Female Breast Cancer Research Articles

Background: Chemotherapy is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in breast cancer patients, yet the influence of racial and ethnic disparities on atrial fibrillation (Afib) and cardiomyopathy outcomes remains understudied. Hypothesis: Chemotherapy increases Afib and cardiomyopathy risk in breast cancer patients, with older age, pre-existing cardiac risk, and racial/ethnic differences (particularly among Black and Hispanic patients) contributing to differential risk profiles. Methods: We analyzed 1,193 female breast cancer patients from the All of Us workbench dataset who received chemotherapy and developed cardiovascular diseases, including Afib ( n =723) or cardiomyopathy ( n =284). Firth-corrected Cox proportional hazards models (penalizer=0.5) assessed the effects of age, pre-existing cardiac risk, race (White, Black, Asian, Other), ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic), and age group (<65 vs. ≥65 years) on time to Afib or cardiomyopathy. Results: Age significantly increased Afib (HR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, P<0.005) and cardiomyopathy risk (HR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03, p =0.002). Pre-existing cardiac risk showed non-significant trends for Afib (HR=1.09, 95% CI: 0.98-1.21, p =0.098) and cardiomyopathy (HR=1.12, 95% CI: 0.95-1.32, p =0.17). Black patients ( n =189) had higher Afib incidence (4.8%) than White patients ( n =762, 3.2%), with stronger cardiac risk effects (HR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-1.53, p =0.03). Hispanic patients ( n =231) had lower Afib incidence (2.9%) than non-Hispanic patients (3.7%). Patients ≥65 years ( n =524) had elevated Afib risk (HR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.26, p =0.003). Conclusion: Older age and Black race are associated with increased Afib risk post-chemotherapy, while Hispanic patients may have lower risk. These findings highlight the need for targeted cardio-oncology interventions to address disparities.

The high costs of cancer care may lead to medical debt for patients and families. This study examined the association of county-level medical debt and timely treatment initiation among individuals newly diagnosed with cancer. Individuals aged 19 years and older who were newly diagnosed with acute leukemias, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer with consecutive enrollment in the same insurance type from the month of diagnosis through 90 days afterward were identified from the 2012-2021 Colorado Central Cancer Registry linked to the Colorado All-Payer Claims Database with information about county-level medical debt from the Urban Institute (N=35,789). The exposure was the county-level share of adults with medical debt in collections, categorized in four quartiles (Q1-Q4). The outcome was timely treatment initiation-defined as the receipt of any cancer-directed treatment within 90 days after cancer diagnosis. The association of county-level medical debt and time to treatment initiation was examined by using multivariable Cox models. Higher county-level medical debt was associated with lower likelihood of timely treatment initiation for all selected cancers combined (Q4 [counties with the highest medical debt rate; n=8652] vs. Q1 [counties with the lowest medical debt rate; n=9042]: hazard ratio [HR], 0.916; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.871-0.963; p for trend=.001), for female breast cancer (Q4 vs. Q1: HR, 0.910; 95% CI, 0.847-0.978; p for trend=.011), and among individuals aged 19-64 years with private health maintenance organization plans (Q4 vs. Q1: HR, 0.790; 95% CI, 0.699-0.893; p for trend=.002) or Medicaid coverage (Q4 vs. Q1: HR, 0.869; 95% CI, 0.786-0.960; p for trend=.013). Policies aimed at preventing and alleviating medical debt could be effective strategies for improving access to timely treatment.

In oncological rehabilitation, physical activity therapy takes up a significant part of therapy time. With the aim of maintaining physical activity in the long term, a rehabilitation aftercare program for female breast cancer patients was implemented through the use of a rehabilitation aftercare app (ReNaApp) and evaluated with focus on acceptance, feasibility and optimization potential.The qualitative research was conducted as part of a quasi-randomized longitudinal study in a mixed-methods design. The database consists of guided interviews with breast cancer rehabilitants in the intervention group and a focus group with the rehabilitation team engaged in the realization of the aftercare intervention. The rehabilitants were interviewed 3,6 and 9 months after rehabilitation and the focus group was conducted after recruitment was completed. The data material was analyzed according to Mayring's qualitative content analysis.19 interviews were conducted with seven rehabilitants (Ø 47 years). Eight employees (87.5% female) took part in the focus group, most of whom were medical staff (N=5). The rehabilitation employees reported successful implementation of the intervention. Adapting the practical realization to the clinic's routines, the involvement of several professions and informing the entire rehabilitation team about the study were all considered successful factors. However, the staff also encountered hurdles, including staff shortages and the digital infrastructure. The rehabilitants rated the ReNaApp positively in terms of their satisfaction, usability and the perceived support provided by the application. In addition to the active app users, some respondents indicated that they do not use the ReNaApp because they are physically inactive or do not need support.The feasibility of the aftercare program was confirmed by the rehab team, but the target group should be specified in order to recommend the aftercare offer according to existing needs. In addition to increasing adherence to the program, the limited time and personnel resources can be used in a targeted manner.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, particularly among women. Thus, it is critical to have reliable biomarkers for prognosis and metastasis detection. This retrospective study compared the prognostic utility of serum tumour markers CEA and CA15-3 in 117 female breast cancer patients admitted to Lattakia University Hospital. Patients were stratified by histopathological type, molecular subtype, tumour stage, size, and metastasis location. Patients were stratified by histopathological type, molecular subtype, tumour stage, size, and metastasis location. Elevated CA15-3 levels were significantly associated with advanced tumour stage (P<0.05) and metastatic disease (P<0.0001), but not with specific metastatic sites, tumour size, or molecular subtype (P>0.05). In contrast, while CEA levels were not significantly elevated in advanced tumour stages, they correlated with larger tumour size (P<0.05) and metastasis (P<0.001), particularly liver metastasis (P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that elevated CEA (>5 ng/mL) was significantly associated with worse 5-year overall survival (27% vs. 68%, P<0.001), whereas CA15-3 (>35 IU/mL) was not (50% vs. 75%, P>0.05). These findings highlight CEA’s potential as a prognostic biomarker, particularly for liver metastasis. The controversial results of our study support using CEA in clinical surveillance for breast cancer.

Objective To evaluate the effects of mind–body exercise on breast cancer patients. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Ovid, and Web of Science databases from inception to October 23, 2024, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of mind–body exercise on breast cancer patients. Inclusion criteria were: intervention group receiving mind–body exercises such as mindfulness or yoga; control group receiving standard care; participants aged ≥18 years with breast cancer; and outcomes including anxiety, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), fatigue, IL-6, and 7 other indicators. Two reviewers independently screened the literature and extracted data. After assessing the methodological quality of the included studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.0 software. Results A total of 47 RCTs involving 4,537 breast cancer patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that compared to standard care, mind–body exercise significantly improved anxiety (SMD = −0.50, 95% CI [−0.73, −0.27], p < 0.0001), depression (SMD = −0.43, 95% CI [−0.60, −0.26], p < 0.00001), insomnia (SMD = −0.40, 95% CI [−0.72, −0.07], p = 0.02), fatigue (SMD = −0.52, 95% CI [−0.72, −0.31], p < 0.00001), and FCR (SMD = −0.51, 95% CI [−0.88, −0.14], p = 0.007). Furthermore, it significantly reduced perceived stress (SMD = −0.65, 95% CI [−1.11, −0.20], p = 0.005), lowered IL-6 levels (SMD = −0.30, 95% CI [−0.56, −0.03], p = 0.03), and improved overall quality of life (SMD = 0.67, 95% CI [0.39, 0.95], p < 0.00001). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the pooled effect sizes were stable. Conclusion Mind–body exercises can effectively alleviate anxiety, depression, and fatigue in breast cancer patients, and appear beneficial in reducing FCR. Although pooled analyses also demonstrated statistically significant improvements in perceived stress, insomnia, quality of life, and IL-6 concentrations, the strength of the current evidence is limited, and the results should be interpreted with caution. Systematic review registration This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42024568483. The registration details are available at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024568483 .

Differential COVID-19-pandemic-related changes to healthcare-seeking behavior across patient groups could contribute to biased estimates of disease incidence. Assess the impact of the pandemic on the incidence of female breast cancer (BC), myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure (HF) in an asthma versus general population. Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database was used to estimate incidence rates (IRs) and ratios (IRRs) of BC, MI, and HF among adults with asthma versus general population referents during pre-pandemic (January 2017-March 2020), early pandemic (April-May 2020), and later pandemic (June 2020-May 2023). During the early pandemic, IRs dropped substantially compared to pre-pandemic levels across all outcomes: BC by ~55%, MI by 31%-37%, and HF by ~55%. In the later pandemic period, BC IRs were restored to pre-pandemic levels, whereas MI and HF IRs remained lower than pre-pandemic (MI: ~10% lower; HF: 13%-25% lower). Comparing asthma versus referents, BC incidence was similar throughout all periods (pre-pandemic IRR 0.97, 95% CI 0.91-1.03; early pandemic: 1.03, 0.73-1.45; later pandemic: 1.03, 0.98-1.08). MI incidence was slightly higher in asthma versus referents pre-pandemic (IRR 1.07, 1.02-1.12), became similar during early pandemic (0.97, 0.79-1.20), and increased again in later pandemic (1.14, 1.09-1.19). HF incidence was consistently higher in asthma versus referents, with the difference magnifying over time (IRR pre-pandemic 1.33, 1.21-1.46; early pandemic 1.30, 0.77-2.19; later pandemic 1.55, 1.42-1.70). Claims-based time trend or comparative incidence studies could be biased due to the pandemic depending on the underlying population and outcome of interest.

The role of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) micrometastases, particularly after neoadjuvant therapy, remains debated. The present study aimed to assess whether adding ALND provides a survival benefit in this population. Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2010-2021) and a validation cohort from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University (2018-2024) for female breast cancer patients with SLN micrometastases (pTxN1miM0) after neoadjuvant therapy. Machine learning techniques (LASSO, random forest, and SVM-RFE) were used to identify key prognostic factors. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan‒Meier, Cox regression, and competing risk models to evaluate the impact of ALND on overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), and death from other causes (OCSD). After propensity-score matching, 2166 patients from the SEER cohort and 116 from the hospital cohort were included. Survival analysis revealed no significant differences in OS (HR 1.26, P = 0.118), BCSS (HR 1.16, P = 0.378), or DFS (HR 1.88, P = 0.239) between the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) only group and the SLNB with complete ALND group. No significant differences in the BCSD (P = 0.378) or OCSD (P = 0.121) were found. Machine learning identified 10 prognostic factors, and higher tumor grade, T stages 3-4, PR-negative status, and HER2-negative status were identified as independent unfavorable factors. ALND does not improve survival in breast cancer patients with SLN micrometastases after neoadjuvant therapy. These findings support a more conservative approach to axillary management.

Background:B7x is overexpressed in female reproductive system malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of B7x expression in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of female reproductive system malignancies.Methods:PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched for studies focused on the role of B7x expression in the clinicopathological features and prognosis of female breast cancer and malignant tumors of reproductive system, published up to April 2024. STATA 14.0 were used to perform the meta-analysis.Results:A total of 36 eligible studies involving 2451 women with malignancy of the reproductive system were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that in terms of clinicopathological features, B7x was closely related to lymph node status (odds ratio [OR] = 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.54–5.11, P = .001), tumor differentiation (OR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.91–4.57, P < .001), and FIGO stage (OR = 3.88, 95% CI = 3.04–4.94, P < .001) of female reproductive system malignant tumor patients. In terms of prognosis: B7x expression is strongly associated with shorter PFS in female reproductive system malignancies (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.17–1.45, P < .001). B7x may be a new target for immunotherapy and a biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in female malignant tumors of reproductive system.Conclusion:In summary, B7x is closely associated with clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of malignant tumors of the female reproductive system.

Background: Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity remains highly prevalent among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Objective: In the Multimodality Imaging to Detect Anthracycline-induced Cardiotoxicity (MIDAC) study, the aim was to use hybrid cardiac PET/MRI to provide mechanistic insights into the pathophysiology of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Methods: Seventeen female breast cancer patients scheduled for doxorubicin chemotherapy were prospectively recruited to undergo serial cardiac imaging at baseline (PET/MRI), 3 months (PET/MRI) and 12 months post-chemotherapy (MRI only). Results: Compared to baseline, at 3 months there was: a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (57 ± 6% versus 62 ± 4%; p&lt;0.001); a reduction in both global circumferential and longitudinal strain (global circumferential strain and global longitudinal strain); higher native myocardial T1 values (1,304 ± 35 versus 1,260 ± 51 ms; p=0.004); increased extracellular volume fraction (29 ± 3% versus 26 ± 3%; p=0.012); a reduction in intracellular mass (44 ± 7 versus 47 ± 8 g; p=0.03); and a reduction in standardised uptake values of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake (4.2 ± 2.3 versus 6.2 ± 2.6; p=0.012). There was a positive correlation between relative standardised uptake values reductions and global longitudinal strain at 3 months (R 0.54, p=0.032). At 12 months, left ventricular ejection fraction remained lower than baseline (56 ± 6% versus 62 ± 4%; p&lt;0.001) with an associated reduction in global circumferential strain and global longitudinal strain. Native myocardial T1 values remained higher than baseline but with no significant differences in T2, intracellular mass and extracellular volume fraction. Conclusion: Observations at 3 months post-doxorubicin chemotherapy were diffuse interstitial fibrosis, a reduction in intracellular mass, and a reduction in myocardial glucose metabolism; changes which were associated with a reduction in global longitudinal strain and left ventricular ejection fraction. Diffuse interstitial fibrosis persisted at 12 months and was associated with lower left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain.

Disclosure: P. Pile: None. J. Arunachalam: None. P. Madhavan: None.Background: Previous studies have suggested an increased risk of malignancy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), with one notable association being breast cancer, as highlighted in a 2007 Swedish study by Nilsson et al. Breast cancer is frequently linked to hypercalcemia of malignancy, which is often a sign of skeletal metastases. However, there is limited information on hypercalcemia in patients with breast cancer unrelated to skeletal metastases. Here, we present a retrospective, single institution study evaluating the prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism in breast cancer. Methods: After receiving exemption from the institutional review board, we conducted a review of electronic medical records from our institution to assess the prevalence of hyperparathyroidism in breast cancer patients between July 2018 to December 2024. We used diagnosis codes for breast cancer and hyperparathyroidism to identify relevant patients. The study population consisted of all patients diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism (HPT), excluding those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), as these individuals might have secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Specifically, patients with CKD stages 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 were excluded from the analysis. Data collection was performed using Slicer Dicer in Epic, and descriptive statistics were applied to determine the proportion of patients with Vitamin D deficiency and bone metastases in patients with HPT and breast cancer, and prevalence of HPT. To compare prevalence rates, a Chi-square test was used. Results: The study identified 72 female breast cancer patients, aged 73 ± 10 years, who were diagnosed with HPT but did not have CKD. The prevalence of HPT in this group was found to be 2.12% (n=72), which is significantly higher than the prevalence of HPT in general population of 0.11% (n=1862), with a p-value < 0.001. Only 5 patients (0.07%) had distant bone metastases. Only 3 (0.04%) patients had Vitamin D deficiency (25-OH-D <20 ng/mL) at the time of elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, further supporting that elevated PTH was likely due to PHPT rather than secondary causes. Conclusion: This study reveals a significantly higher prevalence of PHPT in the breast cancer population compared to the general population. This study underscores the importance of evaluating PTH in patients with breast cancer and hypercalcemia even without the presence of bone metastases. Limitations of our study include the inclusion of males in the general population cohort, who have a lower prevalence of breast cancer. To address these limitations, we plan to further analyze patient characteristics in a future study to refine our findings and reduce such confounders.Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025

Rationale and study protocol for a pilot study to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored stress management enhanced behavioral weight loss intervention for black breast cancer survivors with obesity.

Background: Breast cancer survivors often experience cardiovascular and respiratory impairments due to treatment. This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program on heart rate (HR) and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in female breast cancer survivors. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 52 participants were allocated to either a 12-week supervised, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise group (n=27) or a usual care control group (n=25). Sessions were held thrice weekly in a community sports facility under professional supervision. HR and SpO₂ were recorded before and after each session at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Repeated-measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis (p&lt;0.05). The study was ethically approved and registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. Results: All participants completed the trial. By week 12, the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in HR during exercise (from 77.7 ± 2.9 bpm pre-exercise to 127.3 ± 10.2 bpm post-exercise, p = 0.0001), while no significant change occurred in the control group (p = 0.21). Post-exercise SpO₂ was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to controls (97.7 ± 0.4% vs. 97.4 ± 0.4%, p = 0.008). Within-group analyses showed significant improvements from baseline in both HR and SpO₂ at week 12 (p &lt; 0.001). High adherence (92.6%) and absence of adverse events confirmed the intervention’s safety. Conclusion: A 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program significantly improved cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes in breast cancer survivors, underscoring the value of structured exercise interventions in this population.

BackgroundAging is a major risk factor for cancer, but the landscape of biological aging across different cancer types and its interplay with genetic risk remains unclear. This study aims to depict the biological aging profiles in specific cancers across diverse populations and investigate the bidirectional relationship between aging and cancer.MethodsThis study included 414,599 participants from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 83,788 participants from the electronic health record database of Hong Kong Hospital Authority (EHR-HK). Multivariable Cox and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between biological age acceleration (BioAgeAccel) and site-specific cancers in the UKB and EHR-HK, respectively. In the UKB cohort (n = 387,066), we further computed cancer-specific polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) to quantify the relative contributions of aging and genetics to cancer incidence and mortality. A nested two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis within one-sample setting was employed to explore the reciprocal causality between aging and cancer.ResultsCompared to cancer-free individuals, the most pronounced BioAgeAccel disparities were observed in liver cancer (mean difference (MD): 5.9 years) within the UKB, and oesophageal cancer (MD = 18.4 years) within the EHR-HK. A 5-year increment in BioAgeAccel was associated with elevated overall cancer risk, with leukaemia demonstrating the highest hazard ratio in the UKB (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.11–1.15) and oesophageal cancer exhibiting the highest odds ratio in the EHR-HK (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.33–1.81). PAF analyses revealed that BioAgeAccel contributed to 47% of lung cancer incidence and 60% of lung cancer-specific mortality, exceeding contributions from genetic risk. Significant interactions between genetics and aging were identified for colorectal, lung and non-melanoma skin cancer. Bidirectional MR analyses demonstrated the reciprocal relationship between BioAgeAccel and lung cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.11–1.51; cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.05 (1.02–1.08)), female breast cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: 1.09 (1.02–1.15); cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.05 (1.03–1.07)), and prostate cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: 1.08 (1.01–1.16); cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.02 (1.00–1.03)).ConclusionsThis pan-cancer study reveals intricate interrelationships between biological aging and cancer, particularly in lung, prostate, and female breast cancer, with population-specific patterns and synergistic genetic interactions. Findings underscore the potential for aging-targeted strategies in cancer prevention and treatment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-025-04409-z.

PurposeWhile several countries reported an impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on cancer incidence in 2020, little is known about trends in the following years. This study examined changes in cancer incidence in Baden-Württemberg between 2015 and 2023.MethodsData from the Baden-Württemberg Cancer Registry were used to calculate age-standardized and age-specific incidence rates for all cancers combined and for colorectal, lung, prostate, and breast cancer. Incidence rates for 2020 to 2023 were compared with those from a pre-pandemic reference period (2017–2019) and with expected rates based on modeled trends between 2015 and 2019 using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs).ResultsAmong men, the age-standardized overall cancer incidence declined significantly from 734.0 per 100,000 in 2019 to 672.9–681.7 during 2020–2023. In women, incidence declined from 542.2 in 2019 to 504.3–524.4, with statistically significant reductions in 2022 and 2023. Compared to 2017–2019 levels, 14,214 fewer cases (-5.5%) were diagnosed in 2020–2023; relative to model-based expectations, 19,525 fewer cases (-7.6%) were reported. Site-specific analyses showed significantly lower colorectal cancer incidence in both sexes from 2020 onwards (SIRs: 0.81–0.90). For men, part of this decline may reflect a pre-existing downward trend. No significant deviations were found for lung and prostate cancer. Female breast cancer incidence was significantly lower only in 2020 (SIR: 0.93).ConclusionCancer incidence in Baden-Württemberg remained consistently below pre-pandemic and expected levels from 2020 through 2023. Further research is warranted to disentangle potential contributing factors, including post-pandemic effects, competing mortality risks, and migration-related population changes.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00432-025-06349-w.

Male breast cancer (BC) is a rare entity and represents a significant clinical challenge due to its late diagnosis and resulting poorer prognosis compared to female BC. As shown by prior studies, approximately 99% of male BC patients are hormone receptor-positive (HR +). This study aimed to evaluate the utilization and impact of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) in male early BC patients using a large German real-world claims dataset. Data were collected from a major German statutory health insurance provider (AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg) covering the period between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2020. Male patients diagnosed with early BC who underwent breast surgery were included. ET use was determined by prescription records. The impact of ET on overall survival (OS) was assessed using univariable (log-rank) and multivariable (cox regression) analysis. Among 128 male early BC patients, 16% (n = 21) did not utilize adjuvant ET. On univariable analysis, ET was significantly associated with 5-year OS (74% with ET vs. 37% without ET; p < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis revealed ET use (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.69, p = 0.004) having a positive effect on OS, whereas age (HR: 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.09) and comorbidities (HR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.05-1.34, p = 0.007) were identified as negative predictive factors for OS. A significant proportion of male patients with early BC does not use ET. However, the use of ET plays a key role in improving survival outcomes for male patients with early BC. Efforts to improve the use of ET, including patient education and management of side effects, are essential to optimize treatment outcomes.

Background and Objectives: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and the most common cause of cancer death. Hormone receptors, specifically the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Her2), are tumor-specific markers used to guide breast cancer therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of tumor biology, including ER, PR, and Her2 expression, on survival in female breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study represents an analysis of 2016 female breast cancer cases using anonymized data. We reviewed cases of female breast cancer diagnosed from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021, in the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Diakoneo Diak Klinikum Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Data on clinical, pathology, immunohistochemistry, and follow-up characteristics were retrieved from the clinic’s database. To interpret the data, we used the software IBM SPSS Statistics 20, and, to account for multiple comparisons, we used a Bonferroni-adjusted significance level of 0.004. In the survival analysis, the Kaplan–Meier method and the log-rank test of equality of survival distributions were applied. Results: Among 2016 female breast cancer cases, 84.5% (1703/2016) were hormone receptor (HR)-positive. The 5-year overall survival was 0.873 (95% CI (0.851, 0.895); 99.6% CI (0.841, 0.905)) for HR-positive patients and 0.760 (95% CI (0.713, 0.807); 99.6% CI (0.691, 0.829)) for HR-negative patients (p < 0.001). Statistically significant differences were observed among HR+/HER2+, HR+/HER2−, HR−/HER2+, and triple-negative subtypes (p = 0.003). When comparing survival distributions based solely on HER2 expression (positive vs. negative), no statistically significant difference was observed (p = 0.29). Conclusions: Statistically significant differences in unadjusted overall survival distributions were observed among breast cancer molecular subtypes. HR-positive breast cancers demonstrated better overall survival than HR-negative cancers, while no statistically significant difference in unadjusted survival was observed between HER2-positive and HER2-negative groups.

BackgroundThe link between mesenteric panniculitis (MP) and cancer is debated. We explored this association after adjusting for age.Materials & MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed abdominal CT scans of 8,750 patients between 2015 and 2017. Patients were categorized by cancer status.ResultsOf included patients, 8.7% had cancer. MP was found in 148 patients (58% males, mean age 57.8 years). MP was more frequent in cancer patients (5.14%) compared to no-cancer group (1.36%). Among MP patients, breast cancer was the most common malignancy. After adjusting for age, MP remained significantly associated with breast cancer and multiple myeloma in females and lymphoma in males.ConclusionMP was significantly associated with breast cancer and multiple myeloma in females and lymphoma in males.

BackgroundHER2-positive breast cancer is leading to aggressive tumor growth and a higher risk of metastasis, particularly to the central nervous system (CNS). Routine brain imaging for asymptomatic HER2-positive patients is debated, with no current consensus; Given the severe clinical implications of brain metastases, further research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of routine imaging for high-risk patients to improve outcomes and inform targeted screening protocols.MethodsThis retrospective, monocentric study at the General Hospital of Vienna (AKH Wien) examined female HER2-positive breast cancer patients at first diagnosis to assess brain metastasis from January 2019 to February 2024. The study included patients with asymptomatic confirmed HER2 positive breast cancer. Data were collected through comprehensive medical records and brain imaging with MRI.ResultsAmong 110 female patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 4 (3.6%) were diagnosed with brain metastases. Ki67 showed a marginal association with brain metastasis (p = 0.054), and tumor grade was a significant predictor, with intermediate differentiated tumors (G2 vs. G3) associated with a higher risk of brain metastases (p = 0.041) and brain metases are correlating with the axillary lymphnode status and the tumor sizeAlso, the absence of positive Östrogen and Progesteron receptors is a predictor in upcoming brain metastases (p < 0.001). Other factors like age were not significantly associated.ConclusionThis study found limited benefit in routine MRI for detecting asymptomatic brain metastases in HER2-positive breast cancer, given the low prevalence (3.6%). A targeted imaging approach for high-risk patients, like those with the absence of Hormon receptors and higher stage tumors, may be effective.

Friendship fights cancer.

The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a relatively new indicator of obesity that reflects visceral fat accumulation and metabolic dysfunction. However, there is a paucity of evidence to study the association between VAI and female breast cancer (FBC). The purpose of this study was to explore the association between VAI and breast cancer in a middle-aged and elderly population in the United States. Data from 2279 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed using a cross-sectional approach. In this study, the correlation between VAI and FBC was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The nonlinear association between VAI and FBC was described using threshold effects and restricted cubic spline analyses (RCS). The present study analyzed the data of 2279 participants in order to ascertain the relationship between VAI and breast cancer. The results indicated a positive correlation between the VAI and the prevalence of FBC (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.05–8.94). The results of RCS analysis (P for nonlinearity = .042) show that there is a nonlinear relationship between VAI and breast cancer. Threshold effect analysis showed that the inflection point between VAI and breast-cancer prevalence was 4.34 (log likelihood ratio P < .05). When the VAI was <4.34, the prevalence of breast cancer increased by 1.8 times for each unit increase in VAI (P < .05). Conversely, when the VAI exceeded 4.34, no statistically significant decrease in breast-cancer prevalence was observed for each unit increase in VAI (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.03–2.20). The present study demonstrates a nonlinear association between VAI and the risk of breast cancer among middle-aged and elderly women in the United States.