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Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Nov 2021Breast cancer is one of the most important causes of premature mortality among women and it is one of the most frequently diagnosed tumours worldwide. For this reason,... (Review)
Review
Breast cancer is one of the most important causes of premature mortality among women and it is one of the most frequently diagnosed tumours worldwide. For this reason, routine screening for prevention and early diagnosis is important for the quality of life of patients. Breast cancer cells can enter blood and lymphatic capillaries, then metastasizing to the regional lymph nodes in the axilla and to both visceral and non-visceral sites. Rather than at the primary site, they seem to enter the systemic circulation mainly through the sentinel lymph node and the biopsy of this indicator can influence the axillary dissection during the surgical approach to the pathology. Furthermore, secondary lymphoedema is another important issue for women following breast cancer surgical treatment or radiotherapy. Considering these fundamental aspects, the present article aims to describe new methodological approaches to assess the anatomy of the lymphatic network in the axillary region, as well as the molecular and physiological control of lymphatic vessel function, in order to understand how the lymphatic system contributes to breast cancer disease. Due to their clinical implications, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing lymph node metastasis in breast cancer are also examined. Beyond the investigation of breast lymphatic networks and lymphatic molecular mechanisms, the discovery of new effective anti-lymphangiogenic drugs for future clinical settings appears essential to support any future development in the treatment of breast cancer.
Topics: Axilla; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic System; Quality of Life; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
PubMed: 34833492
DOI: 10.3390/medicina57111272 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2022With the acceleration of the pace of life and work, the incidence rate of invasive breast cancer is getting higher and higher, and early diagnosis is very important.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
With the acceleration of the pace of life and work, the incidence rate of invasive breast cancer is getting higher and higher, and early diagnosis is very important. This study screened and analyzed the published literature on ultrasound-guided biopsy of invasive breast cancer and obtained the accuracy and practicality of preoperative biopsy.
METHOD
The four databases were screened for the literature. There was no requirement for the start date of retrieval, and the deadline was July 2, 2022. Two researchers screened the literature, respectively, and included the literature on preoperative ultrasound-guided biopsy and intraoperative and postoperative pathological diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. The diagnostic data included in the literature were extracted and meta-analyzed with RevMan 5.4 software, and the bias risk map, forest map, and summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC) were drawn.
RESULTS
The included 19 studies involved about 18668 patients with invasive breast cancer. The degree of bias of the included literature is low. The distribution range of true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative in the forest map is large, which may be related to the large difference in the number of patients in each study. Most studies in the SROC curve are at the upper left, indicating that the accuracy of ultrasound-guided axillary biopsy is very high.
CONCLUSION
For invasive breast cancer, preoperative ultrasound-guided biopsy can accurately predict staging and grading of breast cancer, which has important reference value for surgery and follow-up treatment.
Topics: Axilla; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Ultrasonography, Interventional
PubMed: 36203726
DOI: 10.1155/2022/3307627 -
Fat-enlarged axillary lymph nodes are associated with node-positive breast cancer in obese patients.Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aug 2021Obesity associated fat infiltration of organ systems is accompanied by organ dysfunction and poor cancer outcomes. Obese women demonstrate variable degrees of fat...
PURPOSE
Obesity associated fat infiltration of organ systems is accompanied by organ dysfunction and poor cancer outcomes. Obese women demonstrate variable degrees of fat infiltration of axillary lymph nodes (LNs), and they are at increased risk for node-positive breast cancer. However, the relationship between enlarged axillary nodes and axillary metastases has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between axillary metastases and fat-enlarged axillary nodes visualized on mammograms and breast MRI in obese women with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer.
METHODS
This retrospective case-control study included 431 patients with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer. The primary analysis of this study included 306 patients with pre-treatment and pre-operative breast MRI and body mass index (BMI) > 30 (201 node-positive cases and 105 randomly selected node-negative controls) diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between April 1, 2011, and March 1, 2020. The largest visible LN was measured in the axilla contralateral to the known breast cancer on breast MRI. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between node-positive status and LN size adjusting for age, BMI, tumor size, tumor grade, tumor subtype, and lymphovascular invasion.
RESULTS
A strong likelihood of node-positive breast cancer was observed among obese women with fat-expanded lymph nodes (adjusted OR for the 4th vs. 1st quartile for contralateral LN size on MRI: 9.70; 95% CI 4.26, 23.50; p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve for size of fat-enlarged nodes in the contralateral axilla identified on breast MRI had an area under the curve of 0.72 for predicting axillary metastasis, and this increased to 0.77 when combined with patient and tumor characteristics.
CONCLUSION
Fat expansion of axillary lymph nodes was associated with a high likelihood of axillary metastases in obese women with invasive breast cancer independent of BMI and tumor characteristics.
Topics: Axilla; Breast Neoplasms; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Obesity; Retrospective Studies; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
PubMed: 34081259
DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06262-z -
Clinical Breast Cancer Jan 2022Node positive breast cancer (cN+) patients with an axillary pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) are not expected to benefit from...
MINImal vs. MAXimal Invasive Axillary Staging and Treatment After Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in Node Positive Breast Cancer: Protocol of a Dutch Multicenter Registry Study (MINIMAX).
BACKGROUND
Node positive breast cancer (cN+) patients with an axillary pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) are not expected to benefit from axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Therefore, less invasive axillary staging procedures have been introduced to establish response-guided treatment. However, evidence is lacking with regard to their oncologic safety and impact on quality of life (QoL). We hypothesize that if response-guided treatment is given, less invasive staging procedures are non-inferior to standard ALND in terms of oncologic safety, and superior to standard ALND in terms of QoL.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
MINIMAX is a Dutch multicenter registry study that includes patients with cN1-3M0 unilateral invasive breast cancer, who receive NST, followed by axillary staging and treatment according to local protocols. In a retrospective registry of ±4000 patients, the primary endpoint is oncologic safety at 5 and 10 years (disease-free, breast-cancer-specific and overall survival, and axillary recurrence rate). In a prospective multicenter registry, the primary endpoints are QoL at 1 and 5 years, and we aim to verify the 5-year oncologic safety. With an estimated 5-year disease-free survival of 72.5% and anticipated loss to follow-up of 10%, a sample size of 549 is needed to have 80% power to detect non-inferiority (with a 10% margin) of less invasive staging procedures.
CONCLUSION
In cN+ patients treated with NST, less invasive axillary staging procedures are already implemented globally. Evidence is needed to support the assumed oncologic safety and superior QoL of such procedures. This study will contribute to evidence-based guidelines.
Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Breast Neoplasms; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Netherlands; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Registries
PubMed: 34446364
DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2021.07.011 -
Cancer Medicine Nov 2022More initial clinical node-positive breast cancer patients achieve axillary pathological complete response (ax-pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Restaging... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Diagnostic accuracy of de-escalated surgical procedure in axilla for node-positive breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
More initial clinical node-positive breast cancer patients achieve axillary pathological complete response (ax-pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Restaging axillary status and performing de-escalated surgical procedures to replace routine axillary lymph nodes dissection (ALND) is urgently needed. Targeted axillary lymph node biopsy (TLNB) is a novel de-escalated surgical strategy marking metastatic axillary nodes before NST and targeted dissection and biopsy intraoperatively to tailor individual axillary management.
METHODS
This study provided a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the feasibility and diagnosis accuracy of TLNB. Prospective and retrospective clinical trials on TLNB were searched from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane. Identification rate (IFR), false-negative rate (FNR), negative predictive value (NPV), and rate of ax-pCR were the outcomes of this meta-analysis.
RESULTS
One thousand nine hundred and twenty patients attempted TLNB, with an overall IFR of 93.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 90.1%-96.2%). IFR of three nodal marking methods, namely iodine seeds, clips, and carbon dye, was 95.6% (95% CI 91.2%-98.7%), 91.7% (95% CI 87.3%-95.4%), and 97.1% (95% CI 89.1%-100.0%), respectively. Of them, 847 patients received ALND, with an overall FNR of 5.5% (95% CI 3.3%-8.0%), and NPV ranged from 90.1% to 96.1%. Regression analysis showed that the overlap of targeted and sentinel biopsied nodes might associate with IFRs and FNRs.
CONCLUSION
TLNB is a novel, less invasive surgical approach to distinguish initial node-positive breast cancer that achieves negative axillary conversion after NST. It yields an excellent IFR with a low FNR and a high NPV. A combination of preoperative imaging, intraoperative TLNB with SLNB, and postoperative nodal radiotherapy might affect the future treatment paradigm of primary breast cancer with nodal metastases.
Topics: Humans; Female; Axilla; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Breast Neoplasms; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymph Node Excision; Lymph Nodes; Neoplasm Staging
PubMed: 35502768
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4769 -
World Journal of Surgical Oncology Sep 2021Axillary lymph node involvement is one important prognostic factor in breast cancer, but the way to access this information has been modified over the years. This study...
BACKGROUND
Axillary lymph node involvement is one important prognostic factor in breast cancer, but the way to access this information has been modified over the years. This study evaluated if axillary ultrasound (US) coupled with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can accurately predict clinically relevant node metastasis in patients with breast cancer, and thus assist clinical decisions METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of 241 individuals (239 women and 2 men) with unilateral operable breast cancer who were submitted to preoperative axillary assessment by physical exam, US and FNAC if suspicious nodes by imaging. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the methods. We compared the patient's characteristics using chi-square test, parametrics and non-parametrics statistics according to the variable.
RESULTS
The most sensible method was US (0.59; 95% CI, 0.50-0.69), and the most specific was US coupled with FNAC (0.97; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99). Only 2.7% of the patients with normal axillary US had more than 2 metastatic nodes in the axillary lymph node dissection, against 50% of the patients with suspicious lymph nodes in the US and positive FNAC.
CONCLUSIONS
Axillary US coupled with FNAC can sort patients who have a few metastatic nodes at most from those with heavy axillary burden and could be one more tool to initially evaluate patients and define treatment strategies.
Topics: Axilla; Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Breast Neoplasms; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Metastasis; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
PubMed: 34583723
DOI: 10.1186/s12957-021-02391-3 -
Archives of Physical Medicine and... Sep 2022To determine the cumulative incidence and natural history of axillary web syndrome (AWS) and its related postoperative risk for physical impairments in a cohort of women...
Five-Year Cumulative Incidence of Axillary Web Syndrome and Comparison in Upper Extremity Movement, Function, Pain, and Lymphedema in Survivors of Breast Cancer With and Without Axillary Web Syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cumulative incidence and natural history of axillary web syndrome (AWS) and its related postoperative risk for physical impairments in a cohort of women followed for 5 years post breast cancer surgery.
DESIGN
Prospective, longitudinal study.
SETTING
Academic health center.
PARTICIPANTS
Women (N=36) with and without AWS after breast cancer surgery with sentinel node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection.
INTERVENTIONS
Not applicable.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Participants were assessed for AWS, shoulder goniometric flexion and abduction range of motion, function (Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand), lymphedema (bioimpedance spectroscopy, girth measures, tissue dielectric constant), and pain (visual analog scale) at 2, 4, 12, and 78 weeks and 5 years after breast cancer surgery. Analysis of variance compared range of motion, function, lymphedema, and pain in women identified with AWS with those without AWS across visits. Univariate logistic regression assessed if AWS was a risk factor for physical impairment at 5 years.
RESULTS
The cumulative incidence of AWS was 57%. Fifty percent (14/28) of the women who completed all study visits had signs of AWS at 5 years. Abduction active range of motion was significantly lower in women with AWS at 2 and 4 weeks post surgery. AWS was identified as a risk factor for reduced shoulder motion at 5 years. Regardless of AWS, 75% of the women experienced 1 or more upper extremity physical impairments at 5 years, which is an increase from 66% at 78 weeks in the same cohort.
CONCLUSIONS
AWS is associated with reduced shoulder range of motion in the early postoperative time period, can persist for 5 years after breast cancer surgery, and increases the risk of long-term reduced shoulder range of motion. Long-term physical issues are apparent after breast cancer surgery regardless of AWS.
Topics: Axilla; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Incidence; Longitudinal Studies; Lymph Node Excision; Lymphedema; Pain; Prospective Studies; Range of Motion, Articular; Survivors; Upper Extremity
PubMed: 35398047
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.007 -
The Oncologist Aug 2023For patients with cN0 and T1-2 breast cancer, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can provide survival results equivalent to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND)....
BACKGROUND
For patients with cN0 and T1-2 breast cancer, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can provide survival results equivalent to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). However, whether it can be performed on T3-4c patients is still controversial.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Female patients diagnosed with cN0, T3-4c, and M0 breast cancer from 2004 to 2019 were identified using the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database and divided into 2 groups, the SLNB group (1-5 regional lymph nodes examined) and the ALND group (≥10 regional lymph nodes examined). Finally, only those with pN0 disease were included in the SLNB group. The baseline differences in clinicopathological characteristics between groups were eliminated by propensity score matching (PSM). We also conducted subgroup analyses according to age, overall TNM stage, breast cancer subtypes, surgical approaches, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was survival.
RESULTS
With a mean follow-up of 75 months, a total of 186 deaths were reported among 864 patients. The overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in the SLNB group were 78.2% and 87.5%, respectively, and that in the ALND group were 78.7% and 87.3%, respectively. The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for OS and BCSS in the SLNB group (vs. the ALND group) was 0.922 (95% CI, 0.691-1.230, P = .580) and 0.874 (95% CI, 0.600-1.273, P = .481), respectively. Besides, the OS and BCSS between the 2 groups were also similar in all subgroup analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
SLNB may be performed on female patients with cN0, T3-4c, and M0 breast cancer.
Topics: Humans; Female; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Breast Neoplasms; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; Lymph Node Excision; Lymph Nodes; Axilla; Sentinel Lymph Node
PubMed: 36929946
DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad038 -
Scandinavian Journal of Surgery : SJS :... Jun 2023Over the recent years, axillary staging of initially node-positive breast cancer patients converting to clinical node negativity after neoadjuvant chemotherapy has seen... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Over the recent years, axillary staging of initially node-positive breast cancer patients converting to clinical node negativity after neoadjuvant chemotherapy has seen rapid changes. This narrative review aims to give a contemporary overview over published evidence and clinical practice, and thus provide some guidance to the surgical community in the process of re-evaluating and re-shaping surgical practice.
METHODS
The search strategy aimed at finding relevant studies. Only articles in English were considered.
RESULTS
The introduction of modern techniques offer more precise staging surgery and thus hopefully reduced arm morbidity. Clinical practice has however diverged both within countries and internationally. While some countries have adapted de-escalated axillary staging techniques such as targeted axillary dissection, targeted lymph node biopsy or sentinel lymph node biopsy, others continue to recommend a full axillary lymph node dissection. With the implementation of new techniques, many questions arise, regarding aspects of oncological safety, technical performance, budget and practicality, patient selection and indications for different levels of axillary staging procedures.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a growing body of evidence on de-escalation of axillary surgery in the setting of cN+ → ycN0 breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, standards differ between countries and future studies are necessary to fully assess the optimal strategy for these patients.
Topics: Female; Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Lymph Node Excision; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
PubMed: 36642957
DOI: 10.1177/14574969221145892 -
Cancer Treatment Reviews Dec 2021Introduction of sentinel lymph node biopsy, initially in clinically node-negative and subsequently in patients presenting with involved axilla and downstaged by primary... (Review)
Review
Introduction of sentinel lymph node biopsy, initially in clinically node-negative and subsequently in patients presenting with involved axilla and downstaged by primary systemic therapy, allowed for significant decrease in morbidity compared to axillary lymph node dissection. Concurrently, regional nodal irradiation was demonstrated to improve outcomes in most node-positive patients. Additionally, over the last decades, introduction of more effective systemic therapies has resulted in improvements not only at distant sites, but also in locoregional control, creating space for de-escalation of locoregional treatments. We discuss the data on de-escalation in axillary surgery and irradiation, both in patients undergoing upfront surgery and primary systemic therapy, with special emphasis on the feasibility of omission of nodal irradiation in patients undergoing primary systemic therapy. In view of the accumulating evidence, omission of axillary irradiation may be considered in clinically node-positive patients converting after primary systemic therapy to pathologically negative nodes on sentinel lymph node biopsy (preferably also with in-breast pCR), presenting with lower initial nodal stage, older age and were treated with breast-conserving surgery followed by whole breast irradiation. Omission of regional nodal irradiation in patients with aggressive tumor phenotypes achieving a pCR is under investigation. In patients undergoing preoperative endocrine therapy the adoption of axillary management strategies utilized in case of upfront surgery seems more suitable than those used in post chemotherapy-based primary systemic therapy setting.
Topics: Antineoplastic Protocols; Axilla; Breast Neoplasms; Combined Modality Therapy; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Irradiation; Neoplasm Staging; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
PubMed: 34656018
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102297