Patients' experiences with pre-test genetic counseling provided by breast cancer healthcare professionals: Results from a large prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-test genetic counseling of patients with breast cancer is increasingly being offered by non-genetic healthcare professionals. We aimed to evaluate the experiences of patients with breast cancer receiving pre-test genetic counseling from a non-genetic healthcare professional (i.e., surgeon or nurse). METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer and received pre-test counseling from their surgeon or nurse (mainstream group), and patients who received pre-test counseling from a clinical geneticist (usual care group) were invited to participate in our multicenter study. Between September 2019 and December 2021, patients received a questionnaire after pre-test counseling (T0) and four weeks after receiving their test results (T1) to evaluate psychosocial outcomes, knowledge, discussed topics and satisfaction. RESULTS: We included 191 patients in our mainstream and 183 patients in our usual care group and received, respectively 159 and 145 follow-up questionnaires. Levels of distress and decisional regret were comparable in both groups. Decisional conflict was higher in our mainstream group (p = 0.01), but only 7% had clinically relevant decisional conflict (vs 2% in usual care group). The possible implications of a genetic test on (secondary) breast or ovarian cancer risks were less frequently discussed in our mainstream group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.000, respectively). In both groups knowledge about genetics was comparable, satisfaction was high and the majority of patients in both groups preferred to give both verbal and written consent for genetic testing. CONCLUSION: Mainstreamed genetic care provides sufficient information for the majority of breast cancer patients to decide about genetic testing with minimal distress.

A Merkel cell carcinoma presenting as a solitary lymph node metastasis without a primary lesion. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Merkel cell carcinoma is an uncommon, aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin. At presentation regional lymph nodes are involved in approximately one third of the patients. In this report a patient is presented in whom Merkel cell carcinoma presented as a solitary lymph node metastasis with an unknown primary skin lesion. The diagnosis of unknown primary merkel cell carcinoma including the use of immunohistochemical markers and treatment options based on data from the literature are discussed.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease after neoadjuvant treatment of colorectal liver metastases with oxaliplatin: a lesson of the month.

A patient is presented who was treated with neoadjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy followed by hepatic resection complicated by fatal liver failure. Histopathological examination revealed hepatic veno-occlusive disease, which is an infrequent reported side effect of oxaliplatin.

Residual disease after re-excision for tumour-positive surgical margins in both ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma of the breast: The effect of time.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of time on finding residual breast cancer in re-excision specimens after non-radical breast-conserving surgery for both DCIS and invasive breast carcinoma. METHODS: 315 breast-conserving surgical procedures with tumour-positive margins were retrospectively reviewed. The significance of association between the presence of finding residual tumour in the re-excision specimen and mean time interval was calculated with Student's t-test. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the independent relative risk of time on presence of residual tumour. RESULTS: Residual tumour was found in 240 (76.2%) of the re-excision specimens. For primary invasive carcinomas time was a risk-reducing factor for finding residual disease (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.98, P = 0.01). If invasive carcinoma was transected, the absence of residual disease was significantly related with a longer mean time interval (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.95-0.99, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: An increased time interval between primary surgery and re-excision for tumour-positive surgical margins for invasive carcinoma is associated with a decreased incidence of finding residual tumour. This could be explained by inflammatory responses after surgical trauma. For DCIS there was no influence of time on finding residual tumour, which could be explained by a more protective microenvironment of DCIS or re-growth of surviving malignant cells.

Variations in treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: a population-based study in the East Netherlands.

AIMS: Differences in treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast were analysed for a geographically defined population in the East Netherlands. METHODS: Data from the Cancer Registry of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre East Netherlands were analysed for treatment of DCIS in the period between January 1989 and December 2003. The study population consisted of 800 female patients with a first diagnosis of DCIS of whom 798 underwent surgical treatment. The distribution of tumour characteristics and treatment were compared for several time periods. RESULTS: Surgical treatment was specified for 648 patients: 51% underwent breast-conserving surgery. The proportion of patients treated with breast-conserving surgery increased: 43% in the period 1994-1998 and 55 after 1999 (p<0.01). An axillary staging procedure was performed in 149 patients (19%), of whom 2 (1%) had tumour-involved lymph nodes. Of patients treated with breast-conserving surgery, 133 (40%) received radiation therapy: 7% in the period 1994-1998 compared to 62% after 1999 (p<0.01). Patients (60%) of 50 years or younger were treated with mastectomy compared to 44% in patients aged 50-69 years and 50% in patients of 70 years and older (p<0.01). The rate in use of radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery was comparable to both age groups. CONCLUSION: This study shows variability in the treatment of DCIS in a geographically defined region. Approximately half of all patients were treated with mastectomy and 19% underwent an axillary staging procedure; this may represent aggressive, unwarranted treatment. In contrast, 38% of patients treated with breast-conserving surgery were not treated with radiation therapy after 1999, which may represent under-treatment.

A cardiogastric fistula after gastric tube interposition. A case report and review of literature.

A patient is presented with massive hematemesis caused by a fistula between the left cardiac atrium and a gastric tube interposition, which was constructed after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer 3 years earlier.