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Cell Reports Jan 2024Extensive remodeling of the female mammary epithelium during development and pregnancy has been linked to cancer susceptibility. The faithful response of mammary...
Extensive remodeling of the female mammary epithelium during development and pregnancy has been linked to cancer susceptibility. The faithful response of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) to hormone signaling is key to avoiding breast cancer development. Here, we show that lactogenic differentiation of murine MECs requires silencing of genes encoding ribosomal RNA (rRNA) by the antisense transcript PAPAS. Accordingly, knockdown of PAPAS derepresses rRNA genes, attenuates the response to lactogenic hormones, and induces malignant transformation. Restoring PAPAS levels in breast cancer cells reduces tumorigenicity and lung invasion and activates many interferon-regulated genes previously linked to metastasis suppression. Mechanistically, PAPAS transcription depends on R-loop formation at the 3' end of rRNA genes, which is repressed by RNase H1 and replication protein A (RPA) overexpression in breast cancer cells. Depletion of PAPAS and upregulation of RNase H1 and RPA in human breast cancer underpin the clinical relevance of our findings.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Mice; Animals; Humans; Mammary Glands, Animal; Breast; Cell Differentiation; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Epithelial Cells
PubMed: 38180837
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113644 -
Medicine Jul 2023To analyze and compare the clinicopathological characteristics of male breast cancer (MBC) among Chinese patients and those from East Asia and other regions....
To analyze and compare the clinicopathological characteristics of male breast cancer (MBC) among Chinese patients and those from East Asia and other regions. Clinicopathological data from 3 kinds of data sources, including 31 MBC patients in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital (JPH) from 2014 to 2021 in China, 20 literature data on East Asian MBC patients from 2014 to 2021, and 3102 MBC patients registered in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database from 2014 to 2019, were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The average ages of first-diagnosis MBC patients in JPH and East Asian patients were 59.7 and 62.3 years old, respectively, which were younger than those of SEER patients (66.5 years old). Between East Asian and SEER patients, the status or rates of main breast cancer type, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, breast subtype, and TNM stage were relatively close, and their differences were not statistically significant (P > .05). Differences were observed in chemotherapy, surgery, pathological grade, and lymph node positivity (P < .01). Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed between the JPH and East Asian patients (all P > .05). In JPH and SEER, linear regression relationships were observed between the lymph node positivity rate, tumor size, and histological grade. JPH and East Asian MBC patients were younger than SEER patients. Between East Asian and SEER patients, the status of the main breast cancer type, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, breast subtype, and TNM stage were similar, but there were differences in chemotherapy, surgery, pathological grade, and lymph node positivity. The findings of this study should prove to be helpful to deepen our understanding of East Asian MBC.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Aged; Breast Neoplasms, Male; Receptors, Progesterone; Retrospective Studies; Breast Neoplasms; Breast; Estrogens
PubMed: 37505123
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034408 -
Journal of Cancer Research and... 2023To evaluate the use of this new technique, surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), for patient setup and motion management in various cancers. (Review)
Review
AIM
To evaluate the use of this new technique, surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), for patient setup and motion management in various cancers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data was collected from 533 patients, who received treatment in our hospital for various malignancies using SGRT from October 2019 to April 2021. We studied patient setup, interfraction position, and patient position during the breath-hold (BH) technique. The main advantage of SGRT is that, it is completely non-invasive and uses visible light to compare the patient's skin surface in the treatment room and planned treatment position. In this analysis, Monaco 5.51.10 (Elekta) treatment planning system, Versa HD Linear Accelerator, and AlignRT 6.2 (Vision RT) SGRT system were used.
RESULTS
With SGRT, treatment setup time can be reduced with more precision and techniques like Deep inspiration breathhold (DIBH) can be done with very good compliance.
CONCLUSION
SGRT has shown improved accuracy in patient setup compared to conventional laser setup. The daily kilo voltage imaging frequency can be reduced; it helps in reducing additional radiation exposure due to imaging. SGRT has demonstrated reproducibility with adequate accuracy in BH treatments in DIBH for breast and SBRT.
Topics: Female; Humans; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Breath Holding; Neoplasms; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided; Reproducibility of Results; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 37787279
DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_1147_21 -
Mathematical Biosciences and... Aug 2023Identifying and delineating suspicious regions in thermal breast images poses significant challenges for radiologists during the examination and interpretation of...
Identifying and delineating suspicious regions in thermal breast images poses significant challenges for radiologists during the examination and interpretation of thermogram images. This paper aims to tackle concerns related to enhancing the differentiation between cancerous regions and the background to achieve uniformity in the intensity of breast cancer's (BC) existence. Furthermore, it aims to effectively segment tumors that exhibit limited contrast with the background and extract relevant features that can distinguish tumors from the surrounding tissue. A new cancer segmentation scheme comprised of two primary stages is proposed to tackle these challenges. In the first stage, an innovative image enhancement technique based on local image enhancement with a hyperbolization function is employed to significantly improve the quality and contrast of breast imagery. This technique enhances the local details and edges of the images while preserving global brightness and contrast. In the second stage, a dedicated algorithm based on an image-dependent weighting strategy is employed to accurately segment tumor regions within the given images. This algorithm assigns different weights to different pixels based on their similarity to the tumor region and uses a thresholding method to separate the tumor from the background. The proposed enhancement and segmentation methods were evaluated using the Database for Mastology Research (DMR-IR). The experimental results demonstrate remarkable performance, with an average segmentation accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity coefficient values of 97%, 80%, and 99%, respectively. These findings convincingly establish the superiority of the proposed method over state-of-the-art techniques. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the proposed method to aid in the early detection of breast cancer through improved diagnosis and interpretation of thermogram images.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Algorithms; Image Enhancement; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 37920034
DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023748 -
Laboratory Investigation; a Journal of... Dec 2023Breast cancer is one of the most prominent types of cancers, in which therapeutic resistance is a major clinical concern. Specific subtypes, such as claudin-low and...
Breast cancer is one of the most prominent types of cancers, in which therapeutic resistance is a major clinical concern. Specific subtypes, such as claudin-low and metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC), have been associated with high nongenetic plasticity, which can facilitate resistance. The similarities and differences between these orthogonal subtypes, identified by molecular and histopathological analyses, respectively, remain insufficiently characterized. Furthermore, adequate methods to identify high-plasticity tumors to better anticipate resistance are lacking. Here, we analyzed 11 triple-negative breast tumors, including 3 claudin-low and 4 MpBC, via high-resolution spatial transcriptomics. We combined pathological annotations and deconvolution approaches to precisely identify tumor spots, on which we performed signature enrichment, differential expression, and copy number analyses. We used The Cancer Genome Atlas and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia public databases for external validation of expression markers. By focusing our spatial transcriptomic analyses on tumor cells in MpBC samples, we bypassed the negative impact of stromal contamination and identified specific markers that are neither expressed in other breast cancer subtypes nor expressed in stromal cells. Three markers (BMPER, POPDC3, and SH3RF3) were validated in external expression databases encompassing bulk tumor material and stroma-free cell lines. We unveiled that existing bulk expression signatures of high-plasticity breast cancers are relevant in mesenchymal transdifferentiated compartments but can be hindered by abundant stromal cells in tumor samples, negatively impacting their clinical applicability. Spatial transcriptomic analyses constitute powerful tools to identify specific expression markers and could thus enhance diagnosis and clinical care of rare high-plasticity breast cancers.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Gene Expression Profiling; Breast; Transcriptome; Claudins; Prognosis; Carrier Proteins; Muscle Proteins; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
PubMed: 37813278
DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2023.100258 -
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Aug 2023Partner involvement in the decision-making process concerning breast reconstruction (BR) after a breast cancer diagnosis may be very supportive for the patient. So far,...
INTRODUCTION
Partner involvement in the decision-making process concerning breast reconstruction (BR) after a breast cancer diagnosis may be very supportive for the patient. So far, no study evaluates partner satisfaction with the outcome after BR and the relationship to patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to assess and compare partner satisfaction of BR with autologous tissue (ABR) and prosthetic implants (IBR), respectively, and compare it to patient-reported outcomes.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
All patients undergoing ABR and IBR between January 2014 and December 2020 were asked to participate with their partners. Patient and partner satisfaction with breast reconstruction, overall outcome as well as patient's perceived and self-reported psychosocial well-being were evaluated using the Breast-Q and a modified partner questionnaire, respectively.
RESULTS
Fifty-three couples participated (IBR: n=30, ABR: n = 23). Patient and partner satisfaction with breast (r = 0.552), outcome (r = 0.465) as well as patient's perceived and self-report psychosocial well-being (r = 0.495) were highly correlated with partners scoring significantly higher (p<0.001). In terms of partner satisfaction, both reconstructive procedures achieved satisfactory results. ABR scored higher in terms of softness of breast and how natural the breast feels to touch whereas IBR was rated superior evaluating the breast size.
CONCLUSION
Both reconstructive procedures achieve satisfactory results in terms partner satisfaction whereas patient's psychosocial well-being was highly overestimated by their partners. Hence, partner inclusion in the regular psycho-oncological support might further sensitize them of the high psychological burden of a breast cancer diagnosis and therefore stabilize patients private support system.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Topics: Humans; Female; Treatment Outcome; Mammaplasty; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Prostheses and Implants; Retrospective Studies; Breast Implants; Esthetics
PubMed: 36820865
DOI: 10.1007/s00266-023-03286-2 -
Nutrients Mar 2024There is emerging interest in the relationship between several serum micronutrients and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. The relationship between serum zinc...
There is emerging interest in the relationship between several serum micronutrients and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. The relationship between serum zinc and copper levels and breast cancer prognosis is unclear. In our study, we included 583 patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 2008 and 2015 in the region of Szczecin, Poland. In a blood sample obtained before treatment, serum zinc and copper levels were quantified by mass spectroscopy. Each patient was assigned to one of four categories (quartiles) based on the distribution of the elements in the entire cohort. Patients were followed from diagnosis to death over a mean of 10.0 years. The 10-year overall survival was 58.3% for women in the highest and 82.1% for those in the lowest quartile of serum copper/zinc ratio ( < 0.001). The multivariate hazard ratio (HR) for breast cancer death was 2.07 (95% CI 1.17-3.63; = 0.01) for patients in the highest quartile of serum copper/zinc ratio compared to those in the lowest. There is evidence that the serum zinc level and copper/zinc ratio provide an independent predictive value for overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival after breast cancer diagnosis.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Copper; Zinc; Breast; Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 38613033
DOI: 10.3390/nu16071000 -
Canadian Association of Radiologists... Feb 2024Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is known to detect additional cancers that are occult on mammography and ultrasound. There is debate as to whether... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is known to detect additional cancers that are occult on mammography and ultrasound. There is debate as to whether these additional lesions affect clinical outcomes. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence on whether additional information on disease extent obtained with preoperative breast MRI in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer affects surgical management, rates of recurrence, survival, re-excision, and early detection of bilateral cancer. Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched until January 2021 (partial update July 2022) for studies comparing outcomes with versus without pre-operative MRI. Included were both randomized controlled trials and other comparative studies provided MRI and control groups had equivalent disease and patient characteristics or methods such as multivariable analysis or propensity score matching were used to control potential confounders. The search resulted in 26,399 citations, of which 8 randomized control trials, 1 prospective cohort study, and 42 retrospective studies met the inclusion criteria. Use of MRI resulted in decreased rates of reoperations (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.63 to 0.85), re-excisions (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.89), and recurrence (HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.65 to 0.90). Increased detection of synchronous contralateral breast cancers led to a reduction in metachronous contralateral breast cancer (HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.59 to 0.85). Hazard ratios for recurrence-free and overall survival were 0.77 (95% CI = 0.53 to 1.12) and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.74 to 1.07). This systematic review indicates substantial benefits of pre-operative breast MRI in decreasing reoperations and recurrence.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Breast; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37593787
DOI: 10.1177/08465371231184769 -
Medical Science Monitor : International... Dec 2023BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in the diagnosis...
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in the diagnosis and chemotherapy of breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed data on 125 lesions of 115 patients with breast diseases in Lanzhou First People's Hospital from January 2020 to June 2022. Patients were examined by digital breast tomographic fusion and contrast-enhanced spectral mammography after chemotherapy. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of the 2 imaging techniques, and the diagnostic efficacy was evaluated with ROC curves. RESULTS There were significant differences in the type and degree of CESM enhancement between benign and malignant lesions. Malignant lesions mostly showed moderate to severe enhancement, while benign lesions mostly showed mild to moderate enhancement. There was no significant difference in DBT manifestations between benign and malignant lesions. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 88 patients had pathological remission, and the remission rate was 70.40%. Thirty-seven patients did not respond (nonresponse rate: 29.60%). The accuracy of CESM lesion size assessment was 84.00% (105/125), with high consistency. The accuracy of DBT lesion size assessment was 68.00% (85/125), and the consistency was poor. BI-RADS 4B was the truncation point. CESM had significantly higher sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value than DBT. In premenopausal patients and patients aged less than 50 years, the diagnostic efficacy of DBT and CESM was significantly different. CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic efficacy of CESM was significantly better than DBT in premenopausal women and patients under age 50. Diagnosis and treatment of breast diseases may be enhanced by the use of CESM.
Topics: Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Contrast Media; Mammography; Breast Diseases; Breast; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 38087777
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.941880 -
Breast Cancer Research : BCR Oct 2023Mammogram risk scores based on texture and density defined by different brightness thresholds are associated with breast cancer risk differently and could reveal...
BACKGROUND
Mammogram risk scores based on texture and density defined by different brightness thresholds are associated with breast cancer risk differently and could reveal distinct information about breast cancer risk. We aimed to investigate causal relationships between these intercorrelated mammogram risk scores to determine their relevance to breast cancer aetiology.
METHODS
We used digitised mammograms for 371 monozygotic twin pairs, aged 40-70 years without a prior diagnosis of breast cancer at the time of mammography, from the Australian Mammographic Density Twins and Sisters Study. We generated normalised, age-adjusted, and standardised risk scores based on textures using the Cirrus algorithm and on three spatially independent dense areas defined by increasing brightness threshold: light areas, bright areas, and brightest areas. Causal inference was made using the Inference about Causation from Examination of FAmilial CONfounding (ICE FALCON) method.
RESULTS
The mammogram risk scores were correlated within twin pairs and with each other (r = 0.22-0.81; all P < 0.005). We estimated that 28-92% of the associations between the risk scores could be attributed to causal relationships between the scores, with the rest attributed to familial confounders shared by the scores. There was consistent evidence for positive causal effects: of Cirrus, light areas, and bright areas on the brightest areas (accounting for 34%, 55%, and 85% of the associations, respectively); and of light areas and bright areas on Cirrus (accounting for 37% and 28%, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
In a mammogram, the lighter (less dense) areas have a causal effect on the brightest (highly dense) areas, including through a causal pathway via textural features. These causal relationships help us gain insight into the relative aetiological importance of different mammographic features in breast cancer. For example our findings are consistent with the brightest areas being more aetiologically important than lighter areas for screen-detected breast cancer; conversely, light areas being more aetiologically important for interval breast cancer. Additionally, specific textural features capture aetiologically independent breast cancer risk information from dense areas. These findings highlight the utility of ICE FALCON and family data in decomposing the associations between intercorrelated disease biomarkers into distinct biological pathways.
Topics: Female; Humans; Australia; Breast; Breast Density; Breast Neoplasms; Mammography; Risk Factors; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged
PubMed: 37880807
DOI: 10.1186/s13058-023-01733-1