Incidence of radiodermatitis and factors associated with its severity in women with breast cancer: a cohort study

Abstract Background: One of the main adverse reactions of adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer is radiodermatitis. Objective: To assess the incidence of radiodermatitis in women with breast cancer, identify factors associated with its severity and determine the time at which this event occurs. Methods: Prospective cohort study in 113 women with breast cancer who were evaluated before radiotherapy and at every fifth session until the end of treatment. Logistic regression and Cox proportional regression model were used for the assessment of risk factors; P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The incidence rate of radiodermatitis was 98.2% and it was demonstrated that for each additional point of the Body Mass Index (BMI), the chance of occurrence of grades II to IV radiodermatitis increases by 14% (OR = 1.14 [95% CI 1.04-1.26]; p = 0.004) and statin use increases the risk of more severe skin lesions by four-fold (OR = 4.27 [95% CI 1.11-16.42]; p = 0.035). The exclusive use of hydrogel for skin hydration was an independent factor in delaying the onset of radiodermatitis (HR = 0.55 [95% CI 0.36-0.82]; p = 0.004). Study limitations: The main limitation of this study was its external validity. The identified factors should be considered for services and populations similar to those in this study. Conclusions: There was a high incidence of radiodermatitis and its severity was related to higher BMI, statin use; there was a protective effect of hydrogel use.

Desafios do rastreamento do câncer de mama / Challenges of breast cancer screening

A mamografia é o método de eleição para o rastreamento do câncer de mama, sendo o único que demonstra redução de mortalidade na população de risco habitual. A periodicidade de realização e a idade de início do rastreamento mamográfico são um tema controverso na literatura. Entretanto, dados no nosso país apontam para uma porção significativa de neoplasia de mamas em mulheres abaixo dos 50 anos. A Federação Brasileira das Associações de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (Febrasgo), a Sociedade Brasileira de Mastologia (SBM) e o Colégio Brasileiro de Radiologia e Diagnóstico por Imagem (CBR) concordam que o rastreamento mamográfico deveria ser realizado, anualmente, por todas as mulheres a partir de 40 anos de idade. No Brasil, há uma distribuição desigual de mamógrafos nas várias regiões. As políticas de rastreamento devem considerar essa desigualdade. A grande maioria dos serviços no Brasil realiza rastreamento oportunístico para o câncer de mama. A implantação de rastreamento organizado por faixa etária e estratificação de risco pode otimizar os custos do sistema público de saúde. Pacientes de alto risco precisam ser rastreadas de forma diferente das pacientes de risco habitual. Essas pacientes precisam ter acesso à ressonância magnética das mamas e também iniciar seu rastreamento em idade mais precoce. O protocolo abreviado da ressonância magnética para rastreamento de pacientes de alto risco para câncer de mama pode melhorar a adesão e o acesso dessas pacientes ao programa de rastreamento. A ultrassonografia das mamas não é método de rastreamento isoladamente. Entretanto, ela tem seu papel como método complementar à mamografia e à ressonância magnética em cenários específicos, bem como em substituição à ressonância magnética em pacientes com contraindicação ao uso desse método. As mamas densas possuem baixa sensibilidade para o rastreamento por mamografia

Diagnóstico de precisão das lesões mamárias / Accurate diagnosis of breast lesions

PONTOS-CHAVE As lesões mamárias compreendem uma ampla variedade de diagnósticos que apresentam comportamentos diversos. As lesões mamárias podem ser classificadas como lesões benignas, de potencial de malignidade indeterminado (B3), carcinoma in situ e carcinoma invasor. Na era da medicina personalizada, individualizar e obter um diagnóstico preciso faz grande diferença no desfecho final da paciente, principalmente no caso do câncer de mama. Exames de imagem direcionados e de qualidade, métodos de biópsia adequadamente selecionados e análises de anatomopatologia convencional, imuno-histoquímica e até molecular são determinantes no diagnóstico e no manejo das pacientes.

Criteria for selection and classification of studies in medical events

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of study methodology and evaluation type on the selection of studies during the presentation of scientific events. METHODS: A prospective, observational, transversal approach was applied to a cohort of studies that were submitted for presentation at the 2021 Brazilian Breast Cancer Symposium. Three forms of criteria (CR) were presented. CR1 was based on six criteria (method, ethics, design, originality, promotion, and social contribution); CR2 graded the studies from 0 to 10 for each study, and CR3 was based on five criteria (presentation, method, originality, scientific knowledge, and social contribution). To evaluate the item correlation, Cronbach's alpha and factorial analysis were performed. For the evaluation of differences between the tests, we used the Kruskal-Wallis and post-hoc Dunn tests. To determine the differences in the study classifications, we used the Friedman test and Namenyi's all-pairs comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 122 studies were evaluated. There was also a good correlation with the items concerning criterion 1 (α=0.730) and 3 (α=0.937). Evaluating CR1 methodology, study design and social contribution (p=0.741) represents the main factor and CR3 methodology, and the scientific contribution (p=0.994) represents the main factor. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed differences in the results (p<0.001) for all the criteria that were used [CR1-CR2 (p<0.001), CR1-CR3 (p<0.001), and CR2-CR3 (p=0.004)]. The Friedman test showed differences in the ranking of the studies (p<0.001) for all studies (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Methodologies that use multiple criteria show good correlation and should be taken into account when ranking the best studies.

Evaluation of metabolic syndrome and obesity in breast cancer survivors undergoing interdisciplinary approach: a prospective cohort study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome and obesity during the first year after the diagnosis of breast cancer in women undergoing interdisciplinary approach. Methods: In this prospective study, 81 women (age ≥45 years) with recent histological diagnosis of breast cancer, no established cardiovascular disease, who attended at a single specialized center with an interdisciplinary approach (medical, nutritionist, and psychological) were included. Results: Women with metabolic syndrome were considered to have three or more diagnostic criteria: waist circumference >88 cm, triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein <50 mg/dL, blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg, and glucose ≥100 mg/dL. Obesity was considered when body mass index >30 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity with waist circumference >88 cm. The evaluations were carried out at three time points: first cancer visit (T0m), 6 months (T6m), and 12 months (T12m). For statistical analysis, the McNemar test was used to compare these time points and the chi-square test was used for trends. The mean age of the patients was 58.4±10.7 years, and 83.3% of them were in the postmenopausal stage. There were no differences in the metabolic syndrome, body mass index, and waist circumference assessments at the indicated time points. When comparing the individual quantitative criteria for metabolic syndrome, there was a statistically significant difference in the values of triglycerides and blood glucose. At times T0m, T6m, and T12m, an increase in the mean triglyceride values was observed, 121, 139.4, and 148.46 mg/dL (p=0.003) and a reduction in the mean glucose values, 106.6, 100.46, and 98.96 mg/dL (p=0.004), respectively. Conclusion: Women with breast cancer subjected to interdisciplinary evaluation did not show an increase in the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and obesity during the first year following their cancer diagnosis.

Clinic, pathologic and molecular landscapes in ultra-young women with breast cancer in the State of São Paulo: a real-world study

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) centers are increasingly attending "ultra-young" women (UYW) patients (≤ 30 years), who usually present aggressive tumors and face specific problems. Objectives: We aimed to examine a multicentric casuistic view, addressing clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of BC, as well as therapeutic measures and oncological outcomes. Methods: A retrospective multicentric observational study of UYW with infiltrating BC was carried out. The patients were treated between the period from January 1991 to December 2019. Clinical, epidemiological, morphological, molecular, therapeutic and outcomes data were collected from the charts. Results: A total of 293 patients were followed for a average period of 34.5 months. Nulliparity was referred by 204 women (75.5%), of whom 81 (37.1%) were overweight or obese. Positive family history in first-degree relatives was verified in 25 patients (10.1%). Only 30 patients underwent genetic tests, which revealed inherited pathogenic mutations in 12 of them (37.5%). Thirty-two (32) cases were classified as T1 at diagnosis (10.9%), while "De novo" stage IV was found in 29 patients (9.8%). Mastectomy was performed in 175 women (70.2%), quadrantectomy in 46 women (18.4%), and mammary adenectomies in 28 women (11.2%), of which 149 cases were reported after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (56.0%). A total of 111 patients had at least one positive lymph node (47.4%). The rate of patients with estrogen receptor-negative was 32.7% and the rate of patients with Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) was 25%. The frequency of Luminal A neoplasias was 16.6%, Luminal B/HER2- was 35.9%, Luminal B/HER2+ was 15.1%, HER2 overexpressed was 9.3%, and Basal was 22.9%. Taking into account the outcomes, 173 patients were alive without disease (65.7%); 23 patients were alive with any form of recurrence (8.7%); and 67 patients (25.4%) evolved to BC deaths. Conclusions: It was concluded that UYW with BC are commonly diagnosed at advanced stages, present adverse morphological and molecular parameters, and have unfavorable prognosis.

Punção aspirativa de linfonodo axilar guiada pela ultrassonografia é eficaz como método de predição de acometimento linfonodal em pacientes com câncer de mama? / Axillary lymph node aspiration guided by ultrasound is effective as a method of predicting lymph node involvement in patients with breast cancer?

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a viabilidade e acurácia diagnóstica da ultrassonografia pré-operatória combinada com biopsia por agulha fina (US-PAAF) e do exame clínico da axila em pacientes com câncer de mama. MÉTODOS: Neste estudo prospectivo 171 axilas de pacientes com câncer de mama foram avaliadas pelo exame clínico e ultrassonografia (US) com e sem biopsia por agulha fina (PAAF). Os linfonodos com espessura cortical maior que 2,3 mm na ultrassonografia foram considerados suspeitos e submetidos a US-PAAF. RESULTADOS: A análise de regressão logística não mostrou correlação estatisticamente significativa entre exame clínico e axilas positivas no exame patológico. Em relação à avaliação axilar com US, o risco de achados anatomopatológicos positivos aumentou 12,6 vezes, valor Kappa de Cohen foi de 0,12 para exame clínico, 0,48 para US e 0,80 para US-PAAF. A acurácia foi de 61,4% para o exame clínico, 73,1% para os US e 90,1% para US-PAAF. Análise Receiver Operating Chracteristics (ROC) mostrou que uma espessura de 2,75 mm cortical correspondeu à mais elevada sensibilidade e especificidade na predição metástase axilar (82,7 e 82,2%, respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES: A US combinada com aspiração por agulha fina é mais precisa que o exame clínico na avaliação do status axilar no pré-operatório em mulheres com câncer de mama. Aquelas que são US-PAAF positivo podem ser direcionadas para esvaziamento linfonodal axilar imediatamente, e somente aqueles que são US-PAAF negativos devem ser considerados para biópsia de linfonodo sentinela. .

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of preoperative ultrasound combined with ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) cytology and clinical examination of axillary lymph node in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: In this prospective study, 171 axillae of patients with breast cancer were evaluated by clinical examination and ultrasonography (US) with and without fine needle aspiration (FNA). Lymph nodes with maximum ultrasonographic cortical thickness > 2.3 mm were considered suspicious and submitted to US-FNA. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed no statistically significant correlation between clinical examination and pathologically positive axillae. However, in axillae considered suspicious by ultrasonography, the risk of positive anatomopathological findings increased 12.6-fold. Cohen's Kappa value was 0.12 for clinical examination, 0.48 for US, and 0.80 for US-FNA. Accuracy was 61.4% for clinical examination, 73.1% for US and 90.1% for US-FA. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis demonstrated that a cortical thickness of 2.75 mm corresponded to the highest sensitivity and specificity in predicting axillary metastasis (82.7 and 82.2%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography combined with fine-needle aspiration is more accurate than clinical examination in assessing preoperative axillary status in women with breast cancer. Those who are US-FNA positive can be directed towards axillary lymph node dissection straight away, and only those who are US-FNA negative should be considered for sentinel lymph node biopsy. .

Aspectos psicossociais e afetivo-conjugais em mulheres com e sem câncer da mama / Psychosocial and affective-conjugal aspects of women with and without breast cancer

O câncer da mama acomete inúmeras mulheres e preocupa profissionais de diferentes áreas da saúde, em busca de alternativas para a prevenção e o tratamento dessa doença. Esta pesquisa visou a contribuir para os avanços teóricos em psicooncologia, investigando os aspectos psicossociais e afetivo-conjugais na história de mulheres com câncer, comparativamente a mulheres sem câncer, com base no referencial sistêmico. Foram realizados estudo quantitativo e análise qualitativa, por meio da aplicação de questionários semi-estruturados em 80 pacientes, sendo 40 mulheres com diagnóstico de câncer de mama e 40 mulheres sem diagnóstico de câncer da mama (grupo-controle), com idade de 45 a 65 anos, que têm ou tiveram esperiência conjugal. Nos resultados obtidos, as participantes de ambos os grupos relataram a ocorrência de eventos psicossociais e afetivo-conjugais geradores de estresse, encontrando-se diferenças significativas entre os grupos quanto à maneira como lidam com esses eventos. Encontram-se, também, diferenças significativas entre ambos os grupos, quanto aos motivos e às expectativas da união conjugal, ao modo de enfrentamento das crises e aos sentimentos presentes na relação. Concluiu-se pela prevalência de fatores de enfrentamento afetivo-emocionais de estresse patogênico no grupo de mulheres com câncer.

The cancer of breast hits inumerable women and worries professionals of different areas of health, in search of alternatives to the prevention and treatment of this disease. This research aims to contribute to the theoretical advances in psycho-oncology, investigating psychosocial, affective and conjugal aspects in the background of women with cancer, compare the women not cancer, based in the systemic referential. A quantitative study and qualitative analysis were performed, by the application of semi-structured questionnaires in 80 subjects, being 40 women with breast cancer diagnostic and 40 women without breast cancer diagnostic (control group), with ages from 45 to 65, who have or had conjugal experience. The results obtained indicated that the participating women from both groups declare the occurrence of stress generating affective-conjugal and psychosocial events, finding signicant differences between the groups in relation to the way they deal with those events. Significant differences were also found between both groups, in relation to the motives and expectations of the conjugal union, to the way of coping with crisis and to the feelings present in the relation. It is concluded that there are prevalence of emotional-affective coping factors of pathogenic stress in the group of women with cancer.

Quais as características propostas pelo BIRADS-US que melhor diferenciam nódulos malignos dos benignos? / What characteristics proposed by BIRADS ultrasound better distinguish between benign and malignant nodes?

OBJETIVO: analisar qual das características propostas pelo BIRADS-US tem maior impacto na diferenciação das lesões benignas das malignas. MÉTODOS: estudamos as características ultra-sonográficas do BIRADS em 384 nódulos submetidos à biópsia percutânea no período de fevereiro de 2003 a dezembro de 2006. Utilizou-se, para o exame, o aparelho Logic 5, com transdutor linear multifreqüencial de 7,5-12 MHz. A análise ultra-sonográfica do nódulo foi baseada no BIRADS-US levando em conta: forma, orientação, margem, limites da lesão, ecogenicidade, características acústicas posteriores, o tecido circunjacente e a presença de calcificações. Estes dados foram submetidos à análise estatística com modelo de regressão logística. Para o estudo de associação entre estas variáveis utilizamos o teste do c² e também calculamos a sensibilidade e a especificidade das variáveis "tecido ao redor", "calcificações", "efeito posterior", "limite da lesão" e "orientação". RESULTADOS: as lesões benignas representaram 42,4 por cento e as malignas, 57,6 por cento. A análise por regressão logística encontrou odds ratio (OR) aumentado para câncer de 7,7 vezes quando o tecido ao redor esteve alterado, de 6,2 vezes quando houve presença das microcalcificações no interior das lesões, de 1,9 quando o efeito acústico foi sombra, de 25,0 vezes quando houve o halo ecogênico e de 7,1 vezes quando a orientação foi não paralela. CONCLUSÕES: dentre as características estudadas, o limite da lesão, representado pela presença ou não do halo ecogênico, é o mais importante diferenciador das massas benignas das malignas.

PURPOSE: to analyze which characteristics proposed by the BIRADS lexicon for ultrasound have the greatest impact on distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. METHODS: ultrasonography features from the third edition of the BIRADS were studied in 384 nodes submitted to percutaneous biopsy from February 2003 to December 2006, at the Medical School of Botucatu. For the ultrasonography, the equipment Logic 5 with a 7.5-12 MHz multifrequential linear transducer was used. The ultrasonography analysis of the node considered the features proposed by the BIRADS lexicon for ultrasound. The data were submitted to statistical analysis by the logistic regression model. RESULTS: the benign lesions represented 42.4 percent and the malignant, 57.6 percent. The logistic regression analysis found an odds ratio (OR) for cancer of 7.69 times when the surrounding tissue was altered, of 6.25 times when there were microcalcifications in the lesions interior, of 1.95 when the acoustic effect is shadowing, of 25.0 times when there was the echogenic halo, and of 7.14 times when the orientation was non-parallel. CONCLUSIONS: among the features studied, the lesion limit, represented by the presence or not of the halogenic halo, is the most important differentiator of the benign from the malignant masses.

Avaliação da resposta à quimioterapia primária em amostra de mulheres brasileiras com tumores de mama localmente avançados / Evaluation of response to primary chemotherapy in Brazilian patients with locally advanced breast cancer

OBJETIVO: avaliar a resposta loco-regional à quimioterapia primária nas pacientes com câncer de mama nos estadios II e III. MÉTODOS: foi realizado um estudo clínico retrospectivo e analítico de 97 pacientes no estadios II e III, no período de janeiro de 1993 a dezembro de 2004, submetidas a três ou quatro ciclos de quimioterapia primária com 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m²), epirrubicina (50 mg/m²) e ciclofosfamida (500 mg/m²) ou doxorrubicina (50 mg/m²) e ciclofosfamida (500 mg/m²) e posteriormente ao tratamento loco-regional cirúrgico conservador ou radical. Para estudo da associação entre as variáveis (idade, estado menopausal, volume tumoral pré-quimioterapia, estado axilar, estádio, esquema terapêutico e número de ciclos) foram utilizados os testes do chi2 e o exato de Fisher. Para as variáveis quantitativas (volume tumoral pelo estudo anátomo-patológico e volume tumoral clínico pós-quimioterapia) foi utilizado o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson. O nível de significância utilizado foi de 5 por cento. RESULTADOS: a média de idade da população estudada foi de 52,2 anos. No estádio II, tivemos 56,8 por cento dos casos e no estádio III, 43,2 por cento. Aproximadamente metade das pacientes receberam FEC50 e 50 por cento, AC. Obtivemos uma resposta clínica objetiva com o tratamento quimioterápico primário em 64,9 por cento dos casos. A resposta clínica completa ocorreu em 12,3 por cento das pacientes; já a resposta patológica completa aconteceu em 10,3 por cento dos casos. Observamos uma correlação significante entre o número de ciclos e a resposta à quimioterapia primária. Também verificamos uma concordância significante entre a avaliação pelo exame clínico da resposta à quimioterapia primária e o achado anátomo-patológico. CONCLUSÕES: o número de ciclos foi importante para a resposta loco-regional, sendo que as pacientes que receberam maior número de ciclos obtiveram melhores respostas. Também foi possível avaliar a resposta tumoral pelo...

PURPOSE: to evaluate the loco-regional response to primary chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer at stages II and III. METHODS: a retrospective and analytical clinical study carried out in 97 patients with an average age of 52.2 years old, with breast cancer at stages II and III, attended from January 1993 to December 2004, and submitted to 3 to 4 cycles of primary chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil - 500 mg/m2, epirubicin - 50 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide - 500 mg/m2 or doxorubicin - 50 mg/m2 e cyclophosphamide - 500 mg/m2, and then to loco-regional surgical conservative or radical surgical treatment. Chi-square and FisherÆs exact tests were used to study the association among the variables (age, menopausal state, pre-chemotherapy tumoral volume, axillary condition, stage, therapeutic scheme and number of cycles), while PearsonÆs correlation coefficient was used for the quantitative variables (tumoral volume according to the anatomo-pathological study and the post-chemotherapy clinical tumoral volume. The significance level was 5 percent. RESULTS: there were 56.8 percent of cases at stage II and 43.2 percent at stage III. Approximately 50 percent of the patients received FEC50 and 50 percent AC. Objective clinical response with primary chemotherapy was obtained in 64.9 percent of the cases. Full clinical response occurred in 12.3 percent of patients, while full pathological response occurred in 10.3 percent of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: there was a statistically significant correlation between the number of cycles and the response to primary chemotherapy. Patients who received 4 cycles had better response than those who received 3 cycles. There was also a statistically significant concordance between the evaluation through clinical examination of the response to primary chemotherapy and the pathological findings. No statistically significant correlation was observed concerning age, menopausal status, tumoral volume, and pretreatment of...