ABSTRACT
The HERe2Cure project, which involved a group of breast cancer experts, members of multidisciplinary tumor boards from healthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was initiated with the aim of defining an optimal approach to the diagnosis and treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer. After individual multidisciplinary consensus meetings were held in all oncology centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a final consensus meeting was held in order to reconcile the final conclusions discussed in individual meetings. Guidelines were adopted by consensus, based on the presentations and suggestions of experts, which were first discussed in a panel discussion and then agreed electronically between all the authors mentioned. The conclusions of the panel discussion represent the consensus of experts in the field of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The objectives of the guidelines include the standardization, harmonization and optimization of the procedures for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, all of which should lead to an improvement in the quality of health care of mentioned patients. The initial treatment plan for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer must be made by a multidisciplinary tumor board comprised of at least: a medical oncologist, a pathologist, a radiologist, a surgeon, and a radiation oncologist/radiotherapist.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/therapy , Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Humans , Mammography , MastectomyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between the serum concentration of the tumor marker CA 15-3 and breast cancer, which has not been proven by the existence of regional and distant metastases, and breast cancer with the presence of regional and distant metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective-prospective study, and was conducted on 100 women aged 40-70 years of age in the period of January 2007 until June 2011, in whom, after surgery, breast cancer was histologically verified, where before the surgery serum tumor marker CA 15-3 levels were established. The serum tumor marker CA 15-3 concentrations are determined in all patients after radiological diagnosis of suspected breast cancer (radiological findings concluded as BI RADS 4 and 5). The study excluded patients with liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and lung cancer. The study group consisted of patients with metastatic breast cancer, and the control group of patients with breast cancer comprised those shown to be without verified metastatic disease. To calculate the correlation, Spearman's correlation coefficient was used. A difference in p values of less than 0.05 (p<0.05) was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The serum tumor marker CA 15-3 was elevated in all patients with proven remote or clubbing metastasis in 35.5% of patients with metastasis spreading to regional lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: There is a significant correlation between serum concentrations of the tumor marker CA 15-3 and the presence of metastasis, and serum concentrations of tumor markers and the dissemination of the underlying disease.
