Systematic Review of Survival Outcomes of Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer in Asian Countries.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is a rare type of gestational cancer. It poses a significant challenge in diagnosis and management, especially in Asian countries with limited resources. We carried out a systematic literature review and narrative synthesis to identify survival outcomes for women with PABC in Asia. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library and the reference lists of the included English language articles for those conducted between January 2010 and August 2022. The search terms were pregnancy-associated breast cancer, breast cancer AND pregnancy, survival of PABC and prognosis of PABC patients. PABC is defined as breast cancer diagnosed either during pregnancy or 1 year-5 years postpartum. This review included observational studies conducted in Asian countries. The final 11 articles met the selection criteria and were analysed. Five of the studies had high quality methods as assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist. We reported study design, year of diagnosis, country, definition of PABC, control group, age of participants, median follow-up time, survival outcomes and pregnancy as prognostic factors. Only five studies reported that PABC patients had a poor overall or disease-free survival rate compared to the control. Pregnancy was a significant independent prognostic factor of breast cancer in only two studies. This review highlights that pregnancy has an unconfirmed association with breast cancer survival in Asia. Most studies that found a non-significant association had small samples, thus there is a need for large-scale multinational epidemiological studies in Asia to establish the survival outcomes in PABC patients.

ABC7 Consensus: Assessment by a German Group of Experts.

Background: The "International Consensus Conference for Advanced Breast Cancer" was initiated more than 10 years ago. The rationale was to standardize treatment of advanced breast cancer (ABC) based on available evidence and to ensure that all ABC patients worldwide receive adequate treatment and access to new therapies. Topics of ABC7: The 7th International Consensus Conference for ABC (ABC7) took place from November 9 to 11, 2023 - as in previous years in Lisbon/Portugal. ABC7 focused not only on metastatic disease but also on locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. Special topics were the management of oligometastatic disease, leptomeningeal disease, brain metastases, and pregnant women with ABC. Due to the current situation worldwide, there was a special interest to patients living in conflict zones. As in previous years, patient advocates from around the world were integrated into the ABC conference and had a major input to the consensus. Rationale for the Manuscript: A German breast cancer expert panel comments on the voting results of the ABC7 panelists regarding their relevance for routine clinical practice in Germany. As with previous meetings, the ABC7 votes focused on modified or new statements. Regarding the statements not modified for the ABC7 consensus, they are discussed in the published manuscript from 2021 in which the German experts commented on the ABC6 consensus. The German comments are always based on the current recommendations of the "Breast Committee" of the Gynecological Oncology Working Group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie, AGO Mamma).

Primary tracheal obstruction caused by adenoid cystic carcinoma during pregnancy: A case report.

The incidence of malignant tumors diagnosed during pregnancy is increasing, often ascribed to the recently recognized trend that many women are postponing childbirth. Although early diagnosis is optimal for both mothers and fetuses, the diagnosis of malignant tumors during pregnancy is often delayed until an advanced stage, because generalized symptoms of pregnancy and malignancy may overlap, such as shortness of breath, chest or abdominal discomfort. The study patient was 21 years old, and 31 weeks-pregnant when she was diagnosed with primary tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). The patient initially presented with dyspnea and decreased blood oxygen saturation and underwent a cesarean section on the first night of hospitalization, resulting from fetal distress. This case report intended to investigate potential barriers to the timely diagnosis of tracheal ACC and consider optimal management strategies when it is diagnosed during pregnancy.

A Case of Pregnancy with Choriocarcinoma Complicated by a Cerebral Hemorrhage and Lung Metastasis.

Pregnancy with choriocarcinoma is a rare tumor. It is rare for neonates to survive the third trimester. This article reports the clinical data of a live fetal pregnancy with choriocarcinoma complicated by brain and lung metastases. The patient was admitted to the hospital for "menopause 28 weeks + 5 days, dizziness with nausea and vomiting 2 days." After 5 hours of admission, the patient had sudden convulsions, urinary incontinence, and coma. A head computed tomography (CT) examination in the emergency department revealed a cerebral hemorrhage in the right occipital lobe and broke into the ventricular system with brain herniation. She was immediately transferred to the intensive care unit for the emergency cesarean section and intracerebral hematoma removal. A postoperative CT scan revealed that the tumor in the upper lobe of the right lung was considered lung cancer, with multiple metastases in both lungs. Postoperative pathology was metastatic choriocarcinoma tissue seen in the blood clot. Based on the pathological diagnosis of choriocarcinoma, a chemotherapy regimen was developed with 2 courses of EP regimen and 8 courses of combined EMA-CO chemotherapy regimen. The patients were followed up for 2 years and ultimately resolved.

Shared Decision-Making Support Process for Healthcare Professionals for Pregnant Cancer Patients and Their Families.

OBJECTIVE: The mean age of cancer diagnosis has decreased, while the mean age of first marriage and child delivery has increased in Japan in recent years. Accordingly, an increasing number of pregnant women are being diagnosed with cancer. Pregnant cancer patients must consider simultaneously receiving cancer treatment and continuing their pregnancy and make related decisions. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) who support patients and their families experience conflict over which care should be prioritized between that for the patient and that of the fetus. Supporting pregnant cancer patients and their families in such complicated situations is challenging. This study aimed to explore the process of support for continuing cancer treatment for, and pregnancy in, cancer patients, based on shared decision-making (SDM) between the patient, her family, and HCPs. METHODS: This was a qualitative, descriptive study carried out with six nurses, five clinicians, and three obstetricians with experience of providing decision-making support to a pregnant cancer patient and her family. Individual interviews and a focus group interview were conducted. RESULTS: We identified ten categories, of which the following five are integral to the process of providing support for pregnant cancer patients: "Preparing for SDM with the patient and her family;" "HCPs working in a team while clarifying their individual roles and responsibilities;" "confirming the intentions of the patient and her family in setting the orientation;" "improving the system for HCPs to provide support to the patient during cancer treatment," and "providing the patient with support that helps her make informed decisions." CONCLUSIONS: Decision-making support is provided to both the patient and her family, and HCPs work in teams to provide support. Moreover, HCPs continue to provide support to the patient and her family after a decision has been made.

Lung Adenocarcinoma during Pregnancy: 11-Year Follow-Up.

The incidence of lung cancer during pregnancy is rising due to the high rate of smokers in young women and the late mean age of pregnancy; in addition, considering that the patients are young women with a higher incidence of molecular alterations, molecular testing in lung adenocarcinoma should always be performed, even in pregnancy. Here, we report the case of a lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed during pregnancy with a long survival who benefitted from brain radiotherapy, conventional chemotherapy, and ALK TKI-targeted treatment. It reveals the safety of whole brain radiotherapy during pregnancy and consideration of other brain radiation techniques even in palliative cases, which should be personalized and managed by a multidisciplinary team. However, upfront management of brain metastasis in ALK-positive patients remains unresolved.

Endometrial Cancer Immune Escape Mechanisms: Let Us Learn From the Fetal-Maternal Interface.

The immune escape mechanisms at the base of tumor progression in endometrial cancer mimic immune tolerance mechanisms occurring at the maternal-fetal interface. The biological and immunological processes behind the maternal-fetal interface are finely tuned in time and space during embryo implantation and subsequent pregnancy stages; conversely, those behind cancer progression are often aberrant. The environment composition at the maternal-fetal interface parallels the pro-tumor microenvironment identified in many cancers, pointing to the possibility for the use of the maternal-fetal interface as a model to depict immune therapeutic targets in cancer. The framework of cancer environment signatures involved in immune adaptations, precisely timed in cancer progression, could reveal a specific "immune clock" in endometrial cancer, which might guide clinicians in patient risk class assessment, diagnostic workup, management, surgical and therapeutic approach, and surveillance strategies. Here, we review studies approaching this hypothesis, focusing on what is known so far about oncofetal similarities in immunity with the idea to individualize personalized immunotherapy targets, through the downregulation of the immune escape stage or the reactivation of the pro-inflammatory processes suppressed by the tumor.

Pregnant outcomes of atypical polypoid adenomyoma treated with progestin therapy.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the long-term clinical and pregnancy outcome in patients with atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) after hysteroscopic excision. METHODS: We analyzed the clinicopathological features, including pregnancy outcomes, in 10 APA patients who had been treated with hysteroscopic excision of the lesion and progesterone therapy. RESULTS: The patients were all nulliparous, and nine had been clinically diagnosed as infertile. There were five patients with complex endometrial hyperplasia at the time of initial diagnosis, two of them had had recurrence of complex hyperplasia, and there was another one who had had complex hyperplasia 18 months after initial diagnosis. The patients had been treated with polypectomy under hysteroscopy and a long-term progestin therapy. They had achieved complete regression, but four had a recurrent or persistent disease. Two patients had eventually undergone hysterectomy due to endometrial carcinoma at 102 months (patient 2) or persisting complex atypical hyperplasia at 131 months (patient 5) after initial diagnosis. All patients were alive with no evidence of disease during a follow-up period of 19-145 months. Seven patients had succeeded in pregnancy with nine live births. Three pregnancies had been achieved by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. CONCLUSION: Fertility-sparing surgery under hysteroscopy with progesterone therapy and appropriate assistant reproduction technology is an alternative option for young APA patients. However, close follow-up is required for these patients.

Transabdominal cerclage (TAC) for patients with ultra-short uterine cervix after uterine cervix surgery and its impact on pregnancy.

AIM: Patients with an ultra-short uterine cervix as a result of large conization, repeated conization or radical trachelectomy (RT), are at high risk of preterm premature rupture of the membrane, which leads to preterm birth. We have commenced performing transabdominal cerclage (TAC) of the uterine cervix for these patients. In this study, we examined the safety of TAC and its impact on pregnancy. METHODS: We have performed TAC in 11 patients before pregnancy: in six after large cervical operations, such as repeated conization; and in five for difficulties with cervical cerclage after RT. After laparotomy, a Teflon thread was placed in the avascular space between the uterine vessels and the uterine muscle, and tied. The clinical course of the patients after TAC and their pregnancy course were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: TAC was performed safely without any complications. The mean operative duration was 53 ± 10 min, and the mean blood loss during the operation was 49 ± 64 mL. Seven women conceived within 2 years after TAC. Their pregnancy courses were favorable. Five of the women underwent scheduled cesarean sections, while two pregnancies are ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are risks of various complications as a result of the use of non-absorbable thread and the need for two extra laparotomies, TAC can be a safe and useful option for patients who show cervical incompetence after large uterine cervical operations, such as RT or large conization.

Cáncer y embarazo, experiencia del Instituto Nacional de Perinatología / Cancer during pregnancy: experience in Perinatology National Institute

Resumen Objetivo: Describir el esquema de tratamiento indicado a pacientes con cáncer y embarazo y las repercusiones perinatales. Materiales y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, longitudinal, observacional y descriptivo de una cohorte simple de pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer (corroborado por estudio histopatológico) y embarazo atendidas en el Instituto Nacional de Perinatología entre los meses de enero de 2009 a diciembre de 2014. Los datos se analizaron con el programa SPSS versión 20.0 con medidas de tendencia central, frecuencias, proporciones y desviación estándar. Resultados: Se incluyeron 47 pacientes con media de edad de 28.1 ± 7.3 años, el diagnóstico de cáncer se estableció en 46 pacientes, en promedio, a las 19.4 ± 8.5 semanas y en un caso en el puerperio tardío. Los cánceres más frecuentes fueron: 28% leucemia (n = 13), 26% mama (n = 12), 17% cuello uterino (n = 8) y 15% ovario (n = 7). Durante el embarazo 55% de las pacientes recibieron quimioterapia (n = 27) y 28% tratamiento quirúrgico (n = 13). Se obtuvieron 42 nacidos vivos (91%) de que: 53% fueron a término (n = 25), 22% pretérmino tardío (n = 10), 9% pretérmino moderado (n = 4) y 6% pretérmino extremo (n = 3). Se registraron 2 nacimientos inmaduros (4%), 3 abortos espontáneos (6%) y 3 muertes maternas indirectas (6%). Conclusiones: La cirugía y la quimioterapia durante el segundo trimestre del embarazo son seguras para la madre y el feto.

Abstract Objective: To describe the management and perinatal outcomes in patients with cancer and pregnancy. Materials and method: Retrospective, longitudinal, observational and descriptive study of a simple cohort of women with a diagnosis of Cancer (corroborated by histopathological study) and pregnancy from January 2009 to December 2014. The data was analyzed with the SPSS program version 20.0 with central tendency measures, frequencies, proportions and standard deviation. Results: We included 47 patients with an average age of 28.1 ± 7.3 years, the diagnosis of cancer was made in 46 patients on average at 19.4 ± 8.5 weeks and in a case in the late puerperium. The most frequent cancers were: 28% leukemia (n = 13), 26% breast (n = 12), 17% cervical (n = 8) and 15% ovarian (n = 7). During pregnancy 55% patients received chemotherapy (n = 27) and 28% surgical treatment (n = 13). We obtained 42 live births (91%) of which: 53% were full term (n = 25), 22% late preterm (n = 10), 9% moderate preterm (n=4) and 6% extreme preterm (n = 3). There were 2 immature births (4%), 3 miscarriages (6%) and 3 indirect maternal deaths (6%). Conclusions: Surgery and chemotherapy during the second trimester of pregnancy are safe for the mother and the fetus.

[Fertility-sparing management of endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia]. / Traitement conservateur des hyperplasies atypiques et cancers de l'endomètre et préservation de la fertilité.

The fertility sparing management of endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia concern women in childbearing age with stage 1, grade 1, endometrioid adenocarcinoma confined to endometrium or atypical hyperplasia (simple or complex). These pathologies affecting more frequently postmenopausal women, the number of people involved is relatively low. The main risk factor is hyperestrogenism and these patients often present a history of infertility with a desire for pregnancy. The recommendations for this conservative management are scarce and unclear. The national observatory in the gynecology and obstetrics department of Bichat hospital gives expert advice to help doctors and patients concerned. We present a type of conservative management based on the expertise of the national observatory. Rigorous pre-therapeutic assessment must first be made to avoid missing a more advanced lesion. Hormone therapy is then started to obtain complete remission. In case of remission, fast achieving pregnancy is advised, and the use of assisted reproductive therapy is possible if necessary. Monitoring by hysteroscopy and histological examination is essential during the treatment. Hysterectomy is the last time the conservative management. It is motivated by the risk of recurrence and progression. The probability of remission after conservative treatment is estimated at 78.0 % at 12 months, the probability of recurrence at 29.2 % at 24 months, and the risk of progression at 15 % (stage 1A with myometrial invasion or more on the hysterectomy specimen). In terms of fertility, 32 % of women get at least one pregnancy.

Neoplasia intraepitelial cervical durante el embarazo, experiencia institucional / Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia during pregnancy, Institutional Experience

Resumen OBJETIVO: describir el tipo de atención médica, tratamiento y seguimiento de pacientes con neoplasia intraepitelial cervical (NIC 3) y carcinoma in situ durante el embarazo, su evolución y condiciones del recién nacido. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: estudio retrospectivo de pacientes atendidas en el Instituto Nacional de Perinatología entre los meses de enero de 2009 y diciembre de 2014. Se incluyeron pacientes con diagnóstico de NIC 3 durante el embarazo, con expediente completo y atendidas en el servicio de Obstetricia desde su ingreso para control prenatal hasta la terminación del embarazo y tratamiento oncológico definitivo. RESULTADOS: se identificaron 6 casos de pacientes embarazadas con diagnóstico de NIC 3 posterior a la toma de citología cervical. A todas se les realizó colposcopia y biopsia cervical, sin complicaciones secundarias al procedimiento. El diagnóstico histopatológico fue: carcinoma epidermoide in situ en 3 pacientes y en otras 3 neoplasia intraepitelial cervical. Todas las pacientes recibieron atención multidisciplinaria, sin complicaciones obstétricas ni neonatales. El seguimiento promedio fue de 2 años. CONCLUSIONES: el diagnóstico oportuno de las lesiones precursoras de cáncer cervicouterino es indispensable y no se relaciona con inconvenientes perinatales derivados del tipo de acceso.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Describe the approach, management and monitoring of patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (NIC) 3 and in situ carcinoma during pregnancy, its evolution and perinatal outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We made a retrospective study of cases from January 2009 to December 2014 in women of the National Institute of Perinatology . We included patients who were diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 during pregnancy, with complete file and that received medical consultation of the oncology and obstetrics service since their admission to the hospital for prenatal control until de resolution of pregnancy and oncological definitive treatment. RESULTS: During the study period, 6 cases of pregnant patients where diagnosed with CIN 3, after cervical cytology was taken, a cervical biopsy was performed without complications secondary to this procedure; the histopathological diagnosis was: In situ epidermoid carcinoma in 3 patients and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in the other 3. All patients were treated with a Multidisciplinary approach. None of the patients presented obstetric or neonatal complications; At the end of the puerperium, follow-up was continued,the mean follow-up after the definitive treatment was 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: The timely diagnosis of precursor lesions of CACU is indispensable, in turn, is not related to adverse perinatal outcomes derived from the approach and timely screening.

Cáncer de mama asociado a embarazo / Breast cancer associated with pregnancy

Resumen: Se presenta a continuación una serie de casos, de cáncer de mama asociado a embarazo, que se documentaron en el Hospital General San Juan de Dios en un período de 22 meses. El promedio de edad de estas pacientes es de 33 años y la histología más común es el Carcinoma Ductal infiltrante. Por lo interesante de esta patología se hace una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura en cuanto al manejo y la sobrevida de estas pacientes.