies have reported axillary pathologic complete response (ApCR) is highly correlated with breast pathologic complete response (BpCR). In cN0 with HER2+ BC and TNBC, the ApCR rate in BpCR after NACT was reported up to 100%, and in cN1 with HER2+ BC and TNBC, the ApCR rate in BpCR after NACT was reported about 85%. There are many studies predicting BpCR using radiologic imaging such as breast mammography (MMG), ultrasonography (USG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the combination of tri-modality (MMG, USG, MRI) could not confirm BpCR. The current study is screened in cT1-3N0-1M0, HER2+ or TNBC, and planned breast-conserving surgery (BCS) patients after NACT with excellent response at the combination of tri-modality imaging (breast MMG, breast USG, breast MRI) and with expected BpCR at physical examination. Methods Trial design The ASLAN trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, clinical study. The five tertiary care hospitals in South Korea are participating which are members of the Korean Breast Cancer Study Group (KBCSG). Eligibility Inclusion criteria: women aged 20-69; cT1-3N0-1M0; HER2+ or TNBC (defined by ER-negative (< 10% positive cells in IHC) and PR-negative (< 10% positive cells in IHC)); expected complete remission at physical examination and radiological expected Tumor size ≤ 2cm or non-mass enhancement ≤ 4cm at breast MRI after standard NACT; planned breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with whole-breast irradiation; ECOG performance status 0-1. Exclusion criteria: SLNB before NACT; previous axillary surgery; bilateral BC; pregnancy. Intervention In eligible patients, BCS was performed. After BCS, patients who showed BpCR are enrolled with the omission of SLNB. Patients with no BpCR proceed with routine axillary surgery. Sample size calculation The assumption for an acceptable 5-year RFS ≥84% is based on previous study findings. The calculated total case number for per-protocol analysis is N=178. By Jun 2023, 153 patients had been enrolled and the target accrual of 178 patients is expected to be complete by Dec 2023. Study outcomes Primary endpoint: 5-year recurrence-free survival. Secondary endpoint: local recurrence-free survival, breast cancer-specific survival, overall survival, ipsilateral axillary recurrence interval, distant metastasis-free survival, contralateral breast-free survival, re-operation rate according to breast biopsy after NACT, adverse event, and quality of life. Accrual Plans The first patient was enrolled on Sep 2021. Among 223 patients who were screened, 153 patients have been enrolled in Jun 2023. We plan to complete the target accrual by Dec 2023. Conclusion The primary aim of the ASLAN trial is to demonstrate the oncologic safety of omitting axillary surgery for the excellent response after NACT in HER2+ or TNBC, early breast cancer patients undergoing BCS and adjuvant RT ASLAN trial, altogether with the EUBREAST-01 and ASCIS trials, will answer the very important question that may alter the axillary surgery in highly selected patients after NACT Citation Format: Jai Min Ryu, Wonshik Han, Han-Byoel Lee, Sung Gwe Ahn, Hee Jeong Kim, Hyung Seok Park, Ji Soo Choi, Hyunjun Lee, Hae Young Kim, Jeong Eon Lee. Selective Avoidance of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In HER-2 Positive/Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients With Excellent Radiologic Response to the Breast and Axilla [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-19-10.

Pushing the envelope in breast conserving surgery − is multiple-wire localization (3 or more wires) associated with increased risk of compromised margins and long-term recurrence?

IntroductionIn the last two decades there has been a paradigm shift with breast conserving surgery (BCS) being applied to larger and more extensive breast malignancies. The aim of this study is to examine the success of BCS being performed in patients with extensive breast malignancies requiring at least 3 wires for localization, and to assess possible risk factors for failure. Materials and methodsWe performed a retrospective single center review of 232 patients who underwent BCS between 2010 and 2020 requiring at least 3 wires for localization, thus comprising the multi-wire group (MWG). The cohort included a control group of 232 single-wire BCS patients (SWG) chronologically matched with the MWG. Patients with either invasive malignancy or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were included in the study. Clinical, radiological, and pathological data was collected. Proportions of positive surgical margins, re-lumpectomies and conversion to mastectomy were calculated. Survival analysis for locoregional and distant recurrence was performed. ResultsWomen in the MWG were younger (mean age 57 vs. 63.1, P < 0.001), had larger tumor size (mean size 5.1 cm vs. 1.3 cm, p < 0.001), a higher prevalence of calcifications on mammograms (72 % vs. 17 %, P < 0.001), a higher proportion of positive lymph nodes (75 % vs. 45 %, P = 0.019), and an elevated incidence of a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) component (72 % vs. 38 %, P < 0.001).Positive surgical margins were higher in the MWG (13 % vs 7 %, P = 0.03), which lead to higher proportions of re-lumpectomies or conversion to mastectomies (7 % vs 4 %, P = 0.17). On multivariate analysis of the entire cohort, patients with positive margins were more likely to have a DCIS component (77 % vs 53 %, P = 0.001), an infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC) component (15 % vs 9 %, P = 0.013), and positive ER hormonal status (94 % vs 85 %, p = 0.05). The number of wires was not an independent predictor of positive margins.On long-term analysis, the locoregional disease-free survival was similar between the SWG and MWG (P = 0.1). However, the MWG showed higher rates of distant metastasis (12 % vs 4 %, P = 0.006). ConclusionsBCS requiring 3 or more wires is associated with a slightly higher proportion of positive margins. The increased risk of positive margins appears to be related to the type of tumor (DCIS component, ILC component and ER status) rather than to the number of wires. The number of wires does not significantly impact locoregional disease-free survival.

Oncological outcomes of post neo adjuvant chemotherapy breast conservation surgery in patients with locally advanced breast cancer

Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer in India is phenotypically different with locally advanced breast cancers (LABCs) forming 30–50% of all cases. Use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), among other things has contributed to surgeons using breast conservation surgery (BCS) in very selected patients with good results. Herein, we describe the oncological outcomes of BCS in LABC patients undergoing surgery post NACT. Patients and Methods: This is an ambispective observational cohort study conducted between January 1996 and December 2019 after approval by Institute Ethics Committee, to study the ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) in patients with LABC undergoing BCS post NACT. The secondary objectives were to ascertain the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) and factors associated with IBTR in these patients. Patients were staged according to the anatomic American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) VIII Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) classification and clinic-demographic, pathologic, treatment, and follow-up details were noted. Results: Out of 822 patients with LABC, 71 patients undergoing BCS post NACT were included. Average tumor size at presentation was 6.43 cm. The most common T stage was T3 (57.7%) and N stage was N1 (53.5%). The most common stage group was IIIB in 40.8%. Around 75% received anthracycline-based NACT with 28.2% having a complete clinical response. A pathological complete response was seen in 16 patients (22.5%). The mean follow-up duration was 6.14 years. A total of 25 patients had recurrences: five patients had IBTR (7%) and four had a local with regional recurrence. Two, 5, and 10 years OS were 94.0, 83.8, and 61.9%, respectively, and DFS were 87.8, 67.1, and 50.6%, respectively. A higher clinical T stage was associated with poor DFS (p = 0.01). The risk of IBTR was not found to significantly correlate with any of the standard prognostic factors. Conclusion: BCS post NACT in suitably selected patients of LABC is a safe and viable option without adversely affecting oncological outcomes.

Clinical impact of semi-annual mammography in patients undergoing breast conserving surgery following neoadjuvant therapy

IntroductionGuidelines recommend annual mammography for most patients following breast conserving surgery (BCS) for invasive breast cancer (IBC). However, for patients treated with BCS following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), the optimal frequency for surveillance has not been established. The study objective is to assess the efficacy of semi-annual mammography after BCS in patients treated with NAT. MethodsAn institutional database of patients with IBC (cT1-T4, N0-N3, M0) who received BCS following NAT from 2007–2020 was analyzed. Clinicopathologic features, surveillance imaging, and outcomes were analyzed. Direct costs associated with surveillance were estimated based on Medicare Physician Fees. Results139 patients received BCS following NAT, of which 59 (42.4%) had a pathologic complete response. Most patients received semi-annual mammography for 24 months post-operatively (84.2%, 82.0%, 80.0%, and 78.0% of patients received a mammogram at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively). Biopsies were performed due to abnormal imaging findings in 9 (6.5%), 7 (5.3%), 2 (1.5%), and 8 (6.3%) patients at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively. Overall, 77.8% of biopsies performed were benign. At median follow up of 65 months (IQR 37–86), 22 (15.8%) patients developed recurrences, of which 14 (63.6%) were distant and 8 (36.4%) were locoregional. Only 2 (1.4%) patients had a recurrence detected by mammographic surveillance. The additional direct costs associated with semi-annual imaging was $373.68 per patient. ConclusionsThere is insufficient evidence to support semi-annual mammography in the early post-operative period following BCS in patients treated with NAT, and annual mammography with clinical exam is likely sufficient. SynopsisTo date, there is no consensus on the optimal frequency of mammographic surveillance in breast cancer patients receiving breast conserving surgery following neoadjuvant therapy given their higher risk for recurrent disease. Our data demonstrates overall low-yield and high costs associated with semi-annual mammography and suggests that annual mammography with clinical breast exam is sufficient for detecting locoregional recurrences.

The impact of breast‐conserving surgery and modified radical mastectomy on postoperative wound complications in patients with early breast cancer

AbstractIn recent years, breast conservation surgery (BCS) and modified radical mastectomy (MRM) have been widely used in the treatment of early‐stage breast cancer. However, the effects of complications from these two surgical methods are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of BCS and MRM on postoperative wound complications in patients with early breast cancer. Eighty‐eight patients with early breast cancer were randomly divided into BCS group (n = 46) and MRM group (n = 42). The occurrence of postoperative wound complications was compared between the two groups. The results showed that BCS patients had significantly lower intraoperative surgical times, blood losses, incision lengths, drainage volumes, drainage times and lengths of hospital stays than their MRM counterparts (p &lt; 0.05). The overall incidence of postoperative wound complications in the BCS group was significantly lower than that in the MRM group at 1 month after surgery, but the difference was not statistically significant (p &lt; 0.001). The rate of excellent breast cosmetic outcome was significantly higher in the BCS group than in the MRM group (p &lt; 0.001). Compared to MRM, BCS has a lower incidence of intraoperative and postoperative wound complications, better cosmetic outcomes and higher clinical value in the treatment of early‐stage breast cancer.

Impact of SSO-ASTRO Margin Guidelines on Re-excision Rate in Breast-conserving Surgery: A Single-center Experience.

Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has been historically linked with a high rate of re-excision. To address this issue, the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) developed consensus guidelines in 2014 to standardize practices and improve clinical outcomes for BCS patients. In our tertiary cancer care hospital, we assessed the impact of these guidelines on the re-excision rate following BCS. We conducted a retrospective study on breast cancer patients who underwent BCS at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan. The study compared the re-excision rate before the implementation of the SSO-ASTRO consensus guidelines (November 2015-July 2017) and after the implementation (January 2018-August 2019). Margins were considered positive if "ink on tumor" was present and negative if "no ink on tumor" was present. Fisher's exact test or Chi-square test was used to compare the re-excision rates between the pre- and post-guideline periods. A total of 919 patients were identified, with 533 from the pre-guideline period and 386 from the post-guideline period. Of the 919 patients, 31 with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were excluded from the re-excision analysis because the guidelines were not implemented on the DCIS. Furthermore, the overall rate of re-excision in our data was 4.3%. The re-excision rate decreased from 71.1% to 28.9% (P ≤ 0.05) following the adoption of the guidelines. We observed a statistically significant decrease in the re-excision rate after implementing the SSO-ASTRO guidelines. Implementation of the SSO-ASTRO margin guidelines led to a notable decrease in the overall re-excision rate in our data set. These findings suggest that continued adherence to the guidelines may lead to a further reduction in the re-excision rate in the future.

Correlation between AI-based CT organ features and normal lung dose in adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery: a multicenter prospective study

BackgroundRadiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the common side effects after adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer. Irradiation dose to normal lung was related to RP. We aimed to propose an organ features based on deep learning (DL) model and to evaluate the correlation between normal lung dose and organ features.MethodsPatients with pathology-confirmed invasive breast cancer treated with adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in four centers were included. From 2019 to 2020, a total of 230 patients from four nationwide centers in China were screened, of whom 208 were enrolled for DL modeling, and 22 patients from another three centers formed the external testing cohort. The subset of the internal testing cohort (n = 42) formed the internal correlation testing cohort for correlation analysis. The outline of the ipsilateral breast was marked with a lead wire before the scanning. Then, a DL model based on the High-Resolution Net was developed to detect the lead wire marker in each slice of the CT images automatically, and an in-house model was applied to segment the ipsilateral lung region. The mean and standard deviation of the distance error, the average precision, and average recall were used to measure the performance of the lead wire marker detection model. Based on these DL model results, we proposed an organ feature, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between the proposed organ feature and ipsilateral lung volume receiving 20 Gray (Gy) or more (V20).ResultsFor the lead wire marker detection model, the mean and standard deviation of the distance error, AP (5 mm) and AR (5 mm) reached 3.415 ± 4.529, 0.860, 0.883, and 4.189 ± 8.390, 0.848, 0.830 in the internal testing cohort and external testing cohort, respectively. The proposed organ feature calculated from the detected marker correlated with ipsilateral lung V20 (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.542 with p < 0.001 in the internal correlation testing cohort and 0.554 with p = 0.008 in the external testing cohort).ConclusionsThe proposed artificial Intelligence-based CT organ feature was correlated with normal lung dose in adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in patients with invasive breast cancer.Trial registrationNCT05609058 (08/11/2022).

Cardiac protective techniques in left breast radiotherapy: rapid selection criteria for routine clinical decision making

ObjectiveIn left breast radiotherapy (RT) desired heart doses may be achieved without heart-sparing RT techniques in some patients. We aimed to examine the existence of predictive factors and cutoff points to determine which patients are the main candidates for heart-sparing RT techniques.Material and methodDosimetric data for left breast cancer was examined. RT plans were made at conventional doses to the breast and peripheral lymph nodes. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).Result114 cases were evaluated by ROC (Receiver operating characteristic) analysis in the breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy groups. While only left lung volume (AUC: 0.74, 95% CI 0.61–0.87, p = 0.002) was significant in BCS cases, in cases with mastectomy, left lung volume (AUC: 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.94, p = 0.002) and lung/heart volume ratio (AUC: 0.83, 95% CI 0.70–0.96, p = 0.001) had a significant relationship with the relevance of heart doses. The cutoff point of 1.92 was selected for the lung/heart volume ratio for the mastectomized patients. Moreover, the cutoff point 1154 cc and 1208 cc was determined for the left lung volume for the BCS and mastectomized patients, respectively.ConclusionVarious cutoff points in left breast RT can be used to predict whether RT plans will meet QUANTEC (Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic) heart dose limits. Evaluating only these few cutoff points before planning makes it possible to eliminate 70% of patients with BCS and 40% of patients with mastectomy from respiratory-controlled methods, which require time and effort. Patients with lung volume and lung/heart volume ratio smaller than the cutoff values can be considered primary candidates for heart-sparing techniques.

Locally advanced breast cancer: breast-conserving surgery and other factors linked to overall survival after neoadjuvant treatment.

Recent data suggest that breast-conserving surgery (BCS) may positively impact overall survival (OS) in early breast cancer. However, the role of BCS in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 530 LABC patients who underwent surgery after NAT between 2010 and 2015. Outcomes examined included OS, distant recurrence rates (DRR), and loco-regional recurrence rates (LRRs). Among the 927 breast cancer patients who received NAT, 530 were eligible for our study. Of these, 24.6% underwent BCS, while 75.4% underwent mastectomy (MS). The median follow-up duration was 79 months. BCS patients exhibited a higher pathological complete response (PCR) rate compared to those who underwent MS (22.3% vs. 10%, p < 0.001). The 6-year OS rates for BCS and MS were 81.5% and 62%, respectively (p < 0.000). In multivariate OS analysis, MS was associated with worse outcomes (OR 1.678; 95% CI 1.069-2.635; p = 0.024), as was body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.031; 95% CI 1.006-1.058; p = 0.017), and stage IIIB or IIIC (OR 2.450; 95% CI 1.561-3.846; p < 0.000). Conversely, PCR (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.220-0.801; p = 0.008) was associated with improved survival. DRR was significantly lower in BCS (15.4%) compared to MS (36.8%) (OR 0.298; 95% CI 0.177-0.504). LRRs were comparable between BCS (9.2%) and MS (9.5%) (OR 0.693; 95% CI 0.347-1.383). Our findings suggest that BCS is oncologically safe, even for patients with large lesions, and is associated with superior OS rates compared to MS. Additionally, lower BMI, lower pretreatment stage, and achieving PCR were associated with improved survival outcomes.

In vivo optical coherence tomography attenuation imaging of the breast surgical cavity using a handheld probe

Approximately 20–30% of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) patients require follow-up re-excision surgery due to inadequate cancer resection. To aid cancer detection and resection, we present a handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe and attenuation imaging method to enable in vivo imaging of the surgical cavity during BCS. The attenuation imaging method incorporates three-dimensional correction of system factors in the probe, namely, confocal function and sensitivity roll-off function, demonstrating accurate and repeatable attenuation imaging of phantoms, validated using the Mie scattering model. To assess the imaging performance of the probe prior to in vivo imaging, ex vivo attenuation imaging of breast specimens from eight mastectomy patients was performed and the results compared to those acquired using a benchtop imaging system, showing consistent tissue contrast in attenuation images. In vivo imaging of breast tissue in the surgical cavity of seven patients was subsequently performed during BCS. The results demonstrate the potential of attenuation imaging to delineate cancer in vivo in the surgical cavity. Attenuation imaging provides an additional tissue contrast mechanism to complement OCT imaging, potentially contributing to more complete identification and resection of cancer during BCS.

Trends in Locoregional Therapy in Older Women with Early-Stage Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer by Frailty and Life Expectancy.

In women ≥ 70 years of age with T1N0 hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer, breast surgery type and omission of axillary surgery or radiation therapy (RT) do not impact overall survival. Although frailty and life expectancy ideally factor into therapy decisions, their impact on therapy receipt is unclear. We sought to identify trends in and factors associated with locoregional therapy type by frailty and life expectancy. Women ≥ 70years of age with T1N0 HR+/HER2- breast cancer diagnosed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database between 2010 and 2015 were stratified by validated claims-based frailty and life expectancy measures. Therapy trends over time by regimen intensity ('high intensity': lumpectomy + axillary surgery + RT, or mastectomy + axillary surgery; 'moderate intensity': lumpectomy + RT, lumpectomy + axillary surgery, or mastectomy only; or 'low intensity': lumpectomy only) were analyzed. Factors associated with therapy type were identified using generalized linear mixed models. Of 16,188 women, 21.8% were frail, 22.2% had a life expectancy < 5 years, and only 12.3% fulfilled both criteria. In frail women with a life expectancy < 5 years, high-intensity regimens decreased significantly (48.8-31.2%; p<0.001) over the study period, although in 2015, 30% still received a high-intensity regimen. In adjusted analyses, frailty and life expectancy < 5 years were not associated with breast surgery type but were associated with a lower likelihood of axillary surgery (frailty: odds ratio [OR] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.96; life expectancy < 5 years: OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.20-0.25). Life expectancy < 5 years was also associated with a lower likelihood of RT receipt in breast-conserving surgery patients (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.27-0.34). Rates of high-intensity therapy are decreasing but overtreatment persists in this population. Continued efforts aimed at appropriate de-escalation of locoregional therapy are needed.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage II–III breast cancer: a single-center experience

IntroductionWe conducted this study to reflect a single-center experience with the use of neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NAC) for the management of women with operable breast cancer.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review on all women presenting with operable, stage II–III, breast cancer and were scheduled for NAC at Suez Canal University Hospital. The primary outcome of this study was to estimate the proportion of patients with breast cancer who become eligible for breast-conserving surgery (BCS) after (NAC).ResultsA total of 147 patients were included. Before the initiation of chemotherapy, only 66 (44.9%) patients were indicated for (BCS). A total of 40 (49.4%) new patients, out of the 81 patients who were ineligible before chemotherapy, became eligible for BCS after NAC (95% CI 39.3–61.9%). On the other hand, 8 (12.1%) patients became ineligible for BCS after NAC, out of 66 patients who were initially eligible. Out of the 98 eligible patients for BCS after chemotherapy, 72 (73.5%) patients underwent the surgery, and the remaining 26 (26.5%) patients chose modified radical mastectomy (MRM). A total of 55 out of 72 (76.4%) patients achieved pathological complete response (pCR). One woman (0.1%) experienced relapse in the 3rd year of follow-up and three women (2%) experienced relapse in the 5th year of follow-up. We found a statistically significant relationship between patients who became eligible for breast-conserving surgery and both age and estrogen receptor negativity (p = 0.001 and 0.007, respectively).ConclusionNAC can play a crucial role in increasing the rate of eligibility for BCS among women with operable, stage II–III, breast cancer.

Patient values in breast cancer surgical decision-making - The WhySurg study

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to describe patient values and personality traits associated with breast surgery choice for patients with breast cancer. MethodsA survey based on qualitative patient interviews and the Big-Five personality trait profile was distributed to Love Research Army volunteers aged 18–70 years old who underwent breast cancer surgery from 2009 to 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent patient values and personality traits for the choice of breast-conserving surgery (BCS), unilateral mastectomy (UM) and bilateral mastectomy (BM). Results1497 participants completed the survey. Open-mindedness was associated with UM and sociability was associated with BM. A majority of patients prioritized cancer outcomes. Compared to BM patients, BCS and UM patients were significantly more likely to choose values associated with maintaining their self-image, optimizing surgical recovery, and following their doctor's recommendation. ConclusionsOther values besides cancer outcomes differentiate patient surgical choice for BCS or mastectomy.

Extensive intraductal component as a factor determining local recurrence of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy are standard surgical options for breast cancer. However, some patients experience a local recurrence after the operation. Many factors have been identified as a risk of local recurrence. Extensive intraductal component (EIC) was found as one of the major risks of the recurrence. Nevertheless, there were neither any systematic reviews nor controlled trials focused on EIC. This study aims to identify the impact of EIC on the local recurrence of breast cancer. We searched all relevant studies published between the inception to December 2020. All electronic data from PubMed and Scopus databases were extracted for evaluation of EIC as a factor of the recurrence. Local recurrence was a primary outcome between EIC-positive group and EIC-negative group. Margin status and adjuvant radiation were focused as a subgroup analysis. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale was applied for quality assessment of included studies and RevMan 5.3 program was used to estimate the effect of the results. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A total of 32 studies, comprising 4,290 and 15,143 patients in the EIC-positive and EIC-negative groups respectively, were retrieved and met selection criteria. All included studies were at low to intermediate risk of bias. There was a statistically significant difference in local recurrence between EIC-positive patients and EIC-negative patients (OR =2.73; 95% CI: 2.42-3.07; P<0.00001). However, there was not any significant difference in patients who had negative margin (OR =1.97; 95% CI: 0.92-4.19; P=0.36) or received any adjuvant irradiation (OR =1.58; 95% CI: 0.55-4.54; P=0.24). EIC increases the risk of local recurrence, especially in breast-conserving surgery patients. However, there are a limited number of populations to analyze in subgroup analysis, the rate of local recurrence between two groups is not different in patients who had negative margin or received postoperative irradiation.

Predictors of Locoregional Recurrence and Distant Failure after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Among Patients Treated with Mastectomy Versus Breast-Conserving Surgery

To assess the patterns and predictors of locoregional recurrence (LRR) and distant failure (DF) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy among patients treated with mastectomy vs. breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Our secondary objective is to identify the predictors of failure among patients who achieved complete pathological response (pCR). Between 2000 and 2021, 1111 patients who had unilateral breast cancer were identified retrospectively in a single-institution database of consecutive patients who were treated with mastectomy or BCS following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariable analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model to identify the independent predictors associated with LRR and DF. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the predictive factors associated with LRR and DF among patients (n = 273) who achieved pCR. The median follow-up for the entire cohort was 5.9 years (range, 1.2 months - 21.8 years). For LRR, the 10-year cumulative incidence was 12.9% and 5.8% in BCS and mastectomy cohorts, respectively (HR 1.7, p = 0.03). For DF, the 10-year cumulative incidence was 19.9% and 29.4% in BCS and mastectomy cohorts, respectively (HR 0.65, p = 0.005). In mastectomy patients, the following factors were associated with LRR: lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR 3.8, p< 0.001) and luminal A or B subtype (HR 0.32, p = 0.002), while in BCS patients, LVI (HR 2.3, p = 0.039), extracapsular extension (ECE) (HR 4.5, p< 0.001), and luminal A or B subtype (HR 0.24, p< 0.001) were associated with LRR. Regarding risk factors for DF: LVI (HR 1.97, p< 0.001), number of malignant lymph nodes (HR 1.06, p< 0.001), achieving pCR (HR 0.26, p = 0.001), and triple-negative disease (HR 1.8, p = 0.005) were identified in mastectomy patients, while LVI (HR 2.64, p = 0.002), number of malignant lymph nodes (HR 1.13, p< 0.001), ECE (HR 2.07, p = 0.03), and triple-negative disease (HR 2.9, p = 0.001) were associated with DF for BCS patients. Subgroup analysis for those who achieved pCR showed that cN0 stage (HR 0.16, p = 0.08) and undergoing mastectomy (HR 0.4, p = 0.07) were associated with a lower risk of recurrence, whether LRR or DF, in those patients. Our study demonstrates that LVI, biological subtype, ECE, tumor response, and the number of malignant lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy are significant independent predictors of LRR and/or DF. These findings highlight the therapeutic significance of incorporating further therapy to optimize outcomes in these patients. In addition, patients with clinical node-negative at initial presentation and those undergoing mastectomy are associated with a low risk of subsequent failure after achieving pCR. This hypothesis-generating data highlights the role of revisiting the surgical approach for patients achieving pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Is Ki-67 Really Useful as a Predictor for Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer?

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is routinely offered to operable locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients desirous of breast conservation surgery and inoperable LABC patients. Pathological complete response (pCR) following chemotherapy is recognized as a surrogate for survival outcomes in high grade tumour subtypes. Many biological and tumor characters have been shown to predict pCR. The current study was performed with the aim of investigating the ability of Ki-67 in predicting pCR with NACT in breast cancer patients. A total of 105 patients with locally advanced breast cancer who completed NACT followed by surgery were included in this study from January 2020 till December 2022. Patients with advanced metastatic breast carcinoma, who did not give consent for NACT, who did not complete NACT and who did not undergo surgery were excluded. All patients were assessed for Ki-67 score on core-needle biopsy samples and response rate was assessed clinically and by histopathological examination of resected specimen. Quantitative variables were compared using unpaired t-test or Mann-Whitney 'U' test and for categorical variables Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive potential of Ki-67 expression levels in predicting pCR. To identify the predictive factors associated with pCR, univariate analysis was performed. The P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Mean age was 51.57 ± 10.8years. 51 patients achieved clinical complete response (cCR) and 33 achieved pCR after NACT. Mean Ki-67 index in overall study population, in pCR group and no pCR group was 46.44 ± 22.92%, 51.60 ± 22.3% and 44.06 ± 22.7%, respectively. On univariate analysis, ER negativity, PR negativity and Her 2neu positivity were found predictive of pCR. On subgroup analysis, TNBC and Her 2neu positive sub groups were associated with higher cCR and pCR rate. We found no significant association between Ki-67 and pCR. This result may be confounded by the fact that a significant duration of the study was in the COVID-19 pandemic. Validation of this data is required in a large prospective study.