Search results for "Breast"
showing 10 items of 1871 documents
A multicenter cohort study to compare quality of life in breast cancer patients according to sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissec…
2009
Background: This prospective multicenter study assessed and compared the impact of different surgical procedures on quality of life (QoL) in breast cancer patients. Patients and methods: The EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-BR-23 questionnaires were used to assess global health status (GHS), arm (BRAS) and breast (BRBS) symptom scales, before surgery, just after surgery and 6 and 12 months later. The Kruskal–Wallis test with the Bonferroni correction was used to compare scores. A mixed model analysis of variance for repeated measurements was then applied to assess the longitudinal effect of surgical modalities on QoL. Results: Before surgery, GHS (P = 0.7807) and BRAS (P = 0.7688) QoL scores…
Sentinel lymph node BIOPSY after neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients with lymph node involvement at diagnosis. Could wire localization of c…
2021
Abstract Introduction Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in node-positive (N+) breast cancer patients at diagnosis remains a controversial issue, with no consensus on implementation or safety. Objectives We sought to assess the accuracy of SLNB after NAT in biopsy-proven N+ cases at diagnosis and the efficacy and accuracy of wire localization of the clipped node to improve results. Material and methods A cross-sectional diagnostic technique validation study in N+ patients following NAT was performed. The biopsy-proven affected lymph node was clipped at diagnosis. SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were performed in cases of clinical-radiological ly…
Pancoast's syndrome caused by lymph node metastasis from breast cancer.
2018
Pancoast’s syndrome may be the result of neoplastic, inflammatory or infectious disease. We report an unusual case of Pancoast’s syndrome in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. A 54-year-old woman, affected by metastatic breast cancer, presented for severe shoulder pain, paraesthesia and numbness in the right arm. Despite further multiple lines of systemic chemotherapy, she developed a progressive enlargement of retropectoral, supraclavicular and infraclavicular lymph node metastases, which involved brachial plexus, apex of lung and anterior mediastinum. Physical examination revealed severe weakness of proximal muscles of the right arm. Neuropathic pain was managed with pharmacological…
Radiation-induced changes in levels of selected proteins in peripheral blood serum of breast cancer patients as a potential triage biodosimeter for l…
2014
The threat of a large scale radiological emergency, where thousands of people may require fast biological dosimetry for the purpose of triage, makes it necessary to search for new, high throughput biological dosimeters. The authors tested an assay based on the quantitative analysis of selected proteins in peripheral blood serum. They were particularly interested in testing proteins that are specific to irradiation of skin, as these can be used in cases of partial body exposure. Candidate proteins were identified in an earlier study with mice, where skin of the animals was exposed to different doses of radiation and global expression of serum proteins was analyzed. Eight proteins were found,…
Molecular and Translational Classifications of DAMPs in Immunogenic Cell Death
2015
The immunogenicity of malignant cells has recently been acknowledged as a critical determinant of efficacy in cancer therapy. Thus, besides developing direct immunostimulatory regimens, including dendritic cell-based vaccines, checkpoint-blocking therapies, and adoptive T-cell transfer, researchers have started to focus on the overall immunobiology of neoplastic cells. It is now clear that cancer cells can succumb to some anticancer therapies by undergoing a peculiar form of cell death that is characterized by an increased immunogenic potential, owing to the emission of the so-called "damage-associated molecular patterns" (DAMPs). The emission of DAMPs and other immunostimulatory factors by…
Tubular carcinoma of the breast: Outcome and loco-regional recurrence in 307 patients
2005
Abstract Purpose The aim of this study is to describe the University of Florence experience in evaluating clinical, pathologic and treatment factors as they are related to the outcome and loco-regional recurrence in patients with tubular breast carcinoma. Material and methods Three hundred and seven patients (median age 56.4 years, range 26–91 years) with histological verified tubular carcinoma of the breast were consecutively treated at University of Florence from 1976 to 2001. All patients were followed for a median of 8.4 years (range 3 months to 20 years). Thirty-seven women underwent mastectomy and 270 underwent breast conserving surgery. Positive axillary nodes were found in 15% of pa…
Cognitive Performance and Psychological Distress in Breast Cancer Patients at Disease Onset
2019
ObjectiveMany cancer patients complain about cognitive dysfunction. While cognitive deficits have been attributed to the side effects of chemotherapy, there is evidence for impairment at disease onset, prior to cancer-directed therapy. Further debated issues concern the relationship between self-reported complaints and objective test performance and the role of psychological distress.MethodWe assessed performance on neuropsychological tests of attention and memory and obtained estimates of subjective distress and quality of life in 27 breast cancer patients and 20 healthy controls. Testing in patients took place shortly after the initial diagnosis, but prior to subsequent therapy.ResultsWhi…
The diagnostic accuracy of PIK3CA mutations by circulating tumor DNA in breast cancer: an individual patient data meta-analysis
2022
Background: The circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) diagnostic accuracy for detecting phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha ( PIK3CA) mutations in breast cancer (BC) is under discussion. We aimed to compare plasma and tissue PIK3CA alterations, encompassing factors that could affect the results. Methods: Two reviewers selected studies from different databases until December 2020. We considered BC patients with matched tumor tissue and plasma ctDNA. We performed meta-regression and subgroup analyses to explore sources of heterogeneity concerning tumor burden, diagnostic technique, sample size, sampling time, biological subtype, and hotspot mutation. Pooled sensitiv…
Breast-Feeding from an Evolutionary Perspective.
2021
Lactation is the most critical period of mammal feeding given the compulsory dependence on milk of the offspring during a more or less extensive period following birth. This has also been the case for the human species until relatively recent times when heterologous milk processing has allowed the alternative of artificial lactation. The advantages and disadvantages of natural and artificial lactation (formula) have been widely discussed from the biological, psychological and cultural perspectives, without reaching a general agreement among the breastfeeding women themselves or among the health professionals concerned. On the subject of breastfeeding, the information available is enormous b…
Progestogens and risk of breast cancer: a link between bone and breast?
2015
This article reviews the data supporting the role of receptor activator of the nuclear factor kappa (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL, in progestogen-induced breast cancer. Both experimental and clinical studies have been included. The expression of both RANK and RANKL has been described in epithelial cells of both mice and humans. Experiments of gain and loss of function in mice have shown that RANK/RANKL mediate alveologenesis during pregnancy or the estrous cycle. Moreover, the participation of the RANK/RANKL has been detected in models of breast carcinogenesis associated with progestogens-like medroxyprogesterone acetate. Recent clinical studies have found that the expression of RANK is asso…