Are the Outcomes of Breast Conservation Surgery Inferior to Those of Mastectomy in Patients with Stage II-IIIA Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

Purpose@#Breast conserving surgery (BCS) is generally not considered for breast cancer because of concerns about the poor prognosis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We assessed the outcomes of BCS and mastectomy for patients with stage II-IIIA TNBC. @*Methods@#The data of 172 breast cancer patients diagnosed with stage II-IIIA TNBC who underwent treatment at Pusan National University Hospital and Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital from 2010 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the following two groups: patients who underwent BCS (n=101) and those who underwent mastectomy (n=71). The Cox regression model was used to examine the outcomes of both treatments. The median follow-up period was 71 months in the BCS group, and 67 months in the mastectomy group. @*Results@#The median age of the 172 patients was 51 years (range, 22-82 years). In the BCS group, radiation therapy and chemotherapy (p<0.001 and p=0.007, respectively) were performed more frequently. The BCS group had more patients with a high Ki-67 index (p=0.006), while the mastectomy group included more patients with a higher pathologic T (pT) stage (p=0.005). The 5-year loco-regional recurrence-free, disease-free, and overall survival rates of the BCS group versus the mastectomy group were 93.8% versus 95.3%, 89.8% versus 90.7%, and 90.8% versus 86.3%, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant. Lymphovascular invasion was a risk factor for disease-free survival and advanced stage was an important risk factor for overall survival. @*Conclusion@#In stage II-IIIA TNBC, BCS was not inferior to mastectomy in locoregional recurrence rates, disease-free survival rates, or overall survival rates.

Thyrotropin suppression therapy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with a huge recurred neck lymph node

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) originating from thyroid tissue is affected by thyrotropin (TSH). TSH suppression therapy is usually recommended after thyroidectomy in cases of DTC. A 57-year-old woman who harbored a very huge recurred lymph node underwent TSH suppression therapy because of the risk of surgical complications. After TSH suppression, the huge neck lymph node exhibited a response and decreased in size. She had been followed up for 144 months. TSH suppression therapy could be considered as an alternative treatment option in a recurred DTC patient with a high perioperative risk.

Thyrotropin suppression therapy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with a huge recurred neck lymph node

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) originating from thyroid tissue is affected by thyrotropin (TSH). TSH suppression therapy is usually recommended after thyroidectomy in cases of DTC. A 57-year-old woman who harbored a very huge recurred lymph node underwent TSH suppression therapy because of the risk of surgical complications. After TSH suppression, the huge neck lymph node exhibited a response and decreased in size. She had been followed up for 144 months. TSH suppression therapy could be considered as an alternative treatment option in a recurred DTC patient with a high perioperative risk.

What predicts better prognosis in elderly breast cancer patients?

Purpose@#As we enter an aging society, the number of elderly patients with breast cancer is increasing. We assessed the prognostic factors for breast cancer recurrence or metastasis in patients over the age of 65 years by analyzing tumor characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes. @*Methods@#In this retrospective study, the data of 286 breast cancer patients aged 65 years and older, who underwent treatment at the Pusan National University Hospital and Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital from 2008 to 2014, were analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: those with recurrence or metastasis and those without. Cox-regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for recurrence or metastasis. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival rates by the log-rank test. @*Results@#Among the 286 patients with invasive breast cancer, 43 patients (15.0%) had recurrence or distant metastasis during a median follow-up period of 61 months. Advanced stages of breast cancer and patients who are not adapted to endocrine therapy were associated with poor prognosis. @*Conclusion@#In this study, advanced stages of breast cancer and endocrine therapy were the prognostic factors for breast cancer recurrences or metastases. Early detection of elderly breast cancer generally increases the possibility of diagnosis at an earlier stage, which can lead to a better prognosis. Moreover, endocrine therapy should be administered to elderly patients who manifest favorable intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer.

Identifying breast cancer patients who require a double-check of preoperative core needle biopsy and postoperative surgical specimens to determine the molecular subtype of their tumor

PURPOSE: Core needle biopsy (CNB) is a widely used procedure for breast cancer diagnosis and analyzing results of immunohistochemistry (IHC). Several studies have shown concordance or discordance in IHC results between CNB and surgical specimens (SS). A double-check (CNB and SS) is inefficient and costly to perform a double-check on all patients. Therefore, it is important to determine which patients would benefit from a double-check. METHODS: We collected the medical records of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital between April 2009 and June 2018 (n = 620). Molecular subtypes were classified as follows by hormone receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2): HR+/HER2+, HR+/HER2−, HR−/HER2+, HR−/HER2−. Clinicopathological factors including age, obesity, histological grade, preoperative CEA, CA15-3, T stage, N stage, and menopausal status were assessed to determine whether they were associated with subtype change. RESULTS: Increasing histological grade (P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR], 3.693; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.941–7.025), preoperative CEA ≥ 5 ng/mL (P =0.042; OR, 2.399; 95% CI, 1.009–5.707) and higher T stage (P = 0.015; OR, 2.241; 95% CI, 1.152–4.357) were significantly associated with subtype change. On multivariable analyses, subtype changes were more common in high-grade breast cancer (P < 0.001; OR, 1.077; 95% CI, 1.031–1.113) and CEA ≥ 5 (P = 0.032; OR, 2.658; 95% CI, 1.088–6.490). CONCLUSION: Patients with moderate- to high-grade tumors or CEA ≥ 5 ng/mL are required a double-check to determine the molecular subtype of breast cancer.

Necessity of In Situ Hybridization Test of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Status in Breast Cancer Patients with Equivocal HER2 Immunohistochemistry Results

PURPOSE: Accurate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is important in predicting prognosis and providing treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer patients. However, performing in situ hybridization (ISH) can be an economic burden on developing countries. This study aimed to find an alternative to the ISH test by predicting the HER2 status in patients with equivocal immunohistochemistry (IHC) results. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 15,535 patients who underwent curative surgery for invasive breast cancer between February 2005 and April 2015 at the Samsung Medical Center. Equivocal HER2 IHC results were obtained for 461 patients. Logistic regression analysis using stepwise selection was performed to identify the clinicopathological factors related to silver in situ hybridization (SISH) status. We analyzed the data by dividing the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor (PR) into three groups according to Allred score. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis identified poorly differentiated histological grade, lower PR score, higher expression of Ki-67 and p53, and lower expression of cytokeratin 5/6 and epidermal growth factor receptor as predictors of SISH-positive results. The area under the curve for the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.74. CONCLUSION: We identified factors related to a positive HER2 status by SISH. However, there was insufficient power in the prediction model for diagnosis and evaluation. Therefore, the SISH test is essential in determining the HER2 status of breast cancer patients when the IHC result is equivocal.

Oncologic Outcomes after Immediate Breast Reconstruction Following Total Mastectomy in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Matched Case-Control Study / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: The use of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) following total mastectomy (TM) has increased markedly in patients with breast cancer. As the indications for IBR have been broadened and more breast-conserving surgery-eligible patients are undergoing IBR, comparing the oncologic safety between TM only and IBR following TM becomes more difficult. This study aimed to analyze the oncologic outcomes between TM only and IBR following TM via a matched case-control methodology. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted to identify all patients who underwent TM between 2008 and 2014. We excluded patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including palliative chemotherapy, and had a follow-up duration 0.050). Matching was considered successful for the matching variables and other factors, such as family history, histology, multiplicity, and lymphovascular invasion. There were no significant differences in overall survival (log-rank p=0.454), disease-free survival (log-rank p=0.186), local recurrence-free survival (log-rank p=0.114), or distant metastasis-free survival rates (logrank p=0.537) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that IBR following TM is a feasible treatment option for patients with breast cancer.

Fertility Rates in Young Korean Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone and Chemotherapy / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have been used with adjuvant chemotherapy to protect ovarian function. However, there are no data on the actual pregnancy rates among young breast cancer patients receiving GnRH agonists and concurrent chemotherapy in Korea. METHODS: Among patients who underwent surgery from January 2002 to April 2012, premenopausal patients aged between 20 and 40 years were included in the analysis. We retrospectively reviewed clinicopathologic features (e.g., age, obstetric and menstruation history), recurrence, and survival status. The rate of resumption of menstruation was calculated in all patients. In the married group, pregnancy and delivery rates were also recorded. RESULTS: Among 101 patients, 19 were lost to follow-up and 82 were eligible for the analysis. Among them, 31 were married, 10 of 51 got married, and 41 remained unmarried through the follow-up period. Among the married patients, 15 became pregnant and gave birth to 19 babies, whereas 26 did not become pregnant. The pregnancy rate in the married group was 50.0% (15/30). Three of 15 pregnancies (20.0%) were multiparous. Most of the delivered babies were healthy and 80.0% of patients had no problems breastfeeding (12/15). More than half the patients in all groups recovered menstrual status within 12 months. CONCLUSION: Fifty percent of young breast cancer patients who attempted pregnancy succeeded in pregnancy after adjuvant chemotherapy and GnRH agonists. Further studies that include control groups are required to confirm whether the use of GnRH agonists improves pregnancy.

Duodenal stump fistula after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: risk factors, prevention, and management

PURPOSE: A duodenal stump fistula is one of the most severe complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. We aimed to analyze the risk factors for this problem, and to identify the methods used for its prevention and management. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 716 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy with a duodenal stump for gastric cancer between 2008 and 2013. RESULTS: A duodenal stump fistula occurred in 16 patients (2.2%) and there were 2 deaths in this group. Univariate analysis revealed age >60 years (odds ratio [OR], 3.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-9.66), multiple comorbidities (OR, 4.23; 95% CI, 1.50-11.92), clinical T stage (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.045-8.10), and gastric outlet obstruction (OR, 8.64; 95% CI, 2.61-28.61) to be significant factors for developing a duodenal stump fistula. Multivariate analysis identified multiple comorbidities (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.30-11.80) and gastric outlet obstruction (OR, 5.62; 95% CI, 1.45-21.71) as predictors of this complication. CONCLUSION: Multiple comorbidities and gastric outlet obstruction were the main risk factors for a duodenal stump fistula. Therefore, preventive methods and aggressive management should be applied for patients at high risk.

Comparison of Prognosis according to Tumor Size in Small Breast Cancer with Lymph Node Involvement

PURPOSE: Larger tumor size and more extensive lymph node (LN) involvement have been considered independent factors for poor prognosis of breast cancer. We evaluated whether smaller tumor size may be a factor of worse prognosis compared with larger tumor size in small-sized breast cancer with LN involvement. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted at a single center for 1,400 patients with small-sized (≤2 cm) and LN involved (N1–N3) breast cancer who underwent radical surgery, had no distant metastases, and were diagnosed between 2004 and 2014. We subdivided their tumor size into four subgroups (T1mi, T1a, T1b, T1c) graded using the 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging and two subgroups (T1ab [≤1 cm] and T1c [>1 cm]) divided by tumor size. The relationship between tumor size, prognosis and specific features were analyzed using the Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and HER2 amplified type among the four subgroups in all patients. Especially, HER2-amplified type also appeared in distribution significantly between the two subgroups in all patients (T1ab [13.0%] vs. T1c [8.0%], p=0.008). The overall survival of the T1N1 staged patients in the smaller-sized tumor group (T1ab) was lower than that of those in the larger-sized group (T1c) (p=0.005). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis of all patients, the T1ab group showed a higher mortality risk compared with the T1c group (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.540; 95% confidence interval, 1.195–5.397; p=0.015). CONCLUSION: Smaller-sized tumors with LN involvement indicated worse prognosis compared with larger-sized tumors.

Preoperative Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Assessment of the Size of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could assess the size of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) more accurately compared to mammography and ultrasonography using the histopathological dimension of the surgical specimen as the reference measurement. METHODS: This was a retrospective review study using data from our institution database of breast cancer. Preoperative contrast-enhanced MRI, mammography and ultrasonography were performed to detect and assess the size of DCIS in 131 patients. The greatest dimensions of DCIS determined by the imaging modalities were compared with the histopathological dimensions of the surgical specimens. Intraclass coefficients were calculated to examine the agreement among the MRI, mammography and ultrasonography measurements. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of the differences in size among MRI, mammography or ultrasonography and histopathology findings. RESULTS: Of the 131 DCIS lesions, 126 (96.2%) were detected by MRI, 103 (78.6%) were detected by mammography, and 121 (92.4%) were detected by ultrasonography. The mean lesion size was 38.8 mm on histopathology, 36.0 mm on MRI, 28.8 mm on mammography, and 23.3 mm on ultrasonography, and there were no significant differences between sizes determined by histopathology and MRI, while there were significant differences between histopathology and the other modalities. The correlation coefficient between histopathological measurement and MRI was 0.837, versus 0.461 between histopathology and mammography and 0.284 between histopathology and ultrasonography. The lesion size was correctly estimated (±5 mm), under-estimated (5 mm), respectively, by MRI in 52.7%, 30.5%, and 16.8% of cases; by mammography in 32.0%, 51.2%, and 16.8% of cases, respectively; and by ultrasonography in 24.4%, 62.6%, and 13.0% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: In our study, MRI was more accurate for detection and assessment the size of DCIS compared to mammography and ultrasonography.

Independent Prognostic Factors for Overall Survival after Salvage Operation for Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence Following Breast-Conserving Surgery / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Few studies address independent prognostic factors after ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Locoregional recurrence is associated with distant metastases and increased mortality rates. Therefore anticipating prognoses after IBTR and evaluating risk factors for overall survival following a second salvage operation are important. We evaluated independent prognostic factors affecting overall survival after a second operation for IBTR. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 11,073 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between November 1995 and December 2011. Locoregional recurrence occurred in 787 patients. Among them, IBTR developed in 165 patients selected for analysis. Excluding eight patients who refused further treatment, we analyzed 157 patients who underwent a second operation (partial mastectomy, 28 [17.8%]; total mastectomy, 129 [82.2%]) for IBTR. Excluding 26 patients with incomplete data, we evaluated the clinicopathol-ogical features influencing overall survival at the first and the second operation in the 131 patients who underwent a second operation. RESULTS: The median age of patients at the first operation was 43.6 years (range, 27-69 years). The median duration from the first to the second operation was 45.0 months (range, 2.5-164.6 months). The 5-year overall survival rate after IBTR was 87.1%. In the multivariable analyses, duration from the first to the second operation, histopathology, lymph node status, and adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy at the first operation were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Positive estrogen receptor status and endocrine therapy at the second operation were also associated with increased overall survival following salvage operations for IBTR. CONCLUSION: The time interval to IBTR following BCS is related to overall survival after salvage operation for IBTR and it is important to undergo optimal adjuvant treatments according to risk factors after the first operation because those risk factors affect overall survival for IBTR following BCS.

Laparoscopic Colectomy of Splenic Flexure for Giant Lipomas Causing Symptoms: Report on Two Cases

Colonic lipomas are rare diseases. Incidence of colonic lipomas is only 0.1~4.4%. However, after benign adenomatous polyp, they are the second most common benign disease of the colon. Most colonic lipomas do not require treatment. However, large colonic lipomas or those that cause symptoms require treatment (>2 cm). There are several options for treatment. For example, endoscopic removal, laparoscopic surgery, and open surgery can all be considered. We report on two cases of giant colonic lipomas that caused symptoms. Both were located at the splenic flexure colon, and were safely treated with laparoscopic surgery.