Does neoadjuvant chemotherapy provide any benefit for surgical de-escalation in luminal B, HER2(-) breast cancers?

BACKGROUND: The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in less aggressive breast cancer (BC) is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2 negative luminal B breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients between January 2016 and December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 128 patients were included in the study. Patients with pathological complete response (pCR) were younger and had higher ki67 levels. Cutoff levels for ki67 based on pCR and ypT status were ≤ 40% and ≤ 35%, respectively. According to pre-NAC magnetic resonance imaging findings, only mastectomy was viable in 90 patients, but after NAC breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was possible in 29 (32%). Moreover, 68.5% became eligible for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after NAC. Since SLNB was positive in 45 (54.2%), axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was performed and the remainder, 38 (31.4%), avoided ALND. CONCLUSION: In patients with Luminal B, HER2(-) BC a low pCR rate should not discourage the use of NAC. The ki67 level is a guide for individualizing treatment. Especially in young patients with high ki67 levels, NAC increases the chance of breast-conserving surgery and may spare patients from ALND.

ANTECEDENTES: El uso de quimioterapia neoadyuvante (QTN) en cáncer de mama (CB) menos agresivo es controversial. OBJETIVO: Investigar el efecto de la quimioterapia neoadyuvante en el cáncer de mama HER2 negativo luminal B. MÉTODO: Se evaluaron retrospectivamente pacientes entre enero de 2016 y diciembre de 2021. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 128 pacientes. Los valores de corte para ki67 basados en el estado de respuesta patológica completa y el estadio tumoral tras la quimioterapia neoadyuvante fueron ≤ 40% y ≤ 35%, respectivamente. Según los hallazgos de la resonancia magnética previa a la quimioterapia neoadyuvante, la mastectomía solo fue viable en 90 pacientes, pero después de la quimioterapia neoadyuvante la cirugía conservadora de la mama fue posible en 29 (32%). Además, el 68.5% se volvieron elegibles para biopsia del ganglio linfático centinela después de la quimioterapia neoadyuvante, y se evitó la disección de ganglios linfáticos axilares en 38 pacientes (31.4%). CONCLUSIONES: En las pacientes con cáncer de mama HER2 negativo luminal B, una tasa baja de respuesta patológica completa no debe desalentar el uso de quimioterapia neoadyuvante. En especial en pacientes jóvenes con niveles altos de ki67, la quimioterapia neoadyuvante aumenta la posibilidad de una cirugía conservadora de la mama y puede evitar que las pacientes sufran disección de ganglios linfáticos axilares.

A new risk scoring system for early prediction of surgical need in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction: a single-center retrospective clinical study

Purpose@#Cases of adhesive small bowel obstruction are a nuisance to surgeons. There have been years of ongoing discussions, and various guidelines have been published for the management of this disease. Both surgical and conservative approaches can have their own complications. It is often difficult to decide which treatment to apply to which patient. We aimed to create a multiparametric scoring system for the optimal management of adhesive small bowel obstruction patients. @*Methods@#The retrospective laboratory, clinical and radiological records of 100 patients who were hospitalized and followed-up/treated for adhesive small bowel obstruction secondary to surgery in the General Surgery Clinic of Haydarpaşa Numune Education and Research Hospital (Istanbul) between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed and statistically analyzed. @*Results@#Admittance CRP and the largest diameter of the small intestine in the horizontal section of the admittance CT scans were significantly higher (P = 0.006 and P = 0.007), and the admittance albumin and sodium values were significantly lower (P < 0.001 and P = 0.031) in patients operated on for adhesive small bowel obstruction than in patients not operated on. Free intraperitoneal fluid in CT scans was detected at a higher rate in the operated group. An adhesive small bowel obstruction surgery score above 3.5 points out of 7 was found to be significant (P < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#With this easy and applicable scoring system, complications of existing disease may be avoided by considering earlier surgical intervention in patients with a score of 4 and above.

Targeted axillary biopsy and sentinel lymph node biopsy for axillary restaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Purpose@#Accurate restaging of the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an important issue to ensure deescalating axillary surgery in patients with initial metastatic nodes. We aimed to present our results of targeted axillary biopsy (TAB) combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for axillary restaging after NAC. @*Methods@#In 64 breast cancer patients who underwent NAC, biopsy-proven positive nodes were marked with clips before NAC, and ultrasound-guided wire localization of clip-marked nodes was performed after NAC. Patients underwent TAB and SLNB for post-NAC axilla restaging. @*Results@#Identification rates of post-NAC TAB and SLNB were 98.4% and 87.5%, respectively (P = 0.033). Histopathology revealed a nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 47% in which axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was avoided. TAB alone and SLNB alone detected residual disease in 29 (85.3%) and 20 (58.8%) patients (P = 0.029), respectively. Whereas rates of up to 97% had been achieved with a combination of TAB and SLNB. The pCR rates after NAC were 64.3% for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive and triple-negative tumors and 13.6% in luminal tumors (P = 0.0002). @*Conclusion@#Pathologic analysis following TAB combined with SLNB revealed the pCR rates to NAC in a considerable number of patients that provided de-escalation of axillary surgery. A combination of SLNB and TAB was found to be an accurate procedure in establishing residual nodal disease. This combined procedure in patients with initially positive nodes was a reliable method for post-NAC axillary restaging.

Targeted axillary biopsy and sentinel lymph node biopsy for axillary restaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Purpose@#Accurate restaging of the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an important issue to ensure deescalating axillary surgery in patients with initial metastatic nodes. We aimed to present our results of targeted axillary biopsy (TAB) combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for axillary restaging after NAC. @*Methods@#In 64 breast cancer patients who underwent NAC, biopsy-proven positive nodes were marked with clips before NAC, and ultrasound-guided wire localization of clip-marked nodes was performed after NAC. Patients underwent TAB and SLNB for post-NAC axilla restaging. @*Results@#Identification rates of post-NAC TAB and SLNB were 98.4% and 87.5%, respectively (P = 0.033). Histopathology revealed a nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 47% in which axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was avoided. TAB alone and SLNB alone detected residual disease in 29 (85.3%) and 20 (58.8%) patients (P = 0.029), respectively. Whereas rates of up to 97% had been achieved with a combination of TAB and SLNB. The pCR rates after NAC were 64.3% for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive and triple-negative tumors and 13.6% in luminal tumors (P = 0.0002). @*Conclusion@#Pathologic analysis following TAB combined with SLNB revealed the pCR rates to NAC in a considerable number of patients that provided de-escalation of axillary surgery. A combination of SLNB and TAB was found to be an accurate procedure in establishing residual nodal disease. This combined procedure in patients with initially positive nodes was a reliable method for post-NAC axillary restaging.

Determination of Paraneoplastic neuropathy in newly diagnosed breast tumor patients.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of paraneoplastic neuropathy in newly diagnosed breast tumor patients will be investigated. Aim of study is conduce of early diagnosis of the disease and new biomarkers responsible for the pathogenesis to be identify. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients admitted to the Oncology outpatient clinic with newly diagnosed breast cancer were included in the study. After the neurological examination of the patients, Lanss neuropathic pain scale and blood tests were performed. Before chemotherapy all patients underwent electromyography (EMG). Two tubes of 5 cc of venous blood were obtained by screening onconeuronal antibodies. RESULTS: Patients included in the study; 1 (3.1%) grade 1, 14 (43.8%) grade 2, 17 (53.1%) grade 3 invasive breast cancer was diagnosed. Perineural invasion was detected in 5 (15.6%) patients. Progesterone receptor positivity was found in 26 (81.2%) patients and estrogen receptor positivity was found in 27 (84.4%) patients. In 7 (21.9%) patients, CERBB2 was positive for Ki 67 in 25 (78.1%) patients. Neuropathic findings were present in 6 (18.8%) patients. Sensory neuropathy was detected by electrophsiologic tests in only 2 (6.2%) patients. A total of 12 (37.5%) patients had onconeuroneal antibody positivity. Antibody positivity was significantly higher in patients with high grade tumor (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Paraneoplastic neuropathies can be confused with neuropathies due to non-cancerous causes both clinically and electrophysiologically. When approaching paraneoplastic neuropathies, pathological findings should be carefully reviewed and evaluated with other findigs.It should be remembered that an underlying breast tumor may be present in women with cancer-related neuropathic complaints.

Separate thyrothymic thyroid remnant; clinically crucial anatomic variation

PURPOSE@#The anatomical variations of the thyroid gland including separate thyroidal remnant at the thyrothymic area are of significance during thyroid surgery for “total” thyroidectomy, and for recurrent goitre. In the present study, we aimed to detect the separate rests of thyroidal tissue in the thyrothymic region.@*METHODS@#The thyrothymic region was explored for identification, dissection, and excision of separate thyroidal remnants in 134 patients who underwent primary thyroid surgery. In this series, we studied the incidence and anatomical features of the thyrothymic remnant and its relation with other embryologic remnants.@*RESULTS@#Overall, 222 sides of the thyroid were explored in this study. An entirely separate thyrothymic remnant of the thyroid was identified and excised in 8 of 134 patients (6%). Mean size of removed remnants was 36.4 mm (range, 29–45 mm) in diameter. The incidences of pyramidal lobe (PL) and Zuckerkandl's tubercle (ZT) were 71.6% and 59.7%, respectively. The thyrothymic remnant coexisted with PLs in 4 patients. Four patients had all 3 embryologic remnants: thyrothymic remnant, PLs, and ZTs.@*CONCLUSION@#An entirely separate thyroidal remnant at the thyrothymic area is not a rare variation. The considerably large size of a remnant may threaten the completeness of thyroidectomy and may result in recurrence if it is left behind after thyroid surgery. Awareness, identification, and excision of the separate remnant at the thyrothymic area and the other embryologic remnants are critical for ensuring completeness of thyroidectomy and preventing recurrences.

Visual and electrophysiological identification of the external branch of superior laryngeal nerve in redo thyroid surgery compared with primary thyroid surgery

PURPOSE: Thyroid reoperations are surgically challenging because of significant anatomical variance. Visual and functional identification of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) were studied in 2 groups of patients who underwent primary and redo thyroid surgery. METHODS: This study was conducted on 200 patients: 100 patients with redo and 100 patients with primary thyroid surgery. In addition to visual identification, nerve branches were functionally identified by intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM). Visual, functional, and total identification rates of the EBSLN in both primary and redo surgery were determined and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: We attempted to identify 138 and 170 EBSLNs at risk in redo and primary surgery, respectively. Visual identification rates were 65.3% and 30.4% (P < 0.001) in primary and redo surgery groups, respectively. In total, 164 (96.5%) and 97 EBSLNs (70.3%) were identified in primary and redo surgery, respectively (P < 0.001), including the use of IONM. In primary surgery group, 53 nonvisualized EBSLNs of 164 identified nerves (32.3%) were determined by IONM alone. In redo surgery group, 55 of 97 identified nerves (56.7%) were determined by IONM alone (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both visual and total identification rates of the EBSLN are significantly decreased in reoperative thyroidectomy. IONM increases the total identification rate of the EBSLN in primary and redo thyroid surgery. Electrophysiological monitoring makes a substantial contribution to the identification of the EBSLN both in primary and especially in redo thyroid surgery.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of a mammary myofibroblastoma: A case report on the role of immunohistochemistry and cell block preparations and a review of the literature.

Myofibroblastoma (MFB) is a benign tumor of the mammary stroma with predominant myofibroblastic differention. The cytologic reports of MFB are very few in the available literature. From the cytodiagnostic point of view about 21 cases of MFB with cytological evaluation by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) have been encountered in the English-language literature: A 35-year-old woman presented with lump in the left breast. FNAC showed mild degree of pleomorphism with occasional groups with fibrous stroma and tumoral cells. A few benign epithelial cell groups were seen. Hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections of cell block preparation from the aspirate showed fascicles of spindle cells forming whorl structures. Three months later, excision biopsy was performed. The diagnosis was a classic variant of MFB. On immunohistochemical examination, sections were found to be highly positive for vimentin, CD34, and bcl- 2. In light of these findings, cell block material was retrospectively reviewed both morphologically and immunhistochemically. The findings of resection and cell block material were found to be very similar. MFB may cause a potential diagnostic pitfall while interpreting FNAC due to its wide differential diagnosis spectrum. We concluded that cytology and cell block findings complement each other. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:1064-1069. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Plexiform schwannoma of the duodenum accompanying pyloric stenosis: report of a case.

Plexiform schwannoma is a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor and is composed of Schwann cells arranged in a plexiform pattern. Most plexiform schwannomas are skin tumors, and there has been no case report of this tumor originating in the duodenum. We describe the first known case of plexiform schwannoma of the duodenum. A 60-year-old man presented with a short history of food intolerance, epigastric discomfort, fullness and bloatedness, sometimes vomiting, and weight loss, without any clinical picture of neurofibromatosis. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed pyloric stenosis with normal mucosal lining. The computed tomography demonstrated circumferentially and concentrically thickened pylorus up to 18 mm with narrowed lumen and limited contrast passage. Antrectomy and gastrojejunostomy were performed due to unknown etiology of the obstruction. The cut surface of the lesion revealed thickened pylorus up to 15 mm in a circumferential manner. It contained a 5 mm tumor consisted of multiple white nodules in the submucosal and subserosal layers with overlying duodenal mucosa. Microscopic examination revealed nodular structures composed of spindle cells within fascicular pattern without any atypia or mitosis. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the cells diffusely and strongly expressed S100 proteins in a nuclear and cytoplasmic pattern, but not CD117, smooth muscle actin, desmin, or CD34, confirming plexiform schwannoma.

Medical and Surgical Treatment of Idiopathic Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: A Benign Inflammatory Disease Mimicking Invasive Carcinoma / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Idiopathic granulomatous lobular mastitis (IGLM) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the breast with obscure etiology that mimics invasive carcinoma both clinically and radiologically. The treatment of IGLM remains controversial. The aim of proper management is to use a combination of medical and surgical treatment of this benign condition to achieve a good cosmetic result and low recurrence rate. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 19 patients with IGLM is performed based on the findings of clinical, radiological, and pathological examinations. The results of two treatments are presented: medical treatment with oral corticosteroids, and consecutive surgical excision after a follow-up period of 20 months (range, 6-75 months). RESULTS: The majority of patients treated in this paper were young (mean, 34 years) parous women with a history of hormonal medication use. The main clinical finding is large, irregular, and painful mass. Hypoechoic lobulated, irregular tubular or oval shaped masses had been imaged by ultrasound. Mammographic findings were an ill-defined mass, enlarged axillary lymph nodes, asymmetric density, and architectural distortion. Diagnoses of IGLM had been established by cytological or histological examination. Symptoms subside and inflammatory changes regressed with medical treatment. The remaining lesions were excised by consecutive breast conserving surgery. The disease recurred in one patient during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: IGLM is an inflammatory breast disease found in young women who present with a large painful irregular mass, which mimics carcinoma, as a physical change. Breast imaging modalities are not helpful to differentiate IGLM from invasive cancer. The correct diagnosis is established by cytological or histological examination. Medical treatment with corticosteroids provides significant regression of the inflammatory disease, allowing more conservative surgery. Consecutive surgical excision of the remaining lesions with good cosmetic results provides definitive treatment and reduces the risk of recurrence.

Tumor Characteristics Influencing Non-Sentinel Lymph Node Involvement in Clinically Node Negative Patients with Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: The negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy avoids conventional axillary dissection in patients with breast cancer with clinically negative axilla. Despite negative SLN, there is a risk of leaving involved non-SLN behind in the axilla. We investigated the predictive power of tumor characteristics for non-SLN metastasis. METHODS: Lymphatic mapping with blue dye method for SLN biopsy and level 1-2 axillary dissections were performed to establish axillary status in 59 patients with T1 and T2 breast cancer and clinically negative axilla. Tumor's characteristics were histopathologically established to assess their association with non-SLN metastasis. RESULTS: The axilla was malignant in 23 (39%) patients. The SLN alone was metastatic in 10, both SLN and non-SLN in 9, and non-SLN alone in 4 (7%) patients. The false negative rate for SLN biopsy was 10% in our series. The rate of positive non-SLN was found as 0% in T1a-b, 19% in T1c, and 40% in T2 tumors (p=0.035). Lymphovascular invasion was positive in 14 (61%) patients with axillary metastasis (p<0.001), and in 10 (77%) patients with non-SLN involvement (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that there was a small risk of involved non-SLN despite negative SLN. Tumor size (near or greater than 2 cm) was significantly associated with non-SLN metastasis. Peritumoral lymphovascular invasion was a positive predictor of the metastatic involvement in non-SLNs.