0000000000000912

AUTHOR

Wolfgang Janni

Do Patients with Luminal A Breast Cancer Profit from Adjuvant Systemic Therapy? A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Background Luminal A breast cancers respond well to anti-hormonal therapy (HT), are associated with a generally favorable prognosis and constitute the majority of breast cancer subtypes. HT is the mainstay of treatment of these patients, accompanied by an acceptable profile of side effects, whereas the added benefit of chemotherapy (CHT), including anthracycline and taxane-based programs, is less clear-cut and has undergone a process of critical revision. Methods In the framework of the BRENDA collective, we analyzed the benefits of CHT compared to HT in 4570 luminal A patients (pts) with primary diagnosis between 2001 and 2008. The results were adjusted by nodal status, age, tumor size and…

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The Impact of Age on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Comparative Analysis From the Prospective Multicenter Randomized ADEBAR trial

Elderly breast cancer patients are affected by poorer quality of life (QoL) compared to younger patients. Because QoL has a relevant impact on guideline-adherent treatment, elderly breast cancer patients are often undertreated, especially with regard to adjuvant chemotherapy, and overall survival is decreased. Thus, understanding the impact of chemotherapy on QoL in elderly patients is crucial. This study compared QoL in patients aged 65 years and 65 to 70 years receiving adjuvant chemotherapy as a secondary outcome in the prospective randomized multicenter ADEBAR trial.Patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer were prospectively randomized for either sequential anthracycline-taxane o…

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Tumor biology in older breast cancer patients – What is the impact on survival stratified for guideline adherence? A retrospective multi-centre cohort study of 5378 patients

Abstract Purpose The tumor biology of older breast cancer patients (oBCP) is usually less aggressive, however applied adjuvant treatment is often less potent resulting in an impaired disease free survival and overall survival in this group. This study tries to answer the following questions for the biological subtypes of oBCP (70+ y): (1) Is there a significant difference in the distribution of the biological subtypes of oBCP vs younger breast cancer patients (yBCP; 50–69 y)? (2) Which biological subtype has the highest rate of non-guideline-adherent-treatment (GL−) among oBCP? (3) Is a single GL− (i.e. radiotherapy/surgery/endocrine-therapy/chemotherapy) significantly associated with the s…

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Factors influencing the development of visceral metastasis of breast cancer: A retrospective multi-center study.

Abstract Purpose Visceral metastasis of breast cancer (BC) is an alarming development and correlates with poor median overall survival. The purpose of this retrospective study is to examine the risk factors for developing visceral metastasis by considering tumor biology and patient characteristics. Methods Using the BRENDA database, the risk factors such as histological and intrinsic subtypes of BC, age at primary diagnosis, grading, nodal status, tumor size and year of primary diagnosis were examined in univariate and multivariate analysis. Categorical variables were compared by using χ2 tests. Furthermore, multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, Kaplan–Meier product-limit…

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Aggressive Intrinsic Subtypes in Breast Cancer: A Predictor of Guideline Adherence in Older Patients With Breast Cancer?

Treatment side effects, comorbidities, and guideline-adherent treatment (GL+) influence the oncologic outcome of older breast cancer patients (oBCP) (age ≥ 70 years). The focus of this analysis was to investigate the associations among tumor characteristics, guideline adherence, and outcome and to compare these associations between younger breast cancer patients (yBCP) (age 50-69 years) and oBCP.This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study with 17 participating certified breast cancer centers. The analysis of 10,897 patient records collected from 1992 to 2008 for GL+ and clinical outcome was performed. Tumor and patient characteristics and their associations with GL+ were compared betwe…

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Does chemotherapy improve survival in patients with nodal positive luminal A breast cancer? A retrospective Multicenter Study.

BackgroundIn this study based on the BRENDA data, we investigated the impact of endocrine ± chemotherapy for luminal A, nodal positive breast cancer on recurrence free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, we analysed if tumor size of luminal A breast cancer influences survival in patients with the same number of positive lymph nodes.MethodsIn this retrospective multi-centre cohort study data of 1376 nodal-positive patients with primary diagnosis of luminal A breast cancer during 2001-2008 were analysed. The results were stratified by therapy and adjusted by age, tumor size and number of affected lymph nodes.ResultsIn our study population, patients had a good to excellent prognosis …

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AGO Recommendations for the Surgical Therapy of the Axilla After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: 2021 Update

Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde 81(10), 1112-1120 (2021). doi:10.1055/a-1499-8431

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SARS-CoV-2 infection and venous thromboembolism after surgery: an international prospective cohort study

SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with an increased rate of venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients. Since surgical patients are already at higher risk of venous thromboembolism than general populations, this study aimed to determine if patients with peri-operative or prior SARS-CoV-2 were at further increased risk of venous thromboembolism. We conducted a planned sub-study and analysis from an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study of elective and emergency patients undergoing surgery during October 2020. Patients from all surgical specialties were included. The primary outcome measure was venous thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis) within 30 da…

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Preexisting musculoskeletal burden and its development under letrozole treatment in early breast cancer patients

One of the most common adverse events (AEs) occurring during treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is musculoskeletal pain. The aim of our study was to analyze the influence of preexisting muscle/limb pain and joint pain on the development of AI-induced musculoskeletal AEs. Women eligible for upfront adjuvant endocrine therapy with letrozole were included in the PreFace study, a multicenter phase IV trial. During the first treatment year, they were asked to record musculoskeletal AEs monthly by answering questions regarding pain symptoms and rating the pain intensity on a numeric rating scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (very strong pain). Pain values were compared using nonparametric statis…

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The course of psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with breast cancer - results from the prospective multi-centre BRENDA II study

Purpose This study examined the frequency of psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with breast cancer, its changes over time and predictors for these changes. Methods In a prospective study with measurements before surgery (t1, baseline), 1 month (t2) and 8 months thereafter (t3) using the Patient Health Questionnaire, we examined the course of psychiatric co-morbidity in breast cancer patients. The co-morbidity courses were grouped into healthy (no co-morbidity during the study), acute (co-morbidity at t1 and/or t2, but not at t3), emerging (no co-morbidity at t1, but at t3) and chronic (co-morbidity at t1 and t3). Results Of the 598 participants, 19% had acute, 10% emerging and 9% chronic …

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Short term quality of life with epirubicin-fluorouracil-cyclophosphamid (FEC) and sequential epirubicin/cyclophosphamid-docetaxel (EC-DOC) chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer - Results from the prospective multi-center randomized ADEBAR trial.

Abstract Background The recommendation for adjuvant dose-dense chemotherapy in high risk primary breast cancer is heterogeneous among guidelines. Understanding the impact on QoL is thereby a crucial factor, especially if the benefit is potentially low. This study aims to assess QoL as a secondary outcome in the prospective randomized multi-center ADEBAR trial. Methods QoL was assessed at baseline (t1), before cycle 4 FEC and cycle 5 EC-DOC (t2), 4 weeks after chemotherapy (t3) and 6 weeks after radiation (t4) using the European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the Breast Cancer-Specific Module (QLQ-BR23). Results 130…

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Neo-/adjuvant phase III trial to compare intense dose-dense (idd) treatment with EnPC to tailored dose-dense (dt) therapy with dtEC-dtD for patients with high-risk early breast cancer: Results on pathological complete response (pCR) for patients treated within the neoadjuvant setting.

568Background: GAIN-2 compares the effectiveness and safety of a predefined idd regimen (EnPC) vs. a dd regimen with modification of single doses depending on individual hematological and non-hemat...

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Impact of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and epoetin (EPO) on hematologic toxicities and quality of life in patients during adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer: results from the multi-center randomized ADEBAR trial

Hematologic toxicities are one of the greatest challenges in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. This analysis of the ADEBAR trial aims to evaluate application and effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and epoetin alfa (EPO) on hematologic parameters and fatigue in patients with breast cancer during chemotherapy.In the ADEBAR trial, 1493 patients with node-positive primary breast cancer were randomized to either 6 × 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC120) or 4 × epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by 4 × docetaxel (EC-DOC). Co-medication with G-CSF or EPO was applied to treat chemotherapy-induced leukopenia or anemia. Fatigue was assessed at bas…

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LION-PAW: Lymphadenectomy in ovarian neoplasm-pleasure ability of women—Prospective substudy of the randomized multicenter LION study.

5575Background: There is limited information regarding the impact of radical surgery including pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy (LNE) and subsequent chemotherapy on sexuality in patients (pts...

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Is guideline-adherent adjuvant treatment an equivalent option for elderly patients who cannot participate in adjuvant clinical breast cancer trials? A retrospective multicenter cohort study of 4,142 patients.

1063 Background: It is well accepted that innovation in oncology is transported through randomized clinical trials (CT). However, elderly patients (>65) are usually excluded from CT. Therefore this...

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Comorbidity-dependent adherence to guidelines and survival in breast cancer-Is there a role for guideline adherence in comorbid breast cancer patients? A retrospective cohort study with 2137 patients.

In the treatment of breast cancer, decisions on adjuvant treatment reflect individual patient characteristics like age and comorbidity. This study assessed the association between adherence to guidelines for adjuvant treatment and survival while taking into account age at diagnosis and comorbidities. We collected the Charlson comorbidity index at baseline for 2179 women treated for primary breast cancer from 1992 to 2008 who participated in a German retrospective multicenter cohort study. We assessed subsequent adjuvant therapy guideline adherence and survival in relation to baseline comorbidities. Guidelines for adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy were more often violated in patients wi…

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Is extracapsular nodal extension in sentinel nodes a predictor for nonsentinel metastasis and is there an impact on survival parameters?-A retrospective single center cohort study with 324 patients

The Z0011 trial has fundamentally changed axillary management in breast cancer patients. However, some important questions remain, like the role of extracapsular nodal extension (ENE) in positive sentinel nodes and the need for further axillary treatment. In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed and analyzed data from 342 clinically node negative (cN0) breast cancer patients with a positive sentinel node and subsequent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) from the BRENDA data base. The 104 (30.4%) ENE positive patients had a significantly higher proportion of ≥3 positive axillary lymph nodes (65.0%) compared to ENE negative patients with a positive sentinel node (21.4%). Likewise, E…

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Which patient- and physician-related factors influence guideline adherence in adjuvant endocrine therapy?: Results of the prospective multi-center cohort study BRENDA II.

e11544 Background: This study examined the question, which factors influence patients’ and physicians’ decisions associated with guideline adherent adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET). Methods: In a pr...

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Phase III randomised trial comparing intense dose-dense chemotherapy to tailored dose-dense chemotherapy in high-risk early breast cancer (GAIN-2)

Abstract Background The GAIN-2 trial was designed to identify a superior intense dose-dense (idd) strategy for high-risk patients with early breast cancer. Here, we report an interim analysis, at which the predefined futility boundary was crossed. Patients and methods GAIN-2 was an open-label, randomised, multicentre phase III trial. Two thousand eight hundred and eighty seven patients were randomised 1:1 between three courses each of idd epirubicin (E) 150 mg/m2, nab-paclitaxel (nP) 330 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide (C) 2000 mg/m2 (iddEnPC) versus four cycles of leucocyte nadir-based tailored and dose-dense EC (dtEC) followed by four cycles of tailored and dose-dense docetaxel (dtD) (dtEC-dtD…

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In vitro model for DNA double‐strand break repair analysis in breast cancer reveals cell type–specific associations with age and prognosis

Dysfunction of homologous recombination is a common denominator of changes associated with breast cancer-predisposing mutations. In our previous work, we identified a functional signature in peripheral blood lymphocytes from women who were predisposed that indicated a shift from homologous recombination to alternative, error-prone DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways. To capture both hereditary and nonhereditary factors, we newly established a protocol for isolation and ex vivo analysis of epithelial cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition cells (EMTs), and fibroblasts from breast cancer specimens (147 patients). By applying a fluorescence-based test system, we analyzed the error-…

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Association between cognitive impairment and guideline adherence for application of chemotherapy in older patients with breast cancer: Results from the prospective multicenter BRENDA II study

Background This study examined the association between cognitive impairment and guideline adherence for application of chemotherapy in older patients with breast cancer. Patients and methods In the prospective multicenter cohort study BRENDA II, patients aged ≥65 years with primary breast cancer were sampled over a period of 4 years (2009-2012). A multiprofessional team (tumor board) discussed recommendation for adjuvant chemotherapy according to the German S3 guideline. Cognitive impairment was screened by the clock-drawing test (CDT) prior to adjuvant treatment. Results Two hundred and sixty-three patients were included in the study and CDT data were available for 193 patients. Thirty-one…

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Breast Cancer Patients' Fear of Treatment: Results from the Multicenter Longitudinal Study BRENDA II.

Background: Fear of cancer treatment can become overwhelming. It is important to understand what patients are mainly afraid of and what factors are correlated with intense fear of treatment. Methods: Patients with primary breast cancer (n = 761) completed questionnaires about fear of treatment before surgery (t1), and before (t2) and after (t3) adjuvant treatment. Psychological co-morbidity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression identified predictors of intense fear of treatment. Results: Patients were most afraid of chemotherapy (mean score 3.5), and fear remained high throughout follow-up; fear of radiotherapy and of surgery was lower and decreased over t…

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Interdisciplinary Screening, Diagnosis, Therapy and Follow-up of Breast Cancer. Guideline of the DGGG and the DKG (S3-Level, AWMF Registry Number 032/045OL, December 2017) - Part 2 with Recommendations for the Therapy of Primary, Recurrent and Advanced Breast Cancer

Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde 78(11), 1056-1088 (2018). doi:10.1055/a-0646-4630

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AGO Algorithms for the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Update 2021

Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde 81(10), 1101-1111 (2021). doi:10.1055/a-1519-7089

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Interdisciplinary Screening, Diagnosis, Therapy and Follow-up of Breast Cancer. Guideline of the DGGG and the DKG (S3-Level, AWMF Registry Number 032/045OL, December 2017) – Part 1 with Recommendations for the Screening, Diagnosis and Therapy of Breast Cancer

62. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, DGGG'18, Berlin, Germany, 31 Oct 2018 - 3 Nov 2018; Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde 78(10), 927-948 (2018). doi:10.1055/a-0646-4522 special issue: "62. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, DGGG'18, Berlin, 31.10 – 03.11.2018 : Frauenheilkunde im Fokus: wissenschaftlich fundiert und der Qualität verpflichtet"

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Abstract P1-13-01: Final results of the ASG1-3 study, a randomized phase III study comparing a standard dose chemotherapy with epirubicin/cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel with a dose dense regimen with epirubicin and paclitaxel

Abstract Background Dose dense chemotherapy (DDT) has shown improvements of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival for primary breast cancer patients with a high risk of relapse. There are much less data about the effect of DDT in patients with intermediate risk of recurrence (1-3 positive axillary lymph nodes). Aim of this prospectively randomized trial was to investigate the superiority of a DDT schedule over a standard chemotherapy (ST) in primary breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive axillary lymph nodes. Methods The ASG1-3 study is a prospectively randomized, open label phase III study of the Adjuvant Study Group of the NOGGO association. Patients were eligible for the tri…

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