Inflammatory breast cancer: As surgical oncologists, what can we do?

Breast cancer surgery is the primary treatment for early-stage breast cancer. However, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), with its specific presentation characterized by skin invasion, is unfit for primary surgery. According to the different guidelines, the management of IBC is trimodal with the coordination of oncologists, surgeons, and radiation therapists. Advances in breast cancer imaging and the development of more targeted therapies make new challenges for this aggressive cancer. This chapter aims to provide an update on the role of surgery in IBC. Radical surgery is still considered the standard surgical treatment in IBC. Some authors suggest a conservative surgery in patients with a clinical response to chemotherapy without affecting survival. For lymph node surgery, the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is not feasible in IBC patients, according to the existing studies. However, prospective studies on SLNB are needed to verify its reliability after chemotherapy for a specific group of patients. In the metastatic IBC, surgery can be considered if there is a good response after chemotherapy or for uncontrolled symptoms. Existing studies showed that surgery may impact survival for these patients. Prospective studies are mandatory to optimize IBC management, considering factors such as tumor's molecular profile.

Coexistence of invasive ductal breast carcinoma and fibroadenoma.

Fibroadenomas are the most common breast disease that occurs usually in young. The coexistence of an invasive ductal carcinoma and a fibroadenoma in the ipsilateral breast is extremely rare. We present the case of a 52 years woman, presented to us for an upper-outer breast lump. Breast imaging concluded to tow contiguous lesions, one of them was suspicious. She had a conservative surgery. Histology concluded to a fibroadenoma and an invasive ductal carcinoma.

Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) expression predicts disease free survival and may mediate resistance to chemotherapy and hormonotherapy in male breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare and neglected disease. Prognostic and predictive factors in MBC are extrapoled from trials conducted on its female counterpart. OBJECTIVE: Since the relationship between the transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) expression and the clinical response to chemotherapy and hormonotherapy in MBC remains unknown, we sought to investigate the predictive value of FOXM1 in MBC. METHODS: FOXM1 expression was assessed in 130 MBC cases. Clinical significance was analyzed by Kaplan Meier curves, log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Patients with high FOXM1 expression had a significantly lower response rate to chemotherapy (P = 0.045) and hormonotherapy (P = 0.029) than those with low FOXM1 expression. Multivariate analyses indicated that FOXM1 was an independent prognostic factor for disease free survival in MBC patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: FOXM1 may have a reliable predictive significance in male breast cancer and thus may become an important target for male breast cancer therapy in the near future.

Fertility sparing surgery for ovarian sex cord stromal tumors: a nine case series.

Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumors (SCST) are a rare disease carrying a good prognosis. They generally affect young women; therefore fertility preservation is a critical issue. Fertility Sparing Surgery (FSS) showed promising results in both oncologic safety and fertility preservation. A retrospective case series involving 9 patients diagnosed with SCST and treated with fertility sparing surgery at our institution was conducted between January 2000 and May 2015. The median age was 24 years old (10 to 39). The main clinical manifestation was pelvic pain seen in seven patients. Five patients complained about menstrual cycle disorders. The nine patients went through fertility sparing surgery; seven had conservative staging and the other two had a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Three patients out of nine had a pelvic unilateral lymphadenectomy. Two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Only two patients presented locoregional recurrence that occurred respectively after 7 and 192 months. The treatment combined chemotherapy and surgery based on mass resection. One patient achieved a natural pregnancy after the treatment. FSS seems to be a suitable approach for SCST. However, more case series and meta-analysis should be conducted.

[Squamous cells carcinoma of the renal pelvis discovered due to parietal and skin invasion: an uncommon manifestation]. / Carcinome épidermoïde du bassinet découvert par un envahissement pariétal et cutané: une présentation inhabituelle.

We here report a rare case of squamous cells carcinoma of the renal pelvis with abdominal wall skin invasion in a patient with a history of recurrent upper urinary tract infections due to kidney stones. A right lumbar skin lesion was the reason for consultation. Uroscanner showed right renal mass extended to the adjacent soft tissues. Biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis. After having conducted a literature review we can say that this is the first case of squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis detected due to skin invasion.

Fertility-sparing surgery in advanced stage malignant ovarian germ cell tumor: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare type of disease, which generally has a good prognosis due to the high chemosensitivity of this type of tumor. Fertility preservation is an important issue because malignant ovarian germ cell tumor commonly affects young women. Although conservation is the standard for early stage, it becomes more debatable as the disease progresses to more advanced stages. AIM: Report the case of a patient with an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IIIc malignant ovarian germ cell tumor, who had conservative surgery and chemotherapy with a good fertility outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old North African woman with a left malignant ovarian germ cell tumor stage IIIc was treated by left adnexectomy and omentectomy followed by chemotherapy. A 15-year follow-up showed no signs of relapse, and she completed three full-term natural pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare ovarian tumor with a good prognosis. It is usually associated with a good fertility outcome in early stages. However, due to the rarity of the disease in advanced stages, the fertility outcome for this group of patients is not clear. This lack of data surrounding advanced stages points to the need for a meta-analysis of all published cases.

Identifying accessible prognostic factors for breast cancer relapse: a case-study on 405 histologically confirmed node-negative patients.

BACKGROUND: Histologically, node-negative breast cancer generally have a good prognosis. However, 10 to 30% of the cases present local relapses or metastasis. This group of people has high chances of remission if detected early. The aim of this study is to identify financial affordability for developing countries to adjust treatment. METHODS: We selected 405 patients with histologically confirmed node-negative breast cancer in our institution between January 2001 and December 2003. Patients with metastasis were excluded. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS ver. 18 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois). RESULTS: The medial age was 51 years old. The medial tumor size was 35.4 mm. Clinically, 67.2% of the patients were staged cT2 and 63.2%, cN1i. Breast conservation was achieved in 41% of cases. In the histologic examination, the medial size was 30 mm. Grade III tumors were found in 50.1% of patients and positive hormonal receptors in 53.4%. The mean number of lymph nodes was 14. Eight patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant locoregional radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy were prescribed respectively in 70.6 and 64.4% of cases. 59.7% had adjuvant hormonal therapy. The follow-up showed 17.7% cases of relapse either locally or in a metastatic way in a mean time of 57.4 months. The disease-free survival at 5 years was 82.1%, and the overall survival for the same period was 91.5%. The histologic tumor size and the grade and number of lymph node dissected were shown to be influencing the disease-free survival. Radiation therapy and hormone therapy showed improved disease-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION: Our study found interesting results that may help personalize the treatment especially for patient living in underdeveloped countries, but further studies are needed to evaluate those and more accessible prognostic factors for a more accessible healthcare.

Prognostic implications of the intrinsic molecular subtypes in male breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Intrinsic molecular subtyping has been widely used in female breast cancer, and it has proven its significance. In this article, we aimed to study the intrinsic subtypes of male breast cancer (MBC) in correlation with clinicopathological features. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 130 MBC cases from 2004 to 2013. Intrinsic molecular subtypes were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: From a total of 130 MBC cases, 45.4% of tumors were luminal A subtype, 44.6% were luminal B, 5% were HER2 positive and 5% were triple negative tumors. There were statistically significant differences between different IHC intrinsic subtypes regarding tumor size (p=0.001), estrogen receptor (ER) status (p=0.001), progesterone receptor (PR) status (p=0.001), HER2 status (p=0.001) and Ki67 proliferation index (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The distribution of breast cancer intrinsic subtypes in males is different compared to its female counterpart; however, they don't seem to give the same prognostic value.

Inflammatory breast cancer in Tunisia: epidemiological and clinical trends.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by a peculiar geographic distribution in incidence, being described as more common in Tunisia and the region of North Africa. The authors performed a systematic review of published literature on rapidly progressing breast cancer and IBC in Tunisia and analyzed the evolution in epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and therapeutic results. They collected, analyzed, and compared all the indexed Tunisian articles about rapidly progressing breast cancer and IBC since the 1970s opening of the Institut Salah Azaiz Institute in Tunis. In the 1970s, rapidly progressing breast cancer diagnosis was based on the Poussée Evolutive classification (1-3). Since the 1990s, IBC diagnosis has been based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer Poussée Evolutive 3/T4d staging. The authors compared the historical data to the most recent publications in terms of epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and therapeutic results. The most important historical report of rapidly progressing breast cancer concerned 340 patients, representing 58.5% of a cohort of 581 breast cancer patients collected from 1969 to 1974, including 320 (55.2%) with inflammatory signs, 37(6.5%) with Poussée Evolutive 2, and 283 (48.7%) with Poussée Evolutive 3. Subsequent papers have documented a steady decrease in incidence to the current 5% to 7% T4d/IBC. Since the 1970s, Poussée Evolutive in premenopausal woman has increased from 52.5% to 75%; rural predominance has persisted. The 5-year overall survival reached 28% by the year 2000. The authors' analysis demonstrated a trend of decreasing incidence of IBC diagnoses from 50% to presently <10%, probably related to a combination of factors, including the use of more stringent criteria (Poussée Evolutive 3/T4d) for IBC diagnosis and an improvement in the socioeconomic level of Tunisia.

Aggressive surgery in retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma carried out at high-volume centers is safe and is associated with improved local control.

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess morbidity and mortality in primary retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas (RSTS) treated by a frontline aggressive surgical approach. METHODS: A total of 249 consecutive patients with primary RSTS were treated by a frontline aggressive surgical approach at two major European institutions. Multivariable models were used for exploring the relationship between postsurgical morbidity and the number of organs resected, with adjustment for clinical variables. The impact of morbidity on local and distant recurrence-free survival was explored by multivariable models, adjusting for the main known prognostic factors. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 37 months (interquartile [IQ] range, 16-61 months). Median tumor size was 17 cm (IQ range, 11-26 cm). The median number of organs resected en bloc with the tumor was 2 (IQ range, 1-3). Complete macroscopic resection was achieved in 232 cases (93%). At 5 years, overall survival was 65.4% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 56.8-72.7); local and distant recurrence crude cumulative incidences were 22.3% (95% CI, 16.5-30.2) and 24.2% (95% CI, 18.4-31.9), respectively. Postsurgical morbidity requiring at least one invasive therapeutic procedure was observed in 45 patients (18%; 95% CI, 14-23). Surgical reintervention was necessary in 30 patients (12%; 95% CI, 8-17). Eight patients died of postoperative complications (3%; 95% CI, 1-6). No statistically significant association between postsurgical morbidity and any clinical variable was detected. For number of resected organs, we documented an increased risk of morbidity for more than three organs (P = 0.007). Postsurgical morbidity did not affect oncologic outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Frontline aggressive surgical approach to primary RSTS is safe when carried out at high-volume centers. It could be systematically considered in primary RSTS.

Inflammatory breast cancer in Tunisia: reassessment of incidence and clinicopathological features.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a clinical diagnosis characterized by a peculiar geographic distribution in incidence, being particularly common in Tunisia and the region of North Africa. The peculiar aspects of the disease in this region may provide some insights on the biological characteristics of the disease. We updated and revised the data from our single-institution experience using the more stringent diagnostic criteria of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) based on the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification. The new analysis included 419 newly diagnosed cases of IBC evaluated between 1975 and 1996 that were subdivided into three groups: group A (118 cases classified as T4d in 1990-1996); group B (175 cases reported as Pev 2 or 3 in 1975-81 and restaged as T4d); and group C (126 cases classified Pev 2 or 3 in 1975-81 and restaged as T4b). The frequency of IBC cases classified as T4d in the various series was 5.7% for group A (118/2,073) and 13.3% for group B (175/1,317), while T4b represented 9% for group C (126/1,317). The analysis demonstrated worse 5-year overall survival rates for groups A and B (8.5% and 11.3%, respectively) compared to group C (25.6%). Interestingly, using a more uniform classification criteria, the incidence of IBC was 5% to 7% compared to previous historical reports of up to 50% of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in Tunisia.

[Gastrointestinal stromal tumours: clinical and therapeutic features. A report of 25 cases]. / Les tumeurs stromales gastrointestinales: aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques à propos de 25 cas.

AIM: To evaluate the epidemiological clinical features and herapeutic results of gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). PATIENTS AND METHOD: This retrospective study concerned 25 cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumour from January 1993 to December 2002. All patients have been operated and the diagnosis of GIST has been confirmed by histological and immunohistochemical study of pieces of resection or biopsies. RESULTS: Population include II men and 13 women with a mean age of 64 years. Symptomatology was dominated by abdominal pain (54% of cases) and the digestive haemorrhage (46% of cases). A palpable mass has been found in 29% of cases. The tumour was gastric in 17 cases, small intestinal in 6 cases, colic in 1 case and rectal in 1 case. A double gastric localization and small intestinal was found in 1 case. The mean tumour size was 8 cm (1 to 30 cm). A tumour resection has been achieved in 23 cases (96%), extended to neighbourhood organs in 2 cases. The morbidity was 12.5% and there was no operative mortality. Histologically, tumour was of low grade in 10 cases, high grade in 10 cases and unclassified in 5 cases. With a median follow up of 27 months (2 to 108), we observed 4 cases of loco-regional recurrence. Overall survival at 2 years was 74% for the whole population and 35% for the high grade. Independent prognostic factors recovered were the degree of malignancy (p = 0.01) and the local recurrence (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The treatment of the GIST is surgical. lymphadenectomy is superfluous. The new oral chemotherapies that inhibits Tyrosine Kinase seems to be promising.

[Gallbladder agenesis. A case report]. / Agenesie de la vesicule biliaire. A propos d'un cas.

Gallbladder agenesis is a rare malformation, that can lead to an unnecessary and dangerous surgery. We report a case of gallbladder agenesis in a 27-year-old woman who had a right upper abdominal pain described as intermittent without fever neither jaundice during 1 year and half. The Physical examination was normal. The abdominal ultrasound examination revealed the absence of gallbladder. The MRI-cholangiography confirmed the agenesis of gallbladder. Using this case report, we will try to remember outcome particularities of this bile duct malformation.