The effects of case management for breast cancer patients: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Female breast cancer is the most common cancer nowadays, and its treatment has a significant impact on patients both physically and psychologically. Many randomized trials have proved that case management (CM) can effectively care for patients. However, there is a lack of systematic scientific evaluation, so this systematic evaluation aims to explore the impact of CM on breast cancer patients.Methods:PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL were searched. Chinese repositories included China National Knowledge, Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wan fang Database, China Biology Medicine Database. We will also search unpublished literature at ClinicalTrials.gov. Randomized controlled trials were collected from them. The literature will be screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 2 researchers will extract the literature independently. The primary outcome indicator for this study will be patient satisfaction. Statistics were performed using RevMan 5.4 software. The quality of each outcome will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.Results:This study will provide the most recent evidence for evaluating the impact of CM on breast cancer patients.Conclusion:To evaluate the impact of CM on patients with breast cancer.Registration number:DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/ZJKHX.     

Immediate breast reconstruction using latissimus dorsi muscular flap: A retrospective study of Chinese patients with breast cancer

Reconstruction of breast defects of patients who underwent mastectomy can be challenging. This study was designed to review a series of 43 breast cancer patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) using the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap with/without implants. The demographic characteristics, clinical application feasibility, and the satisfaction rates of the patients were retrospectively collected and evaluated.A total of 43 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy between August 2015 and February 2020 were included in the retrospective study. The included patients were subjected to IBR using latissimus dorsi muscular flap (LDMF) with/without implants. The clinical application feasibility and the satisfaction rates of the patients were evaluated.Among these patients, 35 patients underwent nipple-sparing mastectomy and 8 patients underwent skin-sparing mastectomy. Twenty-nine patients underwent IBR using LDMF with implants, and 14 patients underwent IBR using LDMF without implants. Among these patients, 2 patients had partial LDMF necrosis and atrophy, and showed significant shrink of the reconstructed breast. One patient developed seromas, and seromas were improved by active dressing change and sucking out the fluid via the skin using a syringe. Two patients had local skin flap necrosis on the chest, 1 patient had preserved areola and local necrosis of the nipple, and this was healed after dressing change. Based on the Harris method, 27, 9, 5, and 2 cases were evaluated as “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” and “poor,” respectively.In the present study, the reconstructed breast has natural shape, good symmetry, and hidden postoperative scars. The aesthetic effect is relatively good, and the use of LDMF may represent an acceptable and valid option for IBR. The success of this procedure depends on the design of the incision, the skill and proficiency of the operation, as well as the correct treatment after surgery.     

Nomogram for predicting distant metastasis of male breast cancer: A SEER population-based study

The main purpose of this study was to build a prediction model for male breast cancer (MBC) patients to predict the possibility of distant metastasis. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to obtain data on patients with MBC. The patients were divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:3. The risk variables of distant metastasis in the training set were determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. And then we integrated those risk factors to construct the nomogram. The prediction nomogram was further verified in the verification set. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration plots, respectively. A total of 1974 patients (1381 in training set and 593 in validation set) were eligible for final inclusion, of whom 149 (7.55%) had distant metastasis at the diagnosed time. Multivariate logistic regression analyses presented that age, T stage, N stage, and hormone receptor status were independent risk factors for distant metastasis at initial diagnosis of male breast cancer. Finally, the 4 variables were combined to construct the nomogram. The area under the curve values for the nomogram established in the training set and validation set were 0.8224 (95%CI: 0.7796–0.8652) and 0.8631 (95%CI: 0.7937–0.9326), suggesting that the nomogram had good predictive power. The calibration plots illustrated an acceptable correlation between the prediction by nomogram and the actual observation, as the calibration curve was closed to the diagonal bisector line. An easy-to-use nomogram, being proven to be with reliable discrimination ability and accuracy, was established to predict distant metastasis for male patients with breast cancer using the easily available risk factors.     

Nomogram to predict contralateral breast cancer risk in breast cancer survivors: A SEER-based study

The main purpose of this study was to build a prediction model for patients with contralateral breast cancer (CBC) using competing risks methodology. The aim is to help clinicians predict the probability of CBC in breast cancer (BC) survivors.We reviewed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database of 434,065 patients with BC. Eligible patients were used to quantify the association between the development of CBC and multiple characteristics of BC patients using competing risk models. A nomogram was also created to facilitate clinical visualization and analysis. Finally, the stability of the model was verified using concordance index and calibration plots, and decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the model by calculating the net benefit.Four hundred thirty-four thousand sixty-five patients were identified, of whom 6944 (1.6%) developed CBC in the 10 years follow-up. The 10-year cumulative risk of developing CBC was 2.69%. According to a multivariate competing risk model, older patients with invasive lobular carcinoma who had undergone unilateral BC surgery, and whose tumor was better differentiated, of smaller size and ER-negative/PR-positive, had a higher risk of CBC. The calibration plots illustrated an acceptable correlation between the prediction by nomogram and actual observation, as the calibration curve was closed to the 45° diagonal line. The concordance index for the nomogram was 0.65, which indicated it was well calibrated for individual risk of CBC. Decision curve analysis produced a wide range of risk thresholds under which the model we built would yield a net benefit.BC survivors remain at high risk of developing CBC. Patients with CBC have a worse clinical prognosis compared to those with unilateral BC. We built a predictive model for the risk of developing CBC based on a large data cohort to help clinicians identify patients at high risk, which can then help them plan individualized surveillance and treatment.     

The diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and its correlation with subtypes of breast cancer

To evaluate diagnostic performance of perfusion-weighted imaging in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions, and the correlation between the prognostic factors/subtypes of breast cancers and the perfusion parameters.A total of 76 patients (59 cases with breast cancer) were included in our study. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the Kruskal–Wallis test were adopted for comparisons according to the dichotomous histopathologic prognostic factors or immunohistochemical subtypes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the area under the curve (AUC) values for perfusion parameters to assess discrimination ability.Confirming by pathology after operation, the percentage of benign lesions is 22.37% (17/76), malignant lesions (breast cancer) is 77.63% (59/76). According to puncture and pathological findings after operation, the standard of the molecular subtypes of breast cancer, triple negative account for 13.6% (8/59), non-triple negative account for 86.4% (51/59). The value of mean Ktrans and Kep were lower in benign than malignant lesions (P ≤ .001). The AUC of the 3 indicators are significantly improved after adjusting for age (AUC = 0.858 for Ktrans, AUC = 0.926 for Kep, and AUC = 0.827 for Ve). Moreover, the Ve index showed better discrimination performance than other indicators in identifying patients with triple-negative subtypes. Similarly, the identification ability came to the highest when combing Kep and Ve.Perfusion parameters on dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging are statistically significant in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesion, and may potentially be used as biomarkers in discriminating patients with triple-negative molecular subtypes of breast cancer.     

Music intervention improves the physical and mental status for patients with breast cancer: A protocol of randomized controlled trial

Background:Breast cancer is the most familiar cancer and the major cause of the cancer death in women worldwide. The breast cancer patients may suffer from severe mental and physical trauma. At present, there are few studies on the music therapy for patients with breast cancer. The objective of our paper is to assess the effect of music intervention on mental and physical state of breast cancer patients.Methods:The experiment will be implemented from June 2021 to June 2022 at Jinan Central Hospital. The experiment was granted through the Research Ethics Committee of Jinan Central Hospital (no.08847765). The inclusion criteria requires that the age of female patients ranges from 25 to 65 years old, and the pathological diagnosis of breast cancer requires radical mastectomy (containing extensive radical mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy). Patients who do not like to listen to music or have severe debilitating diseases or are allergic to the sound will be excluded. Patients in the intervention group are given music intervention, and in control group, patients do not receive any information about the music therapy in the period of this study. The primary outcome is quality of life, psychological distress. The secondary outcomes are the heart rate, blood pressure, as well as Visual Analog Scale (VAS).Results:Table 1 will illustrate the postoperative outcomes after music interventions between groups.Conclusion:Music intervention can improve the mental and physical health of the breast cancer patients.Trial registration:This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry6168).     

The frequency and prognostic significance of ABO/Rh blood groups in male breast cancer patients: A multicenter study

The study evaluated the distributions and prognostic significance of ABO and rhesus (D) groups in male breast cancer (MBC) patients. The data of 137 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, histopathological data and ABO/Rh blood groups of the patients were recorded. The ABO/Rh blood group distributions were compared to the healthy men control group (n = 120,160) by the chi-square test. Overall distributions of ABO blood groups were different between the patients (17.5% AB, 38% A, 19% B, and 25.5% O) and control group (7.88% AB, 42.06% A, 15.22% B, and 34.84% O) (P < .001). There were significant differences between the patients and control group with respect to AB vs non-AB blood group distributions (P < .001, odds ratio: 2.43, 95% CI) and O vs non-O blood group distributions (P = .016, odds ratio: 0.62, 95% CI). However, A vs non-A and B vs non-B blood group distributions were not significantly different. The distribution of the Rh factor was similar between patients and the control group (P = .93). In univariate analysis, ABO/Rh blood groups were not a prognostic factor on OS (P = .29). The frequency of the AB blood group in MBC patients is increased than in the healthy control group. AB blood group may be a risk factor for MBC, whereas O blood group may be a protective factor.     

Oral clodronate in breast cancer patients with bone metastases: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of the bisphosphonate clodronate on the occurrence of skeletal events (hypercalcaemia, fractures and radiotherapy) in breast cancer patients with bone metastases. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled, clinical trial. SETTING: A department of oncology in a university hospital. SUBJECTS: One hundred patients who received firstline systemic antineoplastic treatment for metastatic breast cancer with bone involvement were randomized to receive clodronate as two 400 mg capsules twice a day for 2 years or no additional therapy. RESULTS: In the clodronate group the number of skeletal events was reduced to 14 events in 48 evaluable patients as compared with 21 events in 51 evaluable control patients. The time to the first skeletal event was significantly longer in the clodronate group than in the control group (P = 0.015) and the most distinct difference was a lower occurrence of fractures in the clodronate group (P = 0.023). After 15 months the effect of clodronate tended to decline as the need for radiotherapy increased in the clodronate group compared with the control group (P = 0.069). Significant improvements in several quality-of-life aspects were seen in both groups during the first 6 months, but there was no significant difference between the groups. No effect was observed on time to radiologically evaluated disease progression in bone or on survival. The most frequent side-effects resulting in discontinuation of clodronate were nausea and diarrhoea. CONCLUSION: Oral clodronate is associated with a temporary reduction of morbidity related to bone metastases in breast cancer patients.     

Management of the axilla with sentinel lymph node biopsy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: A single-center study

The neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the gold standard initial treatment of the locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). However, the reliability of methods that used to assess response the NAC is still controversial. In this study, patients with LABC who underwent NAC were evaluated retrospectively. The assessment of response to NAC and the effect of axillary approach were investigated on LABC course.The study comprised 94 patients who received NAC with an LABC diagnosis between 2008 and 2020. In our center, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, and ¹⁸ F-flouro deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and, for some patients, fine-needle aspiration biopsy of suspicious axillary lymph nodes have been performed to assess the effects of NAC. Patients with positive hormone receptor status received adjuvant hormonotherapy, and those with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene expression were treated with trastuzumab. Adjuvant radiotherapy was applied to all patients undergoing breast conserving surgery. Radiotherapy was applied to the peripheral lymphatic areas in the clinical N1 to N3 cases regardless of the response to NAC.The clinical response to the NAC was found that partial in 59% and complete in 19% of the patients. However, 21.2% of the patients were unresponsive. The mean of lymph nodes that excised with the procedure of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was 2.4 (range 1–7). In 22 of the 56 patients who underwent SLNB, axillary dissection (AD) was added to the procedure upon detection of metastasis in frozen section examinations. There was no difference between the SLNB and AD groups regarding overall survival (OS; P = .472) or disease-free survival (DFS) rates (P = .439). However, there were differences in the OS (P < .05) and DFS (P = .05) rates on the basis of the LABC histopathological subtypes.The study found that a relationship between molecular subtypes and LABC survival. However, the post-NAC axillary approach had no effect on OS or DFS. Therefore, multiple imaging and interventional methods are needed for the evaluation of NAC response. In addition, morbidity can be avoided after AD by the use of SLNB in cN0 patients.     

The predictive value of preoperative serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and tumor markers for early breast cancer patients: A retrospective study

Peripheral blood of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and cancer antigen 15–3 (CA15-3) could be used as prognostic indicators for several types of tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory cell ratio and tumor markers for postoperative breast cancer patients. Clinical data concerning 190 breast cancer patients who underwent radical surgery in Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The effects of NLR, CEA, CA125, and CA153 on the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with breast cancer were analyzed by χ² test and Cox regression analyses. There were totally 32 of 190 patients had local or distant metastases within 5 years after surgery. The peripheral blood NLR, CEA, CA125, and CA15-3 areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.8272, 0.667, 0.702, and 0.715, and the optimal cutoff values were 2.65, 1.47, 10.55, and 10.55, respectively. Univariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the serum NLR, CEA, CA125, and CA15-3 were related to postoperative 5-year DFS (P < .05). In addition, multivariate survival analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors: NLR (P < .001), CA125 (P = .045) and ki-67 (P = .020). Preoperative serum inflammatory biomarker of NLR and tumor marker of CA125 have potential prognostic value for breast carcinoma.     

Effect of aspirin use on survival benefits of breast cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Objective:The purpose of this study is to investigate whether aspirin improves the prognosis of breast cancer patients by meta analysis.Methods:Searched PubMed, EMBASE, and other databases for literature on the relationship between aspirin use and breast cancer prognosis, with the deadline of October 2019. The related results of all-cause death, breast cancer-specific death, and breast cancer recurrence/metastasis were extracted to combine the effect amount. The sensitivity analysis and published bias analysis were carried out for the included data. Stata12.0 software was used to complete all statistical analysis.Results:A total of 13 papers were included in the study, including 142,644 breast cancer patients. The results of meta-analysis showed that patients who took aspirin were associated with lower breast cancer-specific death (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.61–0.76), all-cause death (HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.71–0.84), and risk of recurrence/metastasis (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.82–1.00).Conclusions:Aspirin use may improve all-cause mortality, specific mortality, and risk of recurrence/metastasis in patients with breast cancer.     

Manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background:Studies have shown that manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) has a beneficial effect on lymphedema related to breast cancer surgery. However, whether MLD reduces the risk of lymphedema is still debated. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the current evidence to assess the effectiveness of MLD in preventing and treating lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery.Methods:From inception to May 2019, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched without language restriction. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the treatment and prevention effect of MLD with a control group on lymphedema in breast cancer patients. A random-effects model was used for all analyses.Results:A total of 17 RCTs involving 1911 patients were included. A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs, including 338 patients, revealed that MLD did not significantly reduce lymphedema compared with the control group (standardized mean difference (SMD): −0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): [−0.85 to 0.67]). Subgroup analysis was basically consistent with the main analysis according to the research region, the publication year, the sample size, the type of surgery, the statistical analysis method, the mean age, and the intervention time. However, we found that MLD could significantly reduce lymphedema in patients under the age of 60 years (SMD: −1.77, 95% CI: [−2.23 to −1.31]) and an intervention time of 1 month (SMD: −1.77, 95% CI: [−2.23 to −1.30]). Meanwhile, 4 RCTs including, 1364 patients, revealed that MLD could not significantly prevent the risk of lymphedema (risk ratio (RR): 0.61, 95% CI: [0.29–1.26]) for patients having breast cancer surgery.Conclusions:Overall, this meta-analysis of 12 RCTs showed that MLD cannot significantly reduce or prevent lymphedema in patients after breast cancer surgery. However, well-designed RCTs with a larger sample size are required, especially in patients under the age of 60 years or an intervention time of 1 month.     

Identify the triple-negative and non-triple-negative breast cancer by using texture features of medicale ultrasonic image: A STROBE-compliant study

The study aimed to explore the value of ultrasound (US) texture analysis in the differential diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC.Retrospective analysis was done on 93 patients with breast cancer (35 patients with TNBC and 38 patients with non-TNBC) who were admitted to Taizhou people''s hospital from July 2015 to June 2019. All lesions were pathologically proven at surgery. US images of all patients were collected. Texture analysis of US images was performed using MaZda software package. The differences between textural features in TNBC and non-TNBC were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to compare the diagnostic performance of textural parameters showing significant difference.Five optimal texture feature parameters were extracted from gray level run-length matrix, including gray level non-uniformity (GLNU) in horizontal direction, vertical gray level non-uniformity, GLNU in the 45 degree direction, run length non-uniformity in 135 degree direction, GLNU in the 135 degree direction. All these texture parameters were statistically higher in TNBC than in non-TNBC (P <.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that at a threshold of 268.9068, GLNU in horizontal direction exhibited best diagnostic performance for differentiating TNBC from non-TNBC. Logistic regression model established based on all these parameters showed a sensitivity of 69.3%, specificity of 91.4% and area under the curve of 0.834.US texture features were significantly different between TNBC and non-TNBC, US texture analysis can be used for preliminary differentiation of TNBC from non-TNBC.     

Prostate cancer risk in men with prostate and breast cancer family history: results from the REDUCE study (R1)

Abstract. Thomas J‐A II, Gerber L, Moreira DM, Hamilton RJ, Bañez LL, Castro‐Santamaria R, Andriole GL, Isaacs WB, Xu J, Freedland SJ (Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; The Author Smith Institute for Urology, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA; Wake Forest University, Winston‐Salem, NC, USA; and Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA). Prostate cancer risk in men with prostate and breast cancer family history: results from the REDUCE study (R1). J Intern Med 2012; 272 : 85–92. Background. To what degree the associations between PCa risk and family history of prostate cancer (PCa) and/or breast cancer (BCa) are attributable to screening biases is unclear. We examined these questions within the REDUCE study, where biopsies were largely independent of prostate specific antigen (PSA) minimizing screening biases. Methods. Data were from REDUCE, which tested dutasteride 0.5 mg daily for PCa risk reduction in men with PSA 2.5–10.0 ng mL^?1 and a negative prestudy biopsy. Among men undergoing at least one on‐study biopsy with complete data (n = 6415; 78.1%), the association between family history and PCa risk was tested using multivariate logistic regression adjusting for clinicodemographic characteristics. Results. A family history of PCa alone was associated with increased PCa diagnosis (OR: 1.47, 95%CI: 1.22–1.77). In North America, PCa family history was not related to PCa diagnosis (OR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.73–1.44), whereas outside North America, PCa family history was significantly related to diagnosis (OR: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.38–2.15) (P‐interaction = 0.01). A family history of both PCa and BCa (OR: 2.54, 95%CI: 1.72–3.75) but not BCa alone (OR: 1.04, 95%CI: 0.84–1.29) was associated with increased PCa risk versus no family history and irrespective of geographical region. Conclusions. In REDUCE, PCa family history was significantly related to PCa diagnosis, although only for men outside North America. The presence of both PCa and BCa family history significantly increased risk versus PCa family history alone, irrespective of geographical region. Ultimately, our observations may support the need for changes in how we address family history in terms of both risk of PCa diagnosis and general risk stratification.     

Null genotype of glutathione S-transferase Tl contributes to colorectal cancer risk in the Asian population: a meta-analysis

Background and Aim: Previous studies investigating the association between the glutathione S‐transferase Tl (GSTT1) null genotype and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in the Asian population have reported controversial results. Thus, a meta‐analysis was performed to clarify the effect of the GSTT1 null genotype on CRC risk in the Asian population. Methods: A comprehensive study was conducted, and 12 case‐control studies were finally included, involving a total of 4517 CRC cases and 6607 controls. Subgroup analyses were performed by the sample size. Results: A meta‐analysis of all 12 studies showed that the GSTT1 null genotype was significantly associated with an increased CRC risk in the Asian population (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.19, the P‐value of the OR [P_OR] = 0.02, the value of the heterogeneity analysis [I²] = 42%). A more obvious association was observed after the heterogeneity was eliminated by excluding one study (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.25, P_OR = 0.001, I² = 0%). This association was further identified by both subgroup analyses and a sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: This meta‐analysis suggests that the GSTT1 null genotype contributes to an increased colorectal cancer risk in the Asian population.     

Tumour oxygenation: implications for breast cancer prognosis

There are areas of limited oxygen availability in most solid tumours, including breast cancer. Hypoxia in solid tumours is mainly a consequence of poor perfusion. Structural and functional abnormalities of newly formed tumour vessels cause spatial and temporal heterogeneity of tissue perfusion. The two principal mediators of hypoxia response, HIF‐1 and HIF‐2, are known to be stabilized at different oxygen levels and to have different temporal responses to hypoxia. Recently, stromal HIF‐1 and HIF‐2 have been suggested to have opposing roles in breast cancer progression. There is an established link between intralesional, severe hypoxia near areas of necrosis with high levels of HIF‐1 and poor prognosis in breast cancer. However, the biological effects of moderate hypoxia and the hypoxic response of stromal cells are currently topics of intense investigation.     

Insulinemia and the risk of breast cancer and its relapse

A fairly large body of evidence has shown that insulin is a tumour‐promoting agent, especially for breast cancer. High circulating and microenvironmental levels of insulin may directly increase the risk of breast cancer via the activation of cognate receptors expressed on normal and cancer cells and indirectly be associated with other known metabolic risk factors of cancer that usually are present in conjunction with the hyperinsulinic state. The focus of this review is to analyse and discuss available data in the literature on the possible causative/prognostic role of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia in breast cancer development and progression.