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Bibliography on: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

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Robert J. Robbins is a biologist, an educator, a science administrator, a publisher, an information technologist, and an IT leader and manager who specializes in advancing biomedical knowledge and supporting education through the application of information technology. More About:  RJR | OUR TEAM | OUR SERVICES | THIS WEBSITE

RJR: Recommended Bibliography 09 May 2026 at 01:51 Created: 

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), also known as infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is cancer that began growing in a milk duct and has invaded the fibrous or fatty tissue of the breast outside of the duct. IDC is the most common form of breast cancer, representing 80 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses.

Created with PubMed® Query: ("invasive ductal carcinoma" OR IDC) NOT pmcbook NOT ispreviousversion

Citations The Papers (from PubMed®)

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RevDate: 2026-05-07

Okawa S, Ogiyama H, Amano T, et al (2026)

Simultaneous gastric and colonic metastasis of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Clinical journal of gastroenterology [Epub ahead of print].

Breast cancer commonly metastasizes to the lungs, bones, liver, and brain; however, gastrointestinal involvement is uncommon. Simultaneous metastases to both the stomach and colon are extremely rare. We report the case of a 53-year-old woman with bilateral breast cancer (right invasive ductal carcinoma and left invasive lobular carcinoma [ILC]) who developed gastric and colonic metastases, presenting with rare endoscopic findings characterized by multiple polypoid lesions, along with disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow. Biopsies from the stomach and colon revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas that were estrogen receptor-positive and negative for E-cadherin in the colon, consistent with ILC metastases. Endocrine therapy with letrozole led to systemic improvement. However, diarrhea and abdominal pain persisted until palbociclib was initiated, after which both symptoms markedly improved. Follow-up endoscopy demonstrated regression of the gastric and colonic lesions. This case is of educational value because it demonstrates, with high-quality images, subtle mucosal changes with a polypoid appearance that are not widely recognized as typical findings of colonic metastasis from ILC, and includes a review of previously reported cases. In patients with breast cancer, particularly ILC, persistent gastrointestinal symptoms may suggest metastasis. Careful endoscopic evaluation with biopsy is essential for diagnosis and monitoring the treatment response.

RevDate: 2026-05-06

Sharma S, Tamang J, Nepal B, et al (2026)

Diagnostic accuracy of sonomammography in the evaluation of palpable breast masses: Correlation with histopathology.

Radiography (London, England : 1995), 32(4):103426 pii:S1078-8174(26)00102-1 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasonography plays an important role in evaluating palpable breast masses, particularly in women with dense breast tissue. Although the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System has standardized ultrasound reporting. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonomammography in differentiating benign and malignant breast masses and to correlate specific ultrasound features with histopathological findings, including differentiation between invasive ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

METHODS: This prospective observational study included patients presenting with palpable breast masses who underwent sonomammographic evaluation between January 2019 and December 2022. A total of 98 patients with lesions categorized as BI-RADS 4 or 5 on ultrasonography were included. High-resolution ultrasound examinations were performed using a 3-12 MHz linear transducer, and lesions were characterized according to the BI-RADS lexicon. Histopathological examination served as the reference standard. Statistical analysis included the Chi-square test, univariate, and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: A total of 98 lesions, including 57 malignant and 41 benign lesions. Sonomammography demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 84.69%, with a sensitivity of 92.98% and a specificity of 73.17%. Significant sonographic predictors of malignancy (p<0.05) included irregular shape, non-circumscribed margins, non-parallel orientation, and hypoechoic or complex echotexture. Irregular lesion shape and non-circumscribed margins showed a significant association with invasive ductal carcinoma compared with DCIS (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: BI-RADS-based sonomammographic evaluation provides valuable diagnostic information in the assessment of palpable breast masses. Specific ultrasound features demonstrate significant correlation with histopathological outcomes and may assist in differentiating benign from malignant lesions.

IMPLICATION OF PRACTICE: The findings highlight the clinical value of BI-RADS-guided breast ultrasound in improving lesion characterization and supporting appropriate biopsy decisions in patients presenting with palpable breast masses.

RevDate: 2026-05-07

Birnbaum GE, K Zholtack (2026)

They Are Just Not That Into You: Does Sexual Arousal Impair Perception of Rejection Cues?.

Personality & social psychology bulletin [Epub ahead of print].

Sexual arousal elicits approach-oriented motivation. In early romantic encounters, however, this desire to pursue a connection must be balanced against the risk of rejection. Across four studies, we investigated whether sexual priming affects risk regulation, causing people to perceive potential partners as romantically interested despite ambiguous cues. Unpartnered participants watched either sexual or nonsexual videos before engaging in an online chat with a confederate who conveyed mixed signals across different interaction phases. Participants rated the confederate's desirability as a partner and perceived interest. Independent raters also coded participants' written impressions for perceived romantic interest. Results showed that sexual priming increased participants' perceptions of the confederate's desirability, which, in turn, predicted both self-reported and coded perceptions of the confederate's interest. These findings suggest that sexual arousal creates "tunnel vision," leading people to interpret ambiguity in ways that prioritize approach goals over self-protective concerns, with implications for misunderstandings in early romantic encounters.

RevDate: 2026-05-05
CmpDate: 2026-05-05

Tammaro S, Di Fiore F, Crocetto F, et al (2026)

Urodynamic de-obstruction and symptom improvement after thulium laser vaporization (ThuVAP): evidence from a prospective paired study.

The Canadian journal of urology, 33(2):249-259.

BACKGROUND: Thulium laser vaporization of the prostate (ThuVAP) is an established treatment for benign prostatic obstruction, but its impact on urodynamic parameters remains poorly defined. This study aimed to quantify the de-obstructive efficacy of ThuVAP through pre- and postoperative urodynamic comparisons and to assess the relationship between urodynamic improvement and symptom relief.

METHODS: In a prospective single-center cohort (June 2022-June 2024), men with urodynamically confirmed obstruction underwent standardized ThuVAP with a 200-W thulium:YAG system. Baseline and 6-month invasive urodynamics and 12-month clinical follow-up were performed. The primary endpoint was the change in the bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI); secondary endpoints included Qmax, postvoid residual volume (PVR), bladder voiding efficiency (BVE), detrusor pressures, and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).

RESULTS: Sixty-four patients (mean age 67 years; prostate volume 52 mL) were analyzed. BOOI decreased from 55.9 ± 17.2 to 21.3 ± 11.2 (p < 0.001), with obstructed cases dropping from 79.7% to 7.8%. Schäfer grade fell from 3.6 to 0.3 (p < 0.001). Detrusor pressure halved, Qmax rose from 7.9 to 20.8 mL/s, PVR declined from 121 to 22 mL, and BVE improved from 64% to 94% (all p < 0.001). Low compliance and involuntary detrusor contractions (IDC) decreased notably. IPSS improved from 26.2 to 3.4 (p < 0.001) and correlated with the magnitude of urodynamic de-obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS: ThuVAP provides substantial, objectively verified relief of bladder outlet obstruction with consistent improvements in voiding efficiency and symptoms. The correlation between urodynamic and clinical outcomes underscores the procedure's efficacy and the utility of urodynamics in documenting therapeutic benefit.

RevDate: 2026-05-06
CmpDate: 2026-05-06

Ojo T, Cablay K, Emara N, et al (2026)

Pulmonary Hypertension Following the Use of Trastuzumab Biosimilars.

Case reports in pulmonology, 2026:1076907.

BACKGROUND: HER2-positive breast cancer comprises 14%-20% of breast cancer cases and was previously linked with aggressive progression. Trastuzumab and its biosimilars have improved survival significantly, but their pulmonary toxicities remain underrecognized. While left ventricular dysfunction is a well-documented adverse effect, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and right heart failure are rarely reported.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 53-year-old woman with Stage IV HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma and well-controlled HIV who presented with shortness of breath, edema, and weakness. She previously completed five cycles of trastuzumab biosimilars (trastuzumab-anns or trastuzumab-dttb), Perjeta (pertuzumab), and Taxotere (docetaxel) and then transitioned to maintenance therapy with just trastuzumab-anns and pertuzumab for one cycle due to neuropathy. Pretreatment and interim echocardiograms showed preserved left ventricular and right ventricular function. Shortly after her last trastuzumab dose, she was hospitalized with severe anasarca, bilateral pleural effusions, and respiratory failure. Right heart catheterization revealed severe precapillary pulmonary hypertension (mPAP 40 mmHg [normal < 20 mmHg], PAWP 8 mmHg [normal ≤ 15 mmHg]), consistent with WHO Group I PAH. Despite aggressive diuresis and respiratory support, her condition deteriorated, and she elected for comfort-focused care.

DISCUSSION: Although rare, pulmonary vascular complications such as PAH have been linked to HER2-targeted therapies. Reports from clinical trials, FAERS data, and national registries have documented cases of trastuzumab-associated PAH, suggesting a possible vascular mechanism, potentially through ACVRL1 pathway involvement. This case highlights the importance of considering pulmonary hypertension as a potential adverse event in patients on trastuzumab, particularly those with pulmonary metastases.

CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of pulmonary complications in patients receiving HER2-targeted therapies, even when left ventricular function is preserved. Early recognition and monitoring of right-sided pressures in high-risk patients may improve outcomes. This case adds to emerging evidence on trastuzumab's pulmonary risks.

RevDate: 2026-05-06

Lippy RD, MJ Bayer (2026)

Mental health support for Naval Surface Forces in LSCO.

Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association [Epub ahead of print].

U.S. Navy ships have not engaged in heavy combat operations since World War II. Although naval warfare and navy ships have advanced technologically since that time, the fundamental violence of combat and resultant human factors of war have not. This article discusses how the Navy is not fully prepared for the expected large number of combat stress casualties likely to occur in any maritime large-scale combat operations (LSCO) such as the threat by China to invade Taiwan by 2027. U.S. Naval Surface Forces began assigning mental health providers to support Navy surface combatant ships in 2019. These mental health professionals provide psychological support to shipboard Sailors but do not deploy with these ships. Rather, Navy surface combatant ships are supported by a single Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) paraprofessional with limited training in mental health. Therefore, in any LSCO scenario, the acute psychological needs of these shipboard Sailors will be provided by these medical assets. The article discusses how U.S. Naval Surface Forces is preparing shipboard Sailors for combat stress reactions as well as training organic shipboard resources (i.e. IDCs, chaplains) in applying psychological first aid and legacy combat psychiatry principles (i.e. PIES - Proximity to the frontline, Immediacy of treatment, Expectancy of recovery, Simple interventions). The article concludes with a discussion of future directions for closing the current gaps in training needed to enhance psychological support to Naval Surface Forces ships/Sailors in preparation for future LSCO scenarios.

RevDate: 2026-05-04

Sachdev V, van Loon NM, Kingma J, et al (2026)

Loss of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCHF6 alters hepatic lipid metabolism and drives spontaneous hepatosteatosis.

Molecular metabolism pii:S2212-8778(26)00063-3 [Epub ahead of print].

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form, steatohepatitis (MASH), feature excessive hepatic fat accumulation, yet the relative contributions of dietary vs. endogenous fats and their interactions has remained enigmatic. Here, we identify the endoplasmic reticulum-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCHF6 as a pivotal regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism. Global or hepatocyte-specific deletion of Marchf6 induced spontaneous accumulation of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters under chow-fed conditions, revealing a cell-autonomous hepatic defect independent of caloric excess. Loss of MARCHF6 stabilized its substrate squalene epoxidase (SQLE), enhancing sterol pathway flux while concomitantly activating the SREBP1-associated lipogenic transcriptional program and increasing lipoprotein clearance. Accordingly, lipidomic analyses demonstrated remodeling of the hepatic lipidome towards polyunsaturated, long-chain neutral lipids, consistent with increased lipogenesis-driven NADPH consumption. In line with this, pharmacological inhibition of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway reduced lipid accumulation in MARCHF6-deficient human hepatocytes. Congruently, transcriptomic data from human MASLD/MASH patients revealed reduced hepatic MARCHF6 expression alongside an increase in that of the lipogenic genes SREBF1, FASN, and SCD1. Overall, these data establish MARCHF6 as a multifaceted gatekeeper that integrates sterol turnover, NADPH usage, and lipogenesis to maintain hepatic lipid homeostasis.

RevDate: 2026-05-02

Hladik C, Sekhri M, Cen HH, et al (2026)

Spatially Resolved Obesity-Driven Molecular Changes in Early Breast Cancer.

The American journal of pathology pii:S0002-9440(26)00124-0 [Epub ahead of print].

Obesity is an established risk factor for invasive breast cancer; however, the specific molecular heterogeneity distinguishing invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) within the obese tumor microenvironment is not well defined. In the current study, spatially resolved transcriptomics was utilized to profile the epithelial, stromal, and immune compartments of DCIS and IDC lesions stratified by host body mass index, categorized as non-obese (≤29.9 kg/m[2]) or obese (≄30 kg/m[2]). These analyses reveal that the transcriptional signatures defining the invasive state differ significantly across BMI categories. In non-obese patients, IDC lesions exhibited canonical profiles driven by proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, compared with DCIS. Conversely, the obese setting was characterized by a distinct "stress-adaptive" phenotype, enriched for metabolic adjustment, oxidative stress response, and inflammatory signaling. The epithelial component was accompanied by a fibro-inflammatory stromal signature and an immunosuppressive niche characterized by B cell depletion and M2 macrophage enrichment. Furthermore, SULF2, an extracellular endosulfatase involved in extracellular matrix organization and signaling, was consistently upregulated within the obese epithelium, providing a plausible link between metabolic stress and structural remodeling. Collectively, these data indicate obesity-associated differences consistent with an alternative invasive transcriptional program that is less dominated by classical proliferative drivers in this cohort. Consequently, standard prognostic markers may be context-dependent, highlighting the need to integrate metabolic health into precision risk stratification.

RevDate: 2026-05-04
CmpDate: 2026-05-04

Neri I, Gallivanone F, Venturini E, et al (2026)

Hybrid [[18]F]FDG PET/MR Imaging Parameters for the Prediction of Tissue Biomarkers in Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer.

Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 13(4): pii:bioengineering13040435.

Breast cancer (BC) requires the evaluation of tumor aggressiveness features to guide treatment decisions. Biopsy-derived prognostic information may differ from surgical histopathology due to tumor heterogeneity. Hybrid PET/MRI can provide additional information for tumor characterization, supporting initial therapy planning and prognosis. In this work, we acquired 157 BC patients using a hybrid PET/MRI scanner. The PET data were combined with ADC and semi-quantitative DCE-MRI metrics to derive "hybrid PET/MRI parameters." Pathological data such as tumor grade, hormone receptors, proliferation index (Ki67), and surrogate molecular subtype were collected, and we evaluated their associations with hybrid imaging, also comparing with the PET and MRI data analyzed separately. Ki67 showed moderate correlations with PET, ADCmin, and most hybrid parameters. The PET and hybrid data differentiate histopathological factors, while ADCmin differentiates G1 vs. G2 and luminal A vs. luminal B. In the ROC analysis, hybrid SUVmax/ADCmin shows better performance to predict luminal B from luminal A (AUC 0.720, sensitivity 73.1%, specificity 63.2%, PPV 54.3%, NPV 79.7%) than SUVmean alone. Our findings suggest that these novel hybrid PET/MRI parameters may help the characterization of tumor tissue in IDC. However, a multivariate analysis is needed to confirm our preliminary results.

RevDate: 2026-05-04
CmpDate: 2026-05-04

Comert RG, Yilmaz R, Cingoz E, et al (2026)

Evaluating the Predictive Value of Post-Treatment Superb Microvascular Imaging for Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Invasive Breast Cancer.

Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 13(4): pii:bioengineering13040449.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) with grayscale ultrasound (US) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in invasive breast cancer. Methods: A total of 115 patients included in the study were evaluated based on their pre-treatment imaging findings (US, mammography, and MRI). Following completion of NAC, all patients underwent grayscale US and SMI examinations. In patients with available post-NAC MRI, treatment response was additionally assessed by comparing MRI findings. Imaging results were correlated with postoperative pathological outcomes, which served as the reference standard. pCR was defined as the absence of residual invasive carcinoma, regardless of ductal carcinoma in situ. Molecular subtype, Ki-67, and axillary status were recorded. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and stepwise multiple logistic regression. Significance was set at p < 0.05 (95% CI). Results: The median age was 51 years (range: 30-75). Most tumors were high-grade (55%) and invasive ductal carcinoma (95%). Breast-pCR was achieved in 43% of patients. Significant predictors of pCR included hormone receptor negativity, HER-2 positivity, high Ki-67 expression (≄40%), non-luminal subtype, and complete radiologic response on US and MRI (p < 0.05). Lower SMI index values were strongly associated with pCR (p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off of 1.8 demonstrating good diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.804, 95% CI: 0.721-0.887). In multivariate analysis, the combined model including US, SMI, HER-2 status, and MRI showed the highest predictive performance (AUC = 0.890, 95% CI: 0.829-0.950), explaining 55.1% of the variance in pCR. Conclusions: An SMI index < 1.8, HER-2 positivity, and complete response on US and MRI are independent predictors of pCR after NAC. Combining SMI with multimodal imaging significantly improves predictive accuracy.

RevDate: 2026-05-04
CmpDate: 2026-05-04

Akkoc Mustafayev FN, Fountzilas E, Munsell MF, et al (2026)

Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of BRCA Germline Mutation Carriers with Advanced Breast Cancer Treated with PARP (Poly ADP-Ribose Polymerase) Inhibitors: A Single-Institution Experience.

Cancers, 18(8): pii:cancers18081258.

Background/Objectives: Several trials have highlighted the importance of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in the treatment of BRCA-associated breast cancers (BC), initiating changes in practice. However, data on the real-life outcomes of PARPi therapy is limited. In this study, we characterized the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced BC and germline BRCA pathogenic variants (PVs) who received PARPi therapy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-institution cohort study of patients with advanced BC and germline BRCA1/2 PVs treated with PARPi. Outcomes included objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods, and prognostic factors were evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 107 patients treated with PARPi, 48 (44.9%) and 59 (55.1%) had BRCA1 and BRCA2 PVs, respectively. Ninety-seven patients (90.7%) had invasive ductal carcinoma and 42 (39.3%) had triple-negative BC. Nineteen (17.8%) patients had de novo metastatic BC. Sixty-two (57.9%) patients received at least one line of systemic therapy before PARPi; 24 (22.4%) patients received prior platinum. ORR was 62.6%, and the median duration of response (DoR) was 7 months (range, 2.1-96.2). The median PFS was 9 months (95% CI, 6.9-10.5) and median OS was 25.8 months (95% CI, 18.7-31.5). In multivariable models for PFS, bone metastases (HR = 2.25; 95% CI, 1.40-3.61; p = 0.0008) and lung metastases (HR = 2.40; 95% CI, 1.45-3.98; p = 0.0007) were independently associated with increased risk of progression or death. In multivariable models for OS, brain metastases (HR = 3.54; 95% CI, 1.59-7.90; p = 0.0020), bone metastases (HR = 2.22; 95% CI, 1.27-3.88; p = 0.0050), and lung metastases (HR = 2.38; 95% CI, 1.38-4.11; p = 0.0018), were independently associated with increased risk of death. Conclusions: The clinical outcomes of our real-world patients are similar to those reported in previous clinical trials. In addition, metastatic site distribution was independently prognostic for survival outcomes and may support baseline risk stratification at the time of PARPi initiation. Further studies of predictive markers of response and resistance, as well as sequencing with platinums and combinations with other targeted agents, are needed to optimize the benefits of PARPi in this patient population.

RevDate: 2026-05-04
CmpDate: 2026-05-04

Kaviani A, Bruyninx G, E Patocskai (2026)

Posterior Approach Partial Mastectomy (MAPP): Early Clinical Experience with a Novel Oncoplastic Technique.

Journal of clinical medicine, 15(8): pii:jcm15082925.

Background: Oncoplastic breast surgery aims to combine oncologic safety with optimal cosmetic outcomes. However, many established techniques require visible anterior breast incisions or substantial tissue rearrangement, which may compromise cosmetic results in selected patients. Posterior access to the breast through the retromammary space may allow tumor excision while preserving the anterior breast envelope. Methods: We report an early clinical experience with Posterior Approach Partial Mastectomy (MAPP), a breast-conserving technique that accesses the lesion through a concealed inframammary or lateral breast crease incision. This single-center retrospective case series included consecutive patients undergoing excision using this approach. Patient selection, surgical technique, and early outcomes-including margin status, complications, and need for re-excision-were evaluated. Results: Eight patients underwent breast-conserving excision using the MAPP technique. Six patients had malignant lesions (invasive ductal carcinoma with or without ductal carcinoma in situ or pure DCIS), while two benign lesions were included for technical completeness. Tumor size ranged from 9 to 78 mm. All malignant cases achieved negative surgical margins (R0), and no patient required re-excision. Posterior access was successfully achieved in all cases using concealed inframammary or lateral crease incisions. One patient experienced minor wound discharge that resolved with conservative management, and no major postoperative complications were observed. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 12 months. Conclusions: Posterior Approach Partial Mastectomy appears to be a feasible oncoplastic approach with encouraging early oncologic outcomes in carefully selected patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery. By preserving the anterior skin envelope and concealing the surgical incision, this technique may offer cosmetic advantages while maintaining oncologic adequacy. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to further define its role in oncoplastic breast surgery.

RevDate: 2026-05-04
CmpDate: 2026-05-04

Hassain ZAA, Farhan MJ, TA Elwi (2026)

Design of an Ultra-Sensitive Multi-Resonant Moore Fractal SRR Microwave Sensor for Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 26(8): pii:s26082306.

This study details the design and development of an ultra-sensitive microwave sensor for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, achieved by analyzing variations in the response of a split-ring resonator (SRR) through advanced engineering methodologies. There were three design phases in the development process. In the first phase, a standard SRR design was used. It had a resonant frequency of 2.975 GHz in S21 and a sensitivity of only 0.0032 dB/(mg/dL). In the second phase, an interdigital capacitor (IDC) was added to the SRR structure. This made it work better and made it more sensitive, with a sensitivity of 0.015 dB/(mg/dL) at 4.1 GHz. The third phase was to use a fourth-order Moore fractal geometry to improve the resonance properties of the design a lot. From the obtained S11, the maximum sensitivity was 0.042 dB/(mg/dL), which was a huge improvement in sensing efficiency compared to earlier designs. Several resonant frequencies were recorded between 4.84 and 7.56 GHz. The addition of the fractal structure made the electromagnetic field stronger in the resonant space and made the waves interact more with small changes in the biological medium, all without changing the sensor's size (80 mm Ɨ 40 mm). These results show that fractal architecture is a promising way to create non-invasive, accurate, and easily integrated sensors in biological systems that can continuously measure blood glucose levels.

RevDate: 2026-05-02
CmpDate: 2026-05-02

Yi L, Chen K, Wang D, et al (2026)

Co-Pathogenic Role of BRCA1 and OBSCN Deletions in Chinese Familial Breast Cancer: A Case Report.

The American journal of case reports, 27:e951196 pii:951196.

BACKGROUND The incidence of breast cancer is high among women, with a significant proportion of cases being familial. However, the driver genes for breast cancer can differ across families. CASE REPORT Our patient was a 37-year-old woman diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by pathology, revealing invasive ductal carcinoma of the outer upper quadrant of the breast, WHO grade 3. The maximum diameter of the microscopic invasive cancer was approximately 0.5 cm. No definite vascular tumor thrombus or nerve invasion was observed. Some (30-90%) of the tumor cells disappeared, and the remaining tumor cells showed degeneration, interstitial sclerosis, scattered lymphocyte infiltration, and hemosiderin deposition. No cancer was found in the nipple and base resection margins, or in the other quadrants. The chemotherapy response was classified as grade III according to the MP (Miller and Payen classification) scoring system. Blood samples were collected from affected family members. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and bioinformatics analyses were used to identify potential driver genes, followed by Sanger sequencing for validation, which ultimately confirmed the pathogenic gene and the underlying mechanism in this family. CONCLUSIONS A series of analyses suggested that the co-occurrence of heterozygous deletions in BRCA1 and OBSCN was the main cause of breast cancer in this family. The simultaneous association of 2 genes with the occurrence of breast cancer was discovered for the first time in this family, which could help guide disease prevention for family.

RevDate: 2026-05-02

Kumar H, Hu Y, Tahir M, et al (2026)

Incidence, Clinicopathologic Features, and Follow-up Results of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma With Lobular-Like Growth Pattern.

Clinical breast cancer, 26(6):25-31 pii:S1526-8209(26)00055-8 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) are the two most common breast cancers. A subset of tumors with discohesive, lobular-like growth but retained membranous E-cadherin expression-termed invasive ductal carcinoma with lobular-like growth pattern (IDC-LL)-is increasingly recognized, yet its clinicopathologic and prognostic significance remain unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2,413 invasive breast carcinomas (1,872 IDC, 230 IDC-LL, 311 ILC) diagnosed between 2016 and 2022. Clinicopathologic features, biomarker expression, margin status, nodal involvement, and survival outcomes were compared. A second cohort of 441 ER-positive/HER2-negative early-stage carcinomas with available Oncotype DX results (335 IDC, 38 IDC-LL, 68 ILC) was also analyzed.

RESULTS: IDC-LL accounted for 9.5% of all invasive carcinomas. Patients with IDC-LL (mean age 62) were older than IDC but younger than ILC. Grade 3 tumors were more frequent in IDC-LL than ILC (13.5% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.001) but less than IDC (30.5%, p = 0.0001). Hormone receptor positivity in IDC-LL (ER 89.1%, PR 79.6%) was intermediate between IDC and ILC, while HER2 positivity was lower than IDC and similar to ILC. IDC-LL also showed intermediate Oncotype DX and Magee scores. Overall survival was worse in IDC than in IDC-LL or ILC (p = 0.0006), while disease-free survival did not differ among groups.

CONCLUSION: IDC-LL demonstrates clinicopathologic and molecular features intermediate between IDC and ILC. Recognition of IDC-LL as a distinct morphologic category is warranted to optimize diagnosis and surgical management.

RevDate: 2023-06-13
CmpDate: 2022-06-02

Lassman AB, Sepúlveda-SÔnchez JM, Cloughesy TF, et al (2022)

Infigratinib in Patients with Recurrent Gliomas and FGFR Alterations: A Multicenter Phase II Study.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 28(11):2270-2277.

PURPOSE: FGFR genomic alterations (amplification, mutations, and/or fusions) occur in ∼8% of gliomas, particularly FGFR1 and FGFR3. We conducted a multicenter open-label, single-arm, phase II study of a selective FGFR1-3 inhibitor, infigratinib (BGJ398), in patients with FGFR-altered recurrent gliomas.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adults with recurrent/progressive gliomas harboring FGFR alterations received oral infigratinib 125 mg on days 1 to 21 of 28-day cycles. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. Comprehensive genomic profiling was performed on available pretreatment archival tissue to explore additional molecular correlations with efficacy.

RESULTS: Among 26 patients, the 6-month PFS rate was 16.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.0-32.5], median PFS was 1.7 months (95% CI, 1.1-2.8), and objective response rate was 3.8%. However, 4 patients had durable disease control lasting longer than 1 year. Among these, 3 had tumors harboring activating point mutations at analogous positions of FGFR1 (K656E; n = 2) or FGFR3 (K650E; n = 1) in pretreatment tissue; an FGFR3-TACC3 fusion was detected in the other. Hyperphosphatemia was the most frequently reported treatment-related adverse event (all-grade, 76.9%; grade 3, 3.8%) and is a known on-target toxicity of FGFR inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS: FGFR inhibitor monotherapy with infigratinib had limited efficacy in a population of patients with recurrent gliomas and different FGFR genetic alterations, but durable disease control lasting more than 1 year was observed in patients with tumors harboring FGFR1 or FGFR3 point mutations or FGFR3-TACC3 fusions. A follow-up study with refined biomarker inclusion criteria and centralized FGFR testing is warranted.

RevDate: 2026-05-01
CmpDate: 2026-05-01

Sacks S, B Mo (2026)

Pancreatitis, panniculitis, polyarthritis syndrome as an initial manifestation of metastatic pancreatic cancer in a breast cancer patient: Importance of early recognition and multidisciplinary management: A case report.

SAGE open medical case reports, 14:2050313X261438390.

Pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthritis syndrome is a rare extrapancreatic triad associated with pancreatic disease and occasionally malignancy. We report a 51-year-old woman with prior hormone receptor-negative, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast invasive ductal carcinoma (bilateral mastectomy, adjuvant trastuzumab/pertuzumab, radiation) who developed abrupt painful erythematous nodules of both legs and progressive polyarthralgia of the hands, knees, and ankles. Symptoms were initially treated as inflammatory rheumatic disease with systemic corticosteroids and disease-modifying therapy without benefit, leading to severe functional decline. Imaging later revealed a large hepatic mass; biopsy confirmed metastatic pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma, unifying the presentation as pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthritis syndrome. Coordinated multidisciplinary care, oncology-directed chemotherapy, interventional pain management, and psychological support, improved pain control and mobility. This case adds to the limited pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthritis literature and highlights that absent gastrointestinal symptoms can delay diagnosis; early recognition and collaborative management are essential in malignant pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthritis presentations.

RevDate: 2026-04-29

Gupta R, Gopalsamy IK, Nadukkandy AS, et al (2026)

GCNT3 and ST3GAL1 expression correlates with HER2 status and MUC1/β-catenin/Cyclin D1 axis in breast cancer.

BMC cancer, 26(1):.

UNLABELLED: The status of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a critical determinant of breast cancer progression and outcome, but the role of glycosylation in modulating HER2-related pathways remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the relationship between HER2 and the glycosyltransferases ST3GAL1 and GCNT3, combining data mining with experimental and clinicopathological validation. In silico analyses across public BC cohorts showed that higher expression of ST3GAL1, GCNT3, and HER2 was associated with reduced survival. Immunohistochemistry on invasive ductal carcinoma specimens (n = 25) demonstrated increased ST3GAL1 and GCNT3 in advanced stages/grades. Cross-platform correlation analyses revealed a positive association between ST3GAL1 and HER2, whereas GCNT3 showed an inverse association with HER2. Functional assays in HER2-negative cell lines (MCF7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435) and the HER2-positive line SKBR3 indicated that GCNT3 supports migratory capacity and clonogenicity, consistent with an oncogenic role independent of HER2 status. Gene set enrichment pointed to upregulation of MUC1 and β-catenin; tissue validation of MUC1, β-catenin, and Cyclin D1 confirmed their clinicopathological relevance, with HER2 expression inversely correlated with β-catenin and Cyclin D1. Collectively, these findings suggested a model in which GCNT3-driven O-glycosylation might remodel the MUC1/β-catenin/Cyclin D1 axis in BC, adding a glyco-regulatory layer to HER2-linked pathobiology. From a diagnostic perspective, ST3GAL1 (positive with HER2) and GCNT3 (inverse with HER2) could be considered as candidate biomarkers that might complement HER2 assessment for risk stratification. This work suggests a plausible mechanistic and clinicopathologic foundation for incorporating glycosylation markers into precision pathology workflows in breast cancer.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-026-15821-w.

RevDate: 2026-04-28

Guo Q, Chang Y, Cai Y, et al (2026)

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of stromal maturity, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, and systemic environment in breast cancer.

Diagnostic pathology, 21(1):.

BACKGROUND: The tumour microenvironment and systemic inflammatory environment are related to the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of various tumours. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of the tumour microenvironment and systemic environment in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

METHODS: A total of 222 patients with breast IDC who underwent radical mastectomy were included. Stromal maturity and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), along with a series of systemic inflammatory cell indicators from venous blood, were evaluated. Chi-square tests were performed to explore the relationships between the parameters. Kaplan‒Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for survival analysis.

RESULTS: Stromal maturity was significantly correlated with tumour necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, axillary lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (all P < 0.001). TILs were significantly associated with nuclear grade, histopathological grade, tumour necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, and clinical stage (all P < 0.001). High TIL numbers were often accompanied by more mature stroma. No significant correlations were detected between stromal maturity/TILs and systemic inflammatory markers. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis revealed that TILs, pathological grade, clinical stage, and molecular subtype were independent prognostic factors for patients with IDC. ROC curve analysis revealed that the accuracy of stromal maturity detection was greater than that of TILs alone, and the combined assessment of both parameters achieved the best predictive performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Stromal maturity and TILs in patients with breast IDC have important clinicopathological and prognostic significance, providing clinical guidance and a theoretical basis for the precise diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of this disease.

RevDate: 2026-04-29
CmpDate: 2026-04-29

Pereira W, Krishnappa R, Deep S, et al (2026)

Male Breast Carcinoma in an Elderly Patient: A Rare Presentation and the Importance of Individualized Management.

Cureus, 18(3):e106033.

Male breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare malignancy and often presents at an advanced stage due to low awareness and social stigma. Management is largely extrapolated from female breast cancer and must be individualized, particularly in elderly patients. An 87-year-old male patient presented with a painless left breast lump since three months and an ulcer over the nipple for since one month. Examination revealed a firm retroareolar mass with a healed ulcer over the lower aspect of the nipple and no palpable axillary lymphadenopathy. Imaging suggested a suspicious lesion, and core needle biopsy confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma. Staging workup with fludeoxyglucose-18 (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) showed no distant metastasis. The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Histopathology revealed Grade II invasive ductal carcinoma with nodal involvement (pT4bN1a, Stage IIIB). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negativity, and a low proliferative index, consistent with a luminal A subtype. Following multidisciplinary tumour board discussion, adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted, considering advanced age and performance status. The patient was treated with tamoxifen and adjuvant chest wall + axillary radiotherapy. At follow-up, he remains disease-free with a good quality of life. This case highlights the importance of early suspicion in male breast lesions and emphasizes individualized management integrating tumor biology, stage, and patient factors.

RevDate: 2026-04-29

Liskiewicz D, Novikoff A, Khalil A, et al (2026)

GLP-1R-GIPR-PPARα/γ/Γ quintuple agonism corrects obesity and diabetes in mice.

Nature [Epub ahead of print].

There are increasing numbers of effective drugs to improve obesity-linked metabolic dysfunction; GLP-1R-GIPR co-agonism is effective in the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes[1,2], and lanifibranor-a nuclear-acting small-molecule triple agonist of PPARα, PPARγ and PPARΓ-is in clinical phase 3 trials for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis[3]. Here, seeking to further improve the metabolic efficacy of GLP-1R-GIPR co-agonism, we report the development of a unimolecular quintuple agonist that combines the body weight-reducing and blood glucose-lowering effects of GLP-1R-GIPR co-agonism with the insulin-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory effects of lanifibranor via its targeted delivery into GLP-1R- and GIPR-expressing cells. In vitro, GLP-1-GIP-lanifibranor is indistinguishable from GLP-1-GIP in relation to incretin receptor signalling and shows equal stimulation of insulin secretion in isolated mouse islets. In vivo, however, GLP-1-GIP-lanifibranor outperforms GLP-1R-GIPR co-agonism and semaglutide, further decreasing body weight, food intake and hyperglycaemia in obese and insulin-resistant mice through synergistic incretin and PPAR action. The metabolic action of GLP-1-GIP-lanifibranor is blunted in mice with genetic or pharmacological inhibition of GLP-1R, GIPR or PPARΓ and is absent in DIO double incretin receptor-knockout mice, collectively suggesting that GLP-1-GIP-lanifibranor has substantial therapeutic value in the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

RevDate: 2026-04-28
CmpDate: 2026-04-28

Hashemi H, Olfatbakhsh A, Moghadam S, et al (2026)

Vacuum-Assisted Excision and Assessing Residual Tumor Burden in Patients With Breast Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (A Pilot Study).

International journal of breast cancer, 2026:9951029.

AIM: The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of vacuum-assisted excision as a minimally invasive method for assessing residual tumor burden in distinct breast cancer subtypes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this pilot clinical trial, 20 patients with breast cancer scheduled for neoadjuvant chemotherapy were assessed. Upon completion of chemotherapy, patients underwent ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted excision of the tumor site, performed by a radiologist. Subsequently, surgical excision of the tumor was carried out. The pathology reports from the vacuum excision were compared with the surgical specimens to determine the concordance in detecting residual tumor tissue.

RESULTS: Among the 20 patients who underwent vacuum-assisted excision, 13 patients demonstrated no residual tumor in both vacuum pathology and surgical pathology. However, in four patients, including three cases of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) and one case of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC), a false negative vacuum excision was reported. In three patients, residual tumor was reported both in surgical and vacuum pathology. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of vacuum excision for detecting residual tumor were 100%, 76.5%, and 80%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of vacuum excision were 42.9% and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study and considering the accuracy of vacuum excision in identifying residual tumors (80%), it is evident that vacuum excision cannot currently serve as a substitute modality for surgery in the management of patients with post-neoadjuvant breast cancer. Further research with a larger sample size is warranted to enhance our understanding in this area.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT20241204063942N1.

RevDate: 2026-04-27
CmpDate: 2026-04-27

Sadeghi Moghimi E, Ghanbari Z, Mirmalek SA, et al (2024)

Frequency Survey of Brain Metastases and Its Associated Factors Among Iranian Women with Breast Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study in Tehran City.

Galen medical journal, 13:e3238.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases are serious complication of breast cancer (BC) that poses a critical management challenge. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate clinical findings, the status of hormonal receptors, and their correlation with brain metastasis among patients with BC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on women with BC that was newly diagnosed with brain metastasis from 2020 to 2023. Also, hormonal receptor status (such as p53, estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], human epidermal growth factor2 [HER2]), histopathological type of BC, duration of disease, type of treatment, local cerebral invasions, and initial presentations were recorded. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistical significance.

RESULTS: Of a total of 302 patients, 49 (16.2%) patients had brain metastasis. The mean age of patients was 45.21±8.3 years, which was significantly lower in patients with metastasis (45.96±11.31 vs. 51.13±12.61 years, P=0.008). There was a significant association between the duration of disease in patients with and without brain metastasis (2.76±1.03 vs. 5.55±3.32 years, P=0.002). Also, the most prevalent histopathological type of BC was invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Headache was the most common clinical presentation among patients with brain metastasis. In addition, the most and the least common positive receptors among patients with metastasis were Ki-67 (93.87%) and PR (55.1%), respectively. Compared to patients without metastasis, HER2-positive and P53-positive receptors were markedly associated with brain metastasis (P=0.03 and P=0.021, respectively). However, there was no significant association between treatment methods and metastasis status.

CONCLUSION: Patients with younger age, IDC, and positivity of HER2 and P53 receptors were at an increased risk of developing brain metastases.

RevDate: 2026-04-27
CmpDate: 2026-04-27

Barber MRW, St Pierre Y, Peschken CA, et al (2026)

Forgotten costs of systemic lupus erythematosus: estimating indirect healthcare costs in a national prospective observational Canadian lupus cohort.

Lupus science & medicine, 13(1): pii:13/1/e001851.

OBJECTIVES: To assess indirect costs (IDC) due to lost productivity in paid/unpaid labour, stratified by sex, in a national prospective observational multicentre Canadian SLE cohort.

METHODS: Patients from six centres reported on lost productivity in paid/unpaid labour. IDC included: absenteeism (time lost from paid labour because of illness), presenteeism (degree of productivity impairment in paid/unpaid labour) and opportunity costs (additional time patients would be working in paid/unpaid labour if not ill). Opportunity costs were the difference between the time patients reported working and the time worked by an age, sex and geography-matched general population. IDC were valued using Statistics Canada wages (2024 Canadian dollars) with unpaid labour calculated using the opportunity cost method (OCM) and replacement cost method (RCM). The association of sex with IDC components was assessed (adjusted for race/ethnicity, age, disease duration, education and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index) using regression modelling.

RESULTS: Of the 2180 patients who participated, 90.5% were female and 67.1% were white; the mean age at diagnosis was 33.2 years and mean SLE duration was 14.7 years. Patients completed an average of 3.4 questionnaires with 51.2% of women and 47.1% of men employed at baseline. Total annual IDC were significantly higher among women using the OCM (women $35 330; men $32 016) and did not differ using the RCM (women $26 114; men $26 136). Regressions showed total IDC did not differ using either method. Unpaid labour costs were significantly higher among women (OCM: women $22 680; men $11 591 and RCM: women $13 465; men $5711) and paid labour costs were significantly higher among men (women $12 651; men $20 425). Regressions showed similar results.

CONCLUSION: IDC in SLE, particularly resulting from unpaid labour, are substantial, especially in women, where they represent up to 64.2% of total IDC versus 36.2% in men. Hence, economic analyses of novel/emerging therapies should incorporate lost productivity, including unpaid labour costs, which are of particular importance in diseases disproportionately affecting women.

RevDate: 2026-04-25

Takahashi N, Funasaka C, Shimura M, et al (2026)

Efficacy of perioperative pembrolizumab for triple-negative breast cancer with apocrine feature or metaplastic carcinoma.

The oncologist pii:8662564 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: The KEYNOTE-522 (KN522) trial demonstrated significantly improved outcomes with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) combined with pembrolizumab in high-risk triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the efficacy of this chemoimmunotherapy for histologically uncommon TNBC subtypes, such as invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) with apocrine feature (IDCapo) or metaplastic carcinoma, remains unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study examined clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of patients with clinical stage II or III TNBC treated with either the KN522 regimen or conventional NAC without immunotherapy at the National Cancer Center Hospital East between August 2014 and December 2024. Patients pathologically diagnosed with IDC, IDCapo, or metaplastic carcinoma were included. We compared outcomes of the KN522 regimen among histologic subtypes and evaluated its efficacy versus conventional NAC in patients with IDCapo or metaplastic carcinoma.

RESULTS: Seventy-two patients with TNBC received the KN522 regimen: 58 IDC, 10 IDCapo, and 4 metaplastic carcinoma. The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was significantly lower in IDCapo than in IDC (3/10 [30.0%] vs. 41/58 [70.7%], P = 0.027), and this difference remained after adjustment for clinical factors. There were no metaplastic carcinoma patients with pCR (0/4, 0%). Compared with conventional NAC, the KN522 regimen yielded a higher pCR rate in IDCapo (3/10 [30.0%] vs. 0/19 [0%], P = 0.033), but not in metaplastic carcinoma (0/4 [0%] vs. 1/10 [10.0%], P = 1.00).

CONCLUSION: The pCR rate of NAC with pembrolizumab was significantly lower in IDCapo than in IDC but was improved compared with conventional NAC. No meaningful benefit was observed in metaplastic carcinoma.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study suggests that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy can improve pathological complete response rate in invasive ductal carcinoma with apocrine feature, known as therapeutically resistant uncommon histology of the breast cancer. Pathological complete response rates of the neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy is dismal in metaplastic breast carcinoma, which sheds light to highly unmet need of novel therapeutic strategies for such aggressive breast cancer.

RevDate: 2026-04-24

Blaas L, A Bartelt (2026)

Fast & fuelious: the malate-aspartate shuttle in brown adipocyte lipid metabolism.

The FEBS journal [Epub ahead of print].

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) produces heat in response to cold exposure, for which it relies on the coordination of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. However, how reaction intermediates connect these two essential pathways is unclear. In this issue of The FEBS Journal, Veliova et al., report that the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) supports norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in brown adipocytes. Disruption of MAS during adrenergic activation impairs lipolysis without reducing respiration. These findings indicate that cytosolic redox balance influences thermogenic metabolism. By linking NAD+ regeneration to lipid metabolism, the study highlights the MAS as an important node coordinating metabolism, redox balance, and thermogenesis.

RevDate: 2026-04-24
CmpDate: 2026-04-24

Haas L, Gal J, Gauthier M, et al (2026)

Single fraction based-partial breast irradiation: 10-year results of the SiFEBI phase 2 prospective trial.

Clinical and translational radiation oncology, 59:101173.

PURPOSE: This analysis updates the SiFEBI phase 2 trial (NCT01727011) evaluating accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) delivered as a single fraction (sfPBI) of postoperative multicatheter interstitial HDR brachytherapy (MIB) in elderly patients with low-risk breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 70 years (Balducci I-II) with low-risk breast cancer were enrolled. After lumpectomy, intraoperative catheter implantation was performed and postoperative sfPBI (16 Gy) was delivered. The primary endpoint was cumulative incidence of local recurrence (ciLR). Secondary endpoints included cumulative incidence of distant metastasis (ciDM), cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), late toxicity, cosmetic outcome, and endocrine-therapy (ET) adherence.

RESULTS: From 11/12 to 09/14, 26 patients were enrolled. Median age was 76.6 years; median tumour size was 10.4 mm. Most tumours were invasive ductal carcinoma (76.5%), all of luminal subtype. After a median follow-up of 137 months, 10-year ciLR was 5%. Ten-year ciDM, CSS, and OS were 0%, 100%, and 81%, respectively. Late toxicity was observed in 9 patients (34.6%) with a total of 12 events (G1: 83.3%, G2: 16.6%). Reported late effects included breast pain, hypopigmentation, telangiectasia and breast fibrosis. Ten-year cosmetic outcomes were reported in 18 pts as excellent in 14 patients (77.8%) and good in 4 patients (22.2%). Median ET duration was 59 months; 14 pts (53.8%) were non-adherent.

CONCLUSION: In this elderly, low-risk cohort, single fraction postoperative MIB sfPBI provided excellent long-term oncological outcomes with acceptable toxicity and cosmesis. Larger studies with extended follow-up are warranted.

RevDate: 2026-04-24
CmpDate: 2026-04-24

Ahmad CM, Tadakamalla R, Kastle RA, et al (2026)

Early Nodal Metastasis in an 81-Year-Old Woman With Subcentimeter Retroareolar Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: A Case That Defies Indolence Expectations.

Cureus, 18(3):e105719.

Retroareolar invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) represents an anatomically distinct subset of breast cancers that may evade early clinical detection. In elderly patients, small, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors with low proliferative indices are often presumed to follow an indolent course. We report the case of an 81-year-old woman diagnosed with a 0.6-cm Grade II/III retroareolar IDC exhibiting strong ER expression, low Ki-67 (~6%), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negativity, yet with synchronous axillary lymph node metastasis confirmed at initial biopsy. This case underscores the limitations of relying on tumor size, age, and proliferation markers alone to estimate metastatic risk and highlights the importance of comprehensive axillary evaluation, even in clinically and biologically favorable presentations.

RevDate: 2026-04-24

Walsh AR, Dove-Medows E, Loder CM, et al (2026)

A Cross-Sectional Survey of University Students' Lifetime Experiences of Inappropriate, Disrespectful, and Coercive Behavior During Sensitive Exams.

Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology pii:S1083-3188(26)00371-2 [Epub ahead of print].

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe university students' lifetime prevalence of inappropriate, disrespectful, and coercive (IDC) experiences during sensitive physical exams and explore differences across sexual orientation and gender identities (SOGI).

METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from a representative sample of students at a large public university (US, 2021, N=2779). Lifetime prevalence of 13 IDC experiences (e.g., painful exams, ungloved exams, attempts to sexually arouse patient) and trust in sensitive exam providers was estimated for the sample and within SOGI groups (gender minority (GM), sexual minority (SM) cisgender female/male, heterosexual cisgender female/male). Item prevalence and SOGI associations were assessed with 2-sided t-tests and X[2] tests.

RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of sensitive exam IDC experiences ranged from 0.6% (took pictures of patient's body without permission) and 2.5% (genital, pelvic, or rectal exam without gloves) to 19.9% (excessive wait while undressed). Significant associations (P<0.05) between SOGI and negative experience prevalence estimates were identified; GM students reported the highest prevalence, and cisgender heterosexual male students the lowest, for all but 1 IDC item. 7.9% of students reported not trusting any healthcare providers during sensitive exams with 30.9% of GM students compared to 3.1% of heterosexual cisgender men reporting no trust (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: GM university students experienced more IDC experiences during sensitive exams and have lower trust in sensitive exam providers than cisgender students, particularly cisgender heterosexual males. Ensuring informed consent, offering chaperones, and clear communication are critical to build trust and ensure continued healthcare engagement and positive long-term health outcomes, particularly for SOGI patients.

RevDate: 2026-04-24
CmpDate: 2026-04-24

Gonzalez J, Singh V, J Burgers (2026)

Diagnostic challenges and management of primary accessory axillary breast cancer.

BMJ case reports, 19(4): pii:19/4/e268191.

A perimenopausal woman presented with a slowly enlarging right axillary mass initially suspected to be a sebaceous cyst. An incisional biopsy revealed high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma arising from accessory axillary breast tissue. Imaging showed no orthotopic breast lesion and staging was cT1N0M0. She underwent axillary lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy, confirming pT1bN0M0 invasive carcinoma. Adjuvant therapy included whole breast radiation, hormonal therapy with anastrozole and goserelin. At 2 years, she remains disease-free. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of accessory axillary breast cancer (AABC), a rare entity often missed on routine imaging. Early recognition and application of standard breast cancer treatment protocols can result in excellent outcomes. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for AABC in axillary masses, especially in patients with no primary breast findings on imaging to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate management.

RevDate: 2026-04-22

Haberl H, Baumgart A, Zeidler J, et al (2025)

Weighing the global built environment: High-resolution mapping and quantification of material stocks in buildings.

Journal of industrial ecology, 29(1):159-172.

UNLABELLED: Buildings provide indispensable services for human well-being, but their construction and use are responsible for a substantial fraction of societies' resource requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. Mapping and quantifying the material stocks in buildings is a key research frontier in industrial ecology. Reliable and spatially highly resolved maps of material stocks in buildings worldwide are so far not available. Existing approaches based on nighttime light data allow large-scale coverage, but their spatial resolution is usually ∼0.5-1 km. Other methods using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and cadaster data achieve higher resolution and accuracy, but do not allow wall-to-wall mapping of large regions. Based on high-resolution Earth Observation data combined with material intensity factors (kg per m[3] of building volume), we quantify and map material stocks in buildings at the unprecedented resolution of 90 m globally. We distinguish 18 types of materials in five types of buildings. We find that global material stocks in buildings amount to 547 (391-672) Gt, approximately half of total global societal material stocks. We find highly unequal distributions of material stocks in buildings per capita and per unit area of each country. Our results agree well with previous detailed estimates of material stocks in buildings in dedicated regions or individual cities. Improved and harmonized material intensity factors emerge as a key research area for improving the accuracy of material stock maps. Our results are available as data products with high spatial and thematic resolution to facilitate future studies; for example, of secondary resource potentials. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges. http://jie.click/badges.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (doi:10.1111/jiec.13585) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

RevDate: 2026-04-22
CmpDate: 2026-04-22

Schuster CR, Aslami ZV, Taccheri C, et al (2026)

Preoperative breast cancer screening before chest masculinization surgery.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 217(2):.

PURPOSE: Detecting malignancy before gender-affirming chest masculinization surgery (GACMS) can alter surgical planning and prevent reoperation, yet a lack of standardized preoperative breast imaging guidelines has resulted in inconsistent, surgeon-dependent practices and potential missed diagnoses. Limited data evaluating the efficacy of pre-GACMS imaging further contributes to this gap. This study aimed to characterize patterns, indications, and outcomes of preoperative breast imaging before GACMS, and to assess the impact of preoperative imaging on cancer detection, surgical decision-making, and timing to surgery.

METHODS: A single-institution, retrospective review of adults who underwent GACMS between January 2017-September 2024 was conducted. Descriptive statistics summarize preoperative imaging frequency, indications, modalities, outcomes, and postoperative pathology. Alterations in surgical management based on preoperative versus postoperative cancer detection, as well as an institution-wide screening algorithm, are described.

RESULTS: Of 368 patients, 91.8% (n = 338) were under 40 (mean 27.2, range 18-63). Preoperative breast imaging was recommended in 11.7% (n = 43) and performed in 11.1% (n = 41). Modalities included screening mammography (70.7%, n = 29), diagnostic mammography (29.3%, n = 12), MRI (9.8%, n = 4), and ultrasound (7.3%, n = 3). Indications included age (41.9%, n = 18), family history (30.2%, n = 13), physical exam finding (23.3%, n = 10), and BRCA2 mutation (2.3%, n = 1). Imaging revealed irregular findings in 17.1% (n = 7), with malignancy confirmed in 2 patients (4.9% of imaged; 0.5% overall). One patient who did not receive preoperative imaging was found to have invasive ductal carcinoma on postoperative pathology, resulting in 0.8% (n = 3) overall breast cancer diagnoses perioperatively. Preoperative detection altered surgical planning. Median time to surgery did not significantly differ between imaged and non-imaged patients (3.1 vs. 3.7 months, p = 0.2).

CONCLUSION: Preoperative breast cancer imaging before GACMS identified malignancies that significantly influenced surgical planning, preventing additional procedures postoperatively. Implementing a decision-making algorithm could guide and standardize breast imaging before GACMS.

RevDate: 2026-04-22
CmpDate: 2026-04-22

Walth-Hummel AA, Jouffe C, Weber P, et al (2026)

TBL1X/TBL1XR1 govern β-cell identity through a PAX6-containing gene regulatory network.

Nature communications, 17(1):.

A main mechanism of β-cell dysfunction in diabetes is loss of identity, controlled by transcription factors that induce identity gene expression and disallowed gene repression. How transcription factors facilitate simultaneous expression and repression is not fully understood, representing a knowledge gap in diabetes research. We identify the transcriptional co-factors transducin β-like 1 x-linked (TBL1X) and its homolog TBL1X-related (TBL1XR1, together TBL/R1) as crucial regulators of β-cell identity and determinants of diabetes development and progression. β-cell specific TBL/R1 knockout in mice leads to progressive hypoinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. scRNA-sequencing reveals loss of β-cells, emergence of polyhormonal cells, and reduced β-cell maturity upon TBL/R1 knockout. Interactome screens and chromatin immunoprecipitation show TBL/R1 directly regulate insulin promoter activity through a PAX6-HDAC3 gene regulatory network, evident also in human models. TBL/R1 associates with diabetes in humans, thus our study uncovers an additional regulatory layer maintaining β-cell identity crucial for diabetes development and progression.

RevDate: 2026-04-21

Zhu C, L Huang (2026)

Synchronous breast carcinoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a case report and literature review on diagnostic challenges and management implications.

World journal of surgical oncology, 24(1):.

BACKGROUND: Synchronous breast carcinoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma occurring as independent primary malignancies is exceptionally rare. Because these tumors differ markedly in histological origin, biological behavior, and treatment strategies, their coexistence can easily lead to diagnostic pitfalls and therapeutic dilemmas. Reporting such a case provides new insights into the clinical recognition and management of rare dual primaries.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old woman presented with a painless left cervical (neck) mass. Imaging revealed a left breast lesion with multi-station lymphadenopathy (including cervical nodes), initially interpreted as metastatic breast carcinoma. Breast core biopsy confirmed HER2-overexpressing invasive ductal carcinoma with strong ER/PR positivity. Cervical (neck) lymph-node biopsy established diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (non-GCB/MCD) with TP53, MYD88, and CD79B mutations. The patient received rituximab-based therapy plus a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor and underwent simple mastectomy. The breast carcinoma has remained controlled without evidence of recurrence, whereas the relapsing lymphoma ultimately determined the disease course.

CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the need for independent biopsies of suspicious lesions to avoid misclassification as metastatic disease. Management should follow a “lymphoma-first” approach with careful sequencing to balance treatments for both malignancies and to minimize overlapping toxicities. Prognosis is largely driven by the biological features of the lymphoma, particularly in high-risk molecular subtypes. A dual-track follow-up strategy, recording outcomes for each tumor separately, may improve clarity in assessing prognosis and guiding individualized care. This report underscores the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and highlights potential directions for future research on the mechanisms and management of synchronous dual primaries.

RevDate: 2026-04-20
CmpDate: 2026-04-20

Fatima I, Jaffarsadiq A, Faquih AE, et al (2026)

Triple-negative breast cancer with neurofibromatosis type 1: management challenges.

BMJ case reports, 19(4): pii:19/4/e270134.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant RASopathy associated with increased risk of early-onset breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We report a woman in her early 40s with NF1 who presented for elective cosmetic breast surgery and was incidentally found to have a suspicious right breast lesion on screening mammogram. Biopsy confirmed high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with invasive ductal carcinoma, immunohistochemically triple-negative. Staging investigations revealed no nodal or distant disease. She underwent bilateral mastectomy with right sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), followed by adjuvant docetaxel-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was avoided given the elevated risk of radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) in NF1. Postoperative reconstruction was staged and ultimately successful. At more than 3 years of follow-up, she remains disease-free with satisfactory cosmetic outcomes. This case highlights the importance of vigilant breast surveillance in NF1, challenges in balancing oncologic control with treatment-related risks, and the need for individualised multidisciplinary care.

RevDate: 2026-04-21
CmpDate: 2026-04-21

Ruicci KM, Helou J, Barry A, et al (2026)

The role of stereotactic body radiotherapy in oligoprogressive breast cancer: A site-specific analysis of the prospective, phase-II RADIANT trial.

Clinical and translational radiation oncology, 59:101164.

BACKGROUND: Standard-of-care management for patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer is changing systemic therapy lines. For patients with limited disease progression ('oligoprogression'), there is interest in treating progressive sites with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) whilst maintaining the current systemic therapy. Here we report on the clinical, quality of life (QOL) and adverse event findings for a cohort of patients with oligoprogressive breast cancer enrolled on the prospective, phase-II RADIANT clinical trial.

METHODS: RADIANT (NCT04122469) was a single-arm, phase-II basket trial which included patients with oligoprogressive metastatic breast cancer. Patients on systemic therapy for ≥ 3 months received SBRT over 1-5 fractions, targeting up to 5 metastases with radiographic progression. The primary endpoint was cumulative incidence of change in systemic therapy. Secondary endpoints included local control, progression-free survival, overall survival, adverse events and health-related (HR) QOL. Analysis by disease histology was planned a priori.

RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled and analyzed; the median age was 60.0 years, 80% had invasive ductal carcinoma and 90% were estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive. Most patients had recurrent metastatic disease (63.3%), while 36.7% had de novo metastatic disease. Most patients were on first-line (66.7%) systemic therapy. Median follow-up time was 33.7 months (range 2.5-57.2 months). The cumulative incidence of change in systemic therapy at 1-year was 30.0% (95% CI, 17.2-52.4%) and at 2-years was 50.4% (95% CI, 34.9-72.8%). At 1-year, local control rate was 90.0% and distant control rate was 56.7%. There were no grade ≥ 3 adverse events attributable to SBRT. HRQOL was maintained throughout the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION: Among this cohort of patients with oligoprogressive breast cancer, SBRT is a safe and promising intervention, with potential to delay next-line systemic therapy. However, as a significant cohort of patients do require a change in systemic therapy within 1-2 years of SBRT, biomarkers are needed to best select patients who would benefit clearly from this approach.

RevDate: 2026-04-21

Sato S, Urabe F, Imai Y, et al (2026)

Prognostic impact of large cribriform architecture and intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in diagnostic biopsies of mCSPC receiving ARPI-based therapy.

Japanese journal of clinical oncology pii:8660388 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: A cribriform architecture and intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) are recognized as aggressive histopathological features in prostate cancer. However, their prognostic significance in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), when assessed from diagnostic biopsy specimens, remains uncertain.

METHODS: This retrospective multicenter cohort study included 131 patients with mCSPC who received doublet or triplet therapy incorporating an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor. Diagnostic prostate biopsy specimens were examined for cribriform structures and IDC-P. When the former were present, they were subclassified as small or large types. The primary endpoint was castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival (CRPC-FS).

RESULTS: Large cribriform structures were identified in 54.2% of patients, while small ones were observed in 19.8%. IDC-P was present in 67.2% of cases and was strongly associated with the large-type cribriform architecture (P < .001). Patients with that pattern experienced significantly shorter CRPC-FS compared to those without cribriform structures (P = .013), whereas the small-type architecture was not associated with disease progression. In multivariable analysis, IDC-P and an extent of disease score ≥ 3 were independently associated with shorter CRPC-FS, whereas large cribriform architecture did not retain independent significance. However, incorporation of large cribriform architecture improved model discrimination for predicting castration-resistant prostate cancer progression.

CONCLUSIONS: In diagnostic biopsy specimens, the large-type cribriform architecture is associated with adverse outcomes in mCSPC patients receiving androgen receptor pathway inhibitor-based therapy. Although its prognostic impact overlaps with that of IDC-P, its identification at diagnosis may provide clinically relevant information for contemporary mCSPC management.

RevDate: 2026-04-20
CmpDate: 2026-04-20

Zhu R, Li Y, Zhang J, et al (2026)

Multi-Machine Learning Elucidates Clinical Potential of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Associated Long Non-Coding RNAs in Breast Cancer Progression.

Biotechnology journal, 21(4):e70229.

Breast carcinoma (BRCA) involves multiple molecular markers, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which induce cell migration. However, the specific impact of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) on EMT in BRCA remains uncertain. In this study, a prognostic model was constructed using EMT-associated lncRNAs (EALs), with utilization of integrative machine learning algorithms. The optimal model consisted of 15 EALs, with an AUC of 0.89 at 5 years, showing its potential as a plausible biomarker for BRCA. Among high-risk individuals, a significant increase in pathways linked to the preservation of equilibrium and immune defense was observed. Moreover, it was indicated that immunotherapy elicited negative responses in this group. Somatic mutations displayed higher TP53 rates in high-risk patients and increased CDH1/PIK3CA in low-risk ones. Notably, AC055854.1 and MIR205HG, important EALs in the model, probably regulate BRCA development through the lncRNA-microRNA-mRNA axis. Spatial transcriptome analysis revealed higher expression levels of EALs and high-risk related genes in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma (IDC), and triple-negative BRCA (TNBC) than in breast metastasis (BMS) samples. And neutrophils were exclusively observed within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of BMS. All these findings emphasized EALs' value in revolutionizing clinical decision-making for personalized treatment strategies in BRCA cases.

RevDate: 2026-04-20
CmpDate: 2026-04-20

Kareem TF, Kamal AM, MA Nakash (2026)

Dynamic curve type serves as an effective tool for the diagnosis of benign or malignant non-mass enhancements on breast MRI.

Oncology letters, 31(6):212.

Identifying malignant non-mass enhancement (NME) in contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains a notable diagnostic challenge due to overlapping imaging features between benign and malignant lesions. Although the delayed-phase kinetic patterns are well-established, the diagnostic value of the initial-phase kinetics has not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to evaluate the dynamic and morphological characteristics of NME lesions, to determine whether incorporating initial-phase kinetics with delayed-phase analysis improves the discrimination between benign and malignant cases. A prospective study was conducted at the Oncology Teaching Hospital (Baghdad, Iraq) from April to December 2022, including patients referred for breast MRI. Only cases with pure NME (without associated mass lesions) were included. A core biopsy was performed for all cases, with excisional biopsy when indicated. Data collection followed the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 5th edition criteria. Among 38 enrolled patients (mean age, 45±11.45 years; range, 26-75 years; median, 44 years), 63.2% presented with a breast lump and 26.3% underwent screening. Histopathology confirmed malignancy in 26 cases (68.4%), comprising 12 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ and 14 of invasive ductal carcinoma. Segmental enhancement was the most common malignant pattern [positive predictive value (PPV), 83.3%], followed by regional enhancement (PPV, 64.3%). Benign lesions had slow (58.3%) or medium (41.7%) initial upslopes, whereas 50% of malignant tumors exhibited a rapid initial slope (P=0.001). Persistent delay was observed in 75% of benign cases but in only 26.9% of malignant cases (P=0.005). Integrating the initial upslope with the plateau-phase kinetics increased the PPV for malignancy from 75 to 81.8%. In conclusion, the integration of initial-phase kinetics with traditional delayed-phase and morphological assessment improves the diagnostic accuracy for malignant NME lesions. This multi-parametric approach could potentially serve as a valuable tool to reduce the rate of unnecessary biopsies in the future.

RevDate: 2026-04-20

Shamim AM, Hossan A, Hossen MS, et al (2026)

Linkage Between miR-218-2 (rs11134527) Genetic Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in the Bangladeshi Women.

Health science reports, 9(4):e72092.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The growth and spread of breast carcinoma are influenced by genetic factors. Diverse forms of cancer have been reported to display multiple subtypes of the microRNA gene. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the connection between the miR-218-2 (rs11134527) and breast cancer risk.

METHODS: A total of 303 participants (158 breast cancer patients and 145 healthy controls) were enrolled. Clinical and demographic data were collected through structured questionnaires and hospital records. Genotyping of miR-218-2 rs11134527 was performed using the T-ARMS-PCR technique. Statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS v25.0 and MedCalc v19.0.7. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) using binary logistic regression that controls for age and BMI was employed to investigate the relationship between the targeted SNPs and the risk of breast cancer.

RESULTS: Among the patients, invasive ductal carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (49.61%), followed by lobular carcinoma (17.22%). Grade II tumors (63.75%) were predominant. Ultrasound (64.18%) and biopsy (68.66%) were the most common diagnostic tools. Chemotherapy was the principal treatment (62.12%), with cyclophosphamide (69.62%), doxorubicin (53.80%), and paclitaxel (56.33%) as the most prescribed agents. Genotype analysis revealed that individuals carrying the AA genotype had a significantly higher risk of breast cancer than those with GG (additive model 2: OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.12-5.48, p = 0.025). Significant associations were also observed under the recessive model (AA vs. GG + AG: OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.0-3.86, p = 0.051) and the allelic model (A vs G: OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.06-2.39, p = 0.026).

CONCLUSION: The miR-218-2 rs11134527 A allele confers an increased risk of breast cancer in Bangladeshi women, supporting its potential role as a population-specific genetic biomarker for susceptibility assessment.

RevDate: 2026-04-20
CmpDate: 2026-04-20

Waugh SB, Maku HO, Antosh DD, et al (2026)

A rare case of multifocal vulvar carcinoma of mammary gland type (AMGT) with mucinous features: Differential diagnosis and literature review.

Gynecologic oncology reports, 64:102068.

BACKGROUND: Primary vulvar adenocarcinoma of mammary gland type (AMGT) is a rare gynecologic cancer with only 54 reported cases to date. The tumor may have variety of histologic patterns and can be confused with other more common entities of vulvar tumors. Here, we report a rare mucinous variant of AMGT coexisting with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and benign mammary-like glands in the vulva. We further review the clinicopathological features of previously reported cases in the literature and discuss the differential diagnosis and treatment updates of this rare entity.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old woman with a complex gynecological history who presented with gradually enlarging vulvar nodules and underwent wide local resection. Histological examination revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma and DCIS arising from benign mammary-like glands. The tumor shared histological and immunohistochemical features with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, including immunoreactivity to GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15). Additional imaging did not reveal primary tumor in the breast, gastrointestinal tract, or other organs.

CONCLUSION: Accurate diagnosis of AMGT relies on awareness of this rare entity, recognition of its typical "milk line" location, and familiarity with its morphological and immunohistochemical similarities to breast carcinoma. The diagnostic importance of identifying tumor-associated benign mammary-like glands or DCIS cannot be overemphasized. Immunohistochemistry is critical in identifying the "mammary-like" phenotype of AMGT and excluding other primary and metastatic tumors of vulva. The unique biologic profile of AMGT dictates a treatment strategy distinct from other primary vulvar tumors.

RevDate: 2026-04-18

Pessoa EC, Couto HL, Kamyia Carvalho Pessoa CP, et al (2026)

Breast MRI biomarkers of tumor biology: integrating imaging with pathology to guide clinical care.

European journal of radiology, 200:112863 pii:S0720-048X(26)00211-1 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is biologically heterogeneous, and tissue biomarkers derived from core biopsy may be limited by sampling and spatial heterogeneity. Breast MRI provides multiparametric information on tumor morphology, enhancement behavior, and peritumoral tissue characteristics. We evaluated whether standardized BI-RADS MRI descriptors are independently associated with histopathological features, immunohistochemical markers, and molecular subtypes in invasive breast cancer.

METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included 340 consecutive women with invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type or invasive lobular carcinoma who underwent pretreatment 3T breast MRI between 2014 and 2019. MRI features were assessed using the BI-RADS MRI lexicon by a single experienced breast radiologist (>20 years), blinded to pathological data. Imaging descriptors were correlated with histological grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, and immunohistochemistry-defined molecular subtypes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent imaging predictors.

RESULTS: In multivariable models, peritumoral edema independently predicted LVI (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.18-3.81) and high proliferative activity (Ki-67 ≥ 20%; OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.89-4.83). T2 mixed/hyperintense signal independently predicted high Ki-67 (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.47-4.85) and HER2 positivity (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.72-5.66). Rim enhancement was independently associated with the triple-negative subtype (OR 3.83, 95% CI 1.48-9.94) and high Ki-67 (OR 4.12, 95% CI 2.03-8.36). Washout kinetics independently predicted high Ki-67 (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.82-5.56) and were inversely associated with Luminal A tumors (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.06-0.37). HER2 positivity was independently associated with peritumoral edema, T2 hyperintensity, plateau kinetics, non-mass enhancement (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.18-3.56), and segmental non-mass distribution (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.12-9.61). Across analyses, a consistent imaging pattern combining edema, T2 hyperintensity, rim enhancement, and washout kinetics clustered in biologically aggressive tumors.

CONCLUSIONS: Standardized BI-RADS breast MRI descriptors demonstrate consistent and independent associations with established pathological biomarkers and molecular subtypes. Although MRI does not replace tissue-based assessment, these imaging phenotypes may provide complementary biological context and support radiopathological correlation in multidisciplinary care. Given the retrospective, single-center design with single-reader assessment and absence of external validation, these findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution and require prospective multicenter confirmation before clinical implementation.

RevDate: 2026-04-17
CmpDate: 2026-04-17

Tezuka H, Matsui A, Murata Y, et al (2026)

Synchronous Bilateral Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma With Osteoclast-Like Stromal Giant Cells in a 44-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report.

Cureus, 18(3):e105310.

Breast carcinoma with osteoclast-like stromal giant cells (OCGC) is a rare histological variant of invasive breast carcinoma. While it typically presents as a unilateral disease, its clinicopathological significance and the mechanisms underlying its formation remain incompletely understood. To our knowledge, a case of synchronous bilateral primary invasive ductal carcinoma with OCGCs has not been previously reported. A 44-year-old premenopausal woman was diagnosed with synchronous bilateral invasive ductal carcinoma with OCGCs. Imaging revealed small masses in both breasts, and core needle biopsies demonstrated invasive carcinoma with associated non-invasive components and numerous OCGCs in the tumor stroma. Both tumors were hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (luminal A-like). The patient underwent bilateral mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy, which showed no lymph node metastasis. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient has remained recurrence-free for six months after surgery. Notably, final pathological examination confirmed independent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) components with OCGCs in both breasts, supporting the diagnosis of bilateral primary tumors rather than metastatic disease. Immunohistochemically, the OCGCs were CD68-positive, confirming their macrophage lineage. Genetic testing showed no pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants. This report highlights an extremely rare, pathologically confirmed case of synchronous bilateral primary breast carcinoma with OCGCs. The presence of OCGCs in both invasive and in situ components suggests that their formation can be induced at early stages of tumor development, likely reflecting a distinct immune-reactive tumor microenvironment driven by host-related factors.

RevDate: 2026-04-17

Lundgren JG, Flynn MG, Winkler AR, et al (2026)

Metastasis suppressing properties of the cell-surface anchored serine protease prostasin: new functional and mechanistic insights from breast cancer.

Oncogenesis pii:10.1038/s41389-026-00615-3 [Epub ahead of print].

Serine proteases play multifaceted roles in cancer, affecting tumor formation, progression, and metastasis. While most serine proteases studied act as tumor promoters by remodeling the extracellular matrix and activating signaling pathways, others can function as tumor suppressors. Prostasin is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored serine protease that is expressed in epithelial tissues, including the ductal epithelium of the breast. We found that prostasin protein expression is lost in high-grade, poorly differentiated, invasive ductal carcinoma in both mice and humans. To test whether prostasin impacts tumor progression and metastasis, prostasin-deficient mice were crossed into the oncogene-induced transgenic MMTV-PymT mammary tumor model. While prostasin deficiency did not affect primary tumor growth, it resulted in a significantly increased spontaneous dissemination of cancer cells to the lungs, suggesting a causal relationship between the loss of prostasin expression and progression to distant metastasis of breast cancer. At the cellular level, re-expression of prostasin in human breast cancer cells that have lost endogenous prostasin attenuated their invasive properties. Importantly, silencing prostasin expression in non-transformed human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) resulted in the disruption of epithelial integrity and the loss of tight junctions (TJs), an early hallmark of cells acquiring an invasive phenotype. Discovery proteomics identified HMEC-expressed fibronectin (FN) as a regulatory target of prostasin and revealed increased levels of FN upon prostasin silencing. Mechanistically, cellular FN plays a causal role in TJ integrity in HMECs, and concomitant silencing of FN and prostasin rescues the defects caused by prostasin loss. Prostasin-mediated FN regulation represents a novel mechanism for regulating mammary epithelial cell TJ integrity and a potential candidate pathway for targeted therapy in breast cancer patients.

RevDate: 2026-04-16
CmpDate: 2026-04-16

Behzad S, Shahsavani Asl A, Rouientan H, et al (2026)

Feasibility of delayed post-radiofrequency ablation biopsy in a pulmonary nodule metastatic from breast carcinoma: a case report.

Oxford medical case reports, 2026(4):omag036.

Thermal ablation is an established treatment for pulmonary nodules, conventionally performed after histopathologic confirmation of malignancy. We report the case of a 66-year-old woman with a history of left breast invasive ductal carcinoma (Bloom-Richardson grade II, score 7) with a 3-cm primary tumor and 3/19 axillary lymph nodes involved (pT2N1), and HER2 amplification detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization, who presented with a right lower lobe pulmonary nodule suspicious for metastasis. In contrast to standard practice, the lesion was first ablated under CT guidance, after which a coaxial core biopsy was obtained from the ablation zone. Histopathological analysis confirmed metastatic breast carcinoma, with preserved tissue architecture and immunohistochemical integrity (HER2 immunohistochemistry was 2+, and CISH confirmed HER2 amplification), despite a 4-hour interval between ablation and biopsy. No immediate procedural complications were observed. This case underscores the feasibility and diagnostic adequacy of delayed post-ablation biopsy and suggests that diagnostic integrity can be maintained even several hours after ablation.

RevDate: 2026-04-15

Jordan T, Chan NNN, Rimm DL, et al (2026)

Pathological Response to Herceptin-containing Neoadjuvant Therapy in HER2 IHC2+/ISH+ and IHC3+ Early-Stage Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.

Human pathology pii:S0046-8177(26)00090-0 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: HER2-positive breast cancers exhibit heterogeneous responses to neoadjuvant therapy. This study compared pathologic response between IHC 3+ and IHC 2+/FISH+ invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) treated with trastuzumab/pertuzumab-containing chemotherapy.

METHODS: We identified 202 patients with HER2-positive early-stage IDC who received neoadjuvant T/P-containing chemotherapy followed by surgery between 2017 and 2024. Patients were categorized as IHC 3+ (n = 165) or IHC 2+/FISH+ (n = 37). Clinicopathologic parameters from pretreatment biopsies and post-treatment excisions were reviewed. Residual cancer burden (RCB) score and recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 36 months were analyzed.

RESULTS: The complete pathologic response (pCR) rate was significantly higher in IHC 3+ compared with IHC 2+/FISH+ tumors (67% vs. 27%, p < 0.001). IHC 3+ tumors were more frequently ER-/PR- than IHC 2+/FISH+ tumors (56% vs. 16%, p < 0.001). In the subset with complete FISH data (n = 49), increasing RCB class was inversely associated with both HER2/CEP17 ratio and HER2 copy number. At 36 months, recurrence rates were numerically lower in IHC 3+ compared with IHC 2+/FISH+ tumors (1.7% vs. 9.4%, p = 0.07). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a non-significant trend toward improved RFS in IHC 3+ tumors among hormone receptor-positive cases (p = 0.14).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with IHC 3+ IDC, IHC 2+/FISH+ IDC demonstrated lower pCR rates and inferior RFS in hormone receptor-negative subset following neoadjuvant trastuzumab/ pertuzumab-containing therapy. Pathologic response correlated inversely with HER2/CEP17 ratio and HER2 copy number. Reassessment of HER2 expression with more sensitive quantitative methods, particularly in IHC 2+/FISH+ tumors, may improve therapeutic stratification.

RevDate: 2026-04-15

Al-Masri M, Alayyan O, Y Safi (2026)

Invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma and receptor status in the genetic context of breast cancer.

Scientific reports pii:10.1038/s41598-026-44029-y [Epub ahead of print].

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) represents about 10% of invasive breast cancers and is increasingly considered a unique disease entity. Certain genetic mutations predispose patients to ILC, as such this study aims to explore the ILC and IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma) in a genetic context. This is a retrospective chart review study. Any patient diagnosed with either ILC or IDC and a germline mutation with a predisposition for breast cancer is included in the study. Data was analyzed by patient's demographics, group stage, family history, and genetic mutation. Additionally, each tumor was analyzed for grade and receptor status. This study reviewed 372 patients of which 88.4% had IDC and 11.6% had ILC. Our results indicate that several variants in ATM, BRCA2, CDH1, CHEK2, EPCAM, PALB2, and PMS2 are more strongly associated with ILC - to varying degrees. [p < 0.001]. Additionally, ILC tumors kept several characteristics, even in the genetic context. ILC patients had a higher median age at presentation [p = 0.043], were more likely to have a lower grade compared to ductal tumors [p < 0.001]. and be estrogen receptor positive [p < 0.001] progesterone status positive [p < 0.001] and HER2 negative [p = 0.043]. ILC patients are more likely to have certain genetic mutations over others. This can help clinicians adapt when counseling these patients. Furthermore, ILC keeps its distinctive characteristics independent of the genetic backdrop.

RevDate: 2026-04-14
CmpDate: 2026-04-14

Syrigos N, Mougiakos A, Konstantinidou A, et al (2026)

Immunohistochemical Expression of IDO and PD-L1 in Distinct Compartments of Breast Cancer Tissue: Correlation with Clinicopathological Features and Outcomes.

Cancers, 18(7): pii:cancers18071180.

Background: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immune checkpoint that has been shown to play a key immunomodulatory role in various solid tumors, including breast cancer (BC). Although increased IDO expression has been previously observed in some BC subtypes, mainly triple-negative BC (TNBC), the clinical relevance of this protein across the entire range of BC and its exact correlations with other immune checkpoints remain to be elucidated. We herein aimed to further investigate the differential expression patterns of IDO and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in variable BC subtypes and in distinct compartments of breast cancer tissue, and to explore their potential associations with standard patient- and tumor-related clinicopathological parameters as well as prognosis. Methods: This was a retrospective multi-center cohort study of 150 female patients with BC. The clinicopathological parameters analyzed were retrieved from the medical records of patients while sections from archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were also obtained for the performance of immunohistochemistry. The expression of IDO and PD-L1 was evaluated separately on tumor cells (IDO/CA, PD-L1/CA), lymphocytes (IDO/L, PD-L1/L) and stromal cells (IDO/S, PD-L1/S) and the results were correlated with the remaining clinical and pathological features of patients, as well as with local recurrence, metastasis and survival. Results: The mean age of patients was 59.5 years (SD = 13.4 years). Positive expression of IDO/CA, IDO/L and IDO/S was found in 6%, 93.3% and 90.7% of tissue samples, respectively, while 4%, 11.2% and 6.7% of tumors were positive for PD-L1/CA, PD-L1/L and PD-L1/S, respectively. A significantly higher rate of positive IDO/CA expression was observed in triple-negative BC (TNBC) patients (p = 0.037). Positive expression of IDO-CA was also significantly associated with positivity for PD-L1/L and PD-L1/S (p = 0.001 and p = 0.015, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed independent correlations between IDO/CA and IDO/L and the presence of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (OR = 1.10; p = 0.026) and N1 status (OR = 10.93; p = 0.039), respectively, IDO/S and both N1 (OR = 14.64; p = 0.018) and positive HER2 status (OR = 6.11; p = 0.019), PD-L1/L and high Ki67 (OR = 7.96; p = 0.001) as well as negative ER (OR = 0.08; 0.003) and PR status (OR = 0.09; p = 0.002), PD-L1/S and both NST (no special type) histology (OR = 4.68; p = 0.032) and negative ER status (OR = 0.21; p = 0.044). No statistically significant associations were observed between the expression patterns of the examined biomarkers and recurrence, metastasis or survival. Conclusions: In our study, IDO expression on tumor cells was predominantly observed in TNBC and was found to correlate with PD-L1 expression in the lymphocytic and stromal compartments. Furthermore, expression of PD-L1 among lymphocytes was found to independently correlate with unfavorable clinicopathological parameters, including high proliferation rate and negative hormone receptor status.

RevDate: 2026-04-14
CmpDate: 2026-04-14

Ida E, Ohashi M, Kanehisa F, et al (2026)

Radiation-Associated Angiosarcoma of the Breast: A Case Report with Review of Reported Cases in Japan.

Surgical case reports, 12(1):.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation-associated angiosarcoma of the breast (RAASB) is an extremely rare but serious complication that can occur several years after breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. Owing to its rarity and nonspecific cutaneous manifestations, the diagnosis of RAASB is often delayed. There is no established treatment for RAASB, and its prognosis remains poor.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old woman developed progressive breast edema 14 years after breast-conserving surgery with axillary lymph node dissection and adjuvant radiotherapy for invasive ductal carcinoma. Two years later, she presented with breast masses with purpura and biopsy-confirmed angiosarcoma. Wide mastectomy with skin grafting was performed, followed by weekly administration of adjuvant paclitaxel. The patient remained recurrence-free for 12 months postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS: RAASB can develop long after breast-conserving therapy and may be preceded by subtle skin changes or persistent breast edema. Long-term follow-up and patient education are essential for patients who have undergone breast irradiation. Early imaging or biopsy should be considered when breast lymphedema is observed.

RevDate: 2026-04-14

Kanasaki R, Suzuki K, Ota T, et al (2026)

Estimation of histopathological types from breast MRI findings using a large language model.

International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery [Epub ahead of print].

PURPOSE: Large language models (LLMs) may hold the potential to infer pathological diagnoses from imaging findings such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This retrospective study investigates whether an LLM can accurately predict histopathological types of breast lesions based on descriptive findings in contrast-enhanced breast MRI reports written in natural language.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed findings from diagnostic imaging reports of consecutive cases of contrast-enhanced breast MRI performed between January and December 2024. Textual descriptions of imaging findings were entered into an LLM (OpenAI o3), and its predictions of histopathological types were compared with the actual pathological diagnoses.

RESULTS: A total of 186 lesions from 180 patients were classified into 10 histopathological types, including lesions with combinations of these types. The LLM o3 generated predictions for eight of these types. For the most prevalent type, invasive ductal carcinoma (123 lesions), the model achieved 83.7% sensitivity, 60.8% specificity, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 76.9%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 70.6%. For the second-most frequent type, ductal carcinoma in situ (38 lesions), the model achieved 57.9% sensitivity, 89.6% specificity, PPV of 56.4%, and NPV of 90.2%.

CONCLUSION: The latest LLM accurately inferred invasive ductal carcinoma with typical breast MRI findings, supporting the hypothesis that LLMs can predict histopathological types based on imaging descriptions.

RevDate: 2026-04-13

Thabit DM (2026)

Immunohistochemical expression of POC1A, NUF2, and Ki-67 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast: prognostic significance with insights into triple-negative breast cancer.

American journal of clinical pathology, 165(4):.

RevDate: 2026-04-13
CmpDate: 2026-04-13

Hua W, Gu Y, Yuan Y, et al (2026)

RNAscope-based HER2 mRNA detection shows high concordance with fluorescence in situ hybridization in invasive breast carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Translational cancer research, 15(3):174.

BACKGROUND: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is critical for guiding targeted therapy in invasive breast cancer (BC). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is routinely used for HER2 screening, but equivocal (IHC 2+) cases require confirmatory testing. RNAscope is an emerging RNA in situ hybridization technique with proven consistency and sensitivity. We investigated whether RNAscope can reliably determine HER2 status and enhance diagnostic concordance with FISH in IHC 2+ invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

METHODS: In this retrospective study, 104 IDC cases from January 2020 to January 2024 were reviewed. Thirty-five cases with IHC 2+ scores were randomly selected. Each case underwent RNAscope and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for HER2. Concordance between RNAscope and FISH results was evaluated using Cohen's kappa statistic. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on discordant cases to confirm HER2 gene status.

RESULTS: RNAscope and FISH results were concordant in 85.7% (30/35) of IHC 2+ cases [κ=0.678, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.425-0.872], indicating substantial agreement. RNAscope detected HER2 positivity in all 12 FISH-positive cases (100% agreement) and in 5 of 23 FISH-negative cases, identifying additional positive cases. Among the 5 discordant cases, NGS confirmed HER2 amplification or overexpression in 4 (80%) of the RNAscope-positive/FISH-negative cases. These findings suggest that RNAscope may detect HER2-positive cases missed by FISH.

CONCLUSIONS: RNAscope shows high agreement with FISH in determining HER2 status in IHC 2+ IDC. RNAscope may serve as an effective adjunct to current HER2 testing, offering a sensitive alternative for ambiguous cases.

RevDate: 2026-04-13
CmpDate: 2026-04-13

Zhang X, Lin Y, Lin Y, et al (2026)

Survival outcomes of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast: a SEER population-based study.

Gland surgery, 15(3):66.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) histology in breast cancer is still debated. Additionally, the relationship between different molecular subtypes and survival outcomes in patients with IMPC and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate whether breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) differ between IMPC and IDC across molecular subtypes, to better inform subtype-aware risk stratification and personalized management.

METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify breast cancer patients, we retrospectively analyzed 959 IMPC and 174,591 IDC cases diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 with non-metastatic diseases that underwent surgery. We compared long-term outcomes of BCSS and OS.

RESULTS: IMPC had a better BCSS (P=0.04) but showed no significant difference in OS (P=0.09) compared with IDC. In multivariate Cox analysis, IMPC histologic type was an independent favorable prognostic factor for both BCSS [hazard ratio (HR) =0.509, P=0.002] and OS (HR =0.637, P=0.003). After propensity score matching (PSM), IMPC still had a better BCSS (P=0.001); we observed no significant difference in OS (P=0.38). While different molecular subtypes have different impacts on survival outcomes, no significant differences were observed in BCSS and OS between IMPC and IDC in relation to Luminal B, human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched, and triple-negative subtype. In relation to the Luminal A subtype, IMPC had better BCSS (HR =0.399, P=0.001) and OS (HR =0.508, P=0.001). In the case-control cohort, IMPC had a better BCSS (HR =0.423, P=0.005), while no significant difference was observed in OS (HR =0.767, P=0.22) in Luminal A subtype.

CONCLUSIONS: Relative to IDC, IMPC presents better long-term survival outcomes, and the survival benefits are confined to the Luminal A subtype.

RevDate: 2026-04-13
CmpDate: 2026-04-13

El Houbri FE, Idrissi N, Roche M, et al (2026)

PADI-Location-AR-EN: A normalized Arabic-English spatial entity dataset for epidemiological surveillance.

Data in brief, 66:112698.

The location of events in multilingual texts, particularly in Arabic, represents a challenge for epidemiological monitoring. Systems such as PADI-web rely on English translation to extract spatial entities, but the scarcity of annotated spatial entities in Arabic can hamper the reliability of translations and extraction. In this context, PADI-Location-AR-EN, which is a dataset of 328 spatial entities that were manually extracted from 96 Arabic-language news articles collected by the PADI-web epidemiological monitoring system, is presented in this paper. Each entity was manually translated into English, normalized using the GeoNames database, and then classified according to its type and spatial category. The dataset can be used to evaluate the translation quality of three machine translation systems (DeepL, Microsoft Azure and Reverso) as well as the performance of named entity recognition models on the translated texts.

RevDate: 2026-04-13
CmpDate: 2026-04-13

Wang Y, Li Q, L Zhao (2026)

An interpretable weighted ensemble based on routinely collected clinical data for the accurate prediction of axillary lymph node metastasis.

Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery, 16(4):318.

BACKGROUND: Axillary lymph node (ALN) status is a primary prognostic indicator in breast cancer, yet conventional surgical staging for determining ALN status is invasive. We aimed to develop an interpretable, noninvasive weighted ensemble model for ALN metastasis prediction using only routine, universally accessible clinicopathological data.

METHODS: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of 915 patients (training set: n=732; test set: n=183). Twelve routine clinicopathological variables, including age, tumor diameter, histological grade, and biomarkers [estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67], served as predictors. A two-stage weighted ensemble was developed through the integration of logistic regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) via Python version 3.9. Model performance was evaluated with the held-out test set according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and sensitivity. Model interpretability was achieved through Shapley additive explanations (SHAP).

RESULTS: The weighted ensemble model achieved a superior AUC of 0.762 on the test set, outperforming optimized XGBoost (AUC =0.752) and tuned LR (AUC =0.741). The model demonstrated a robust AUPRC of 0.575 and achieved a high sensitivity of 0.800. SHAP analysis revealed that model predictions were primarily driven by tumor diameter, invasive ductal carcinoma pathology type, and plateau time-intensity curve patterns.

CONCLUSIONS: The interpretable weighted ensemble model, based only on standard tabular clinicopathological data, provides accurate and transparent ALN risk stratification. Its high sensitivity supports its use as a valuable triage tool for identifying low-risk patients who may safely forego invasive axillary surgery.

RevDate: 2026-04-10

Sutanto H, Savitri M, Hendarsih E, et al (2026)

Early hematologic dynamics and their association with patient-reported symptom burden in breast cancer pharmacotherapy: a prospective cohort study.

Future oncology (London, England) [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Systemic pharmacotherapy for breast cancer frequently induces hematologic toxicity and inflammatory changes that may affect symptom burden and treatment tolerance. This study evaluated baseline hematologic profiles, early treatment-related changes, and their association with patient-reported outcomes during the first cycle of therapy.

METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 106 women receiving systemic pharmacotherapy at two secondary referral centers in Indonesia were enrolled. Hematologic parameters and inflammatory indices-including neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV)-were measured. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30.

RESULTS: The mean age was 51.9 ± 9.7 years, with most patients presenting with locally advanced disease and invasive ductal carcinoma. Early pharmacotherapy caused marked hematologic suppression, with leukocyte and neutrophil nadirs at week 1 and partial recovery by week 3 (p < 0.001). PLR, MLR, and PIV changed significantly over time (p < 0.001). Anemia increased from 51.9% to 74.0%, while neutropenia rose to 41.7% at week 1 before declining to 1.1% by week 3. Selected hematologic biomarkers correlated with patient-reported symptom burden, and only baseline MLR differed between survival subgroups (p = 0.043).

CONCLUSION: Early breast cancer pharmacotherapy induces dynamic hematologic and inflammatory changes associated with patient-reported symptoms, supporting integrated monitoring to improve toxicity management.

RevDate: 2026-04-10
CmpDate: 2026-04-10

Addasi R, AbuMahfouz B, Subuh A, et al (2026)

Racial disparities in breast cancer subtypes, recurrence, and survival: a longitudinal cohort analysis.

Frontiers in oncology, 16:1732495.

INTRODUCTION: Racial disparities in breast cancer subtype distribution and clinical outcomes are well documented, yet integrated longitudinal analyses examining subtype, recurrence, and survival within standardized cohorts remain limited. This study examines race-associated differences in breast cancer subtypes, recurrence patterns, and survival outcomes using a retrospective longitudinal cohort.

METHODS: A total of 922 women from the Duke Breast Cancer MRI dataset were analyzed. Race was categorized a priori into three groups (White, Black, and Other) for primary comparative analyses.

RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis (in years) was 52.2 (IQR 45.4-60.8), with Black patients presenting at younger median ages compared with White patients (p< 0.001). Black women had the highest prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer (29.6%). Sixty-five (47.1%) of black patients presented with stage III Nottingham grade at presentation (P< 0.001). The overall recurrence rate was 9.4%, and mortality rate was 6.7%, with no statistically significant difference between groups.

DISCUSSION: Black patients demonstrated a higher prevalence of aggressive tumor biology at presentation; however, survival differences were attenuated after multivariable adjustment. Given the limited number of mortality events, adjusted survival estimates should be interpreted cautiously, as these findings underscore the need for larger, prospective studies integrating genomic, imaging, and socioeconomic data to better define drivers of outcome disparities in breast cancer.

RevDate: 2026-04-10
CmpDate: 2026-04-10

Alsharif H, Wesolowski R, Cebulla CM, et al (2026)

Case Report: Late choroidal metastasis from hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer responsive to first-line endocrine therapy.

Frontiers in oncology, 16:1719671.

Distant metastatic breast cancer can occur years after initial diagnosis, with choroidal metastasis being a rare but significant manifestation. This case report presents a patient with a history of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the left breast, who developed late choroidal metastasis. The patient underwent systemic therapy with an aromatase inhibitor and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor leading to regression of choroidal metastases. We also conducted a literature review of similar cases. External beam radiotherapy is the gold standard for management of choroidal metastases. However, it appears that first-line treatment with endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with ER+ and HER2- breast cancer is likely effective for the treatment of choroidal metastases secondary to ER+/HER2- breast cancer and may allow a delay in the use of local invasive interventions.

RevDate: 2026-04-10

Aziz S, Rasheed F, Bibi S, et al (2026)

Case report of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast in a Pakistani male aged 55.

Discover oncology pii:10.1007/s12672-026-04996-0 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2026-04-10

Gong N, Gouda M, Balaz AM, et al (2026)

EpCAM supports exit from pluripotency of embryonic stem cells via Eomes.

Cell death & disease pii:10.1038/s41419-026-08734-w [Epub ahead of print].

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen that marks pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Regulation of Epcam expression yields a spatiotemporal patterning during embryogenesis that is thoroughly mimicked in a 3D model of spontaneous differentiation of embryoid bodies (EBs). Here, we present a role of EpCAM in exit from pluripotency of murine ESCs (mESCs) to establish cardiomyocytes in EBs. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of wildtype and Epcam-knockout mESCs at strategic time points of spontaneous differentiation uncovered molecular deficiencies of Epcam-knockout ESCs in "Wnt signaling" and "Heart development". Multi-level bioinformatic analyses revealed central lineage-defining transcription factors Eomes, Foxa2, and Gata6 as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that are misregulated in Epcam-knockout mESCs. Gene expression association of Epcam with Eomes, Foxa2, and Gata6 was prominent at day three of spontaneous differentiation, representing primitive streak formation in EBs. Interrogation of public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) datasets supported a co-expression of Epcam and Eomes at early stages of murine embryogenesis in epiblast, primitive streak, nascent mesoderm, extraembryonic ectoderm and endoderm. Newly generated scRNAseq of wildtype mESCs in spontaneous differentiation delineated the formation of epiblast, primitive streak, endo- and mesoderm cells, and cardiomyocytes. Expression and pseudotime analysis positioned Epcam expression slightly ahead of Eomes at the transition of early to late primitive streak, along with rising Wnt signaling. Accordingly, conditional re-expression of Epcam or Eomes but not of Foxa2 or Gata6 complemented differentiation defects of Epcam-knockouts and confirmed an involvement of Wnt signaling in the EpCAM-dependent activation of Eomes. Hence, defective exit of pluripotency in Epcam-deficient ESCs is linked to Eomes regulation via Wnt signaling.

RevDate: 2026-04-10
CmpDate: 2026-04-10

Leshem Y, Golomb I, Zubkov A, et al (2026)

Neoadjuvant twelve weekly paclitaxel-carboplatin with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 217(1):.

PURPOSE: Standard neoadjuvant therapy for early HER2-positive breast cancer consists of 18 weeks of carboplatin, docetaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab. However, treatment intensity may limit feasibility in frail patients and exceed therapeutic needs in selected early-stage disease. We report here real-world clinical outcomes of patients receiving a shortened 12-week neoadjuvant regimen of weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin administered with trastuzumab and pertuzumab (12wTCHP).

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant 12wTCHP in a single tertiary medical center.

RESULTS: Of forty-four eligible patients receiving 12wTCHP, 41 had invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC, 93%), and 64% were ER-positive. The majority of the cohort had stage IIA (73%, median age 59 years), while the remainder had stage IIB or stage III disease and were significantly older (median age 64 and 76 years, respectively; p = 0.007). Grade 3-4 neutropenia (20%) and diarrhea (19%) were the most frequent toxicities. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 61%: 54% in ER-positive tumors and 75% in ER-negative tumors (p = 0.208). After a median follow-up of 30 months, only two recurrences (5%) were observed. None of the 30 patients with stage IIA IDC had disease recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective cohort study, neoadjuvant 12wTCHP was well tolerated and associated with high pCR and low early recurrence rates. These findings are hypothesis-generating and support further evaluation of de-escalated 12wTCHP regimen in selected patients.

RevDate: 2026-04-09
CmpDate: 2026-04-09

Harshe AI, Cruz HS, Desai A, et al (2025)

Patient Reported Satisfaction Outcomes After Breast Radiation Using Intraoperative Radiation Therapy vs. External Beam Radiation Therapy.

European journal of breast health, 21(3):11.

OBJECTIVE: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), is an alternative to postoperative whole breast irradiation for early-stage breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess patient reported outcomes (PRO) on cosmetic results and radiation related adverse effects after IORT vs. external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients treated with IORT for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or early-stage breast cancer between 2017-2023 were asked to submit the pre-validated BREAST-Q survey tool for objective aesthetic evaluation. A matching cohort of patients treated with EBRT during the same time interval was also asked to submit the same survey.

RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients were included, 56 (63.0%) with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 32 (36%) with DCIS. Thirty (68%) patients with IDC and 14 (31%) patients with DCIS had IORT. Patient satisfaction scores with breast cosmesis was higher in IORT group compared to EBRT (mean, 83.7 vs. 74.2; p = 0.05). Less radiation related adverse effects were reported after IORT (mean, 7.7) as compared with EBRT (mean, 10.6) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that in comparison to EBRT, patients treated with IORT have higher satisfaction scores related to breast cosmesis and less radiation related adverse effects.

RevDate: 2026-04-09
CmpDate: 2026-04-09

Chelpanova IV, Volos LI, Dudash AP, et al (2026)

Evaluation of Š•-cadherin expression in invasive ductal breast cancer.

Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960), 79(2):255-264.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To evaluate E-cadherin expression in various clinical and pathological prognostic scenarios to determine its significance in the development of molecular subtypes of invasive ductal breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: A comprehensive morphological and immunohistochemical study of 80 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was conducted to determine the molecular phenotype. The expression of E-cadherin, ER, PR receptors, c-erbB2, and Ki-67 was evaluated according to the manufacturer's standardized protocols using appropriate positive and negative controls. The degree of tumor malignancy was determined using the modified Scarff-Bloom-Richardson system. Semi-quantitative assessment of E-cadherin expression was performed using the Qureshi scale. Pearson's criterion was used for statistical analysis. Differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Results: Low E-cadherin expression was associated with stage 3, pT3, and G2/G3 grades of IDBC malignancy, confirming its unfavorable prognostic significance and correlation with the molecular profile. High E-cadherin expression was characteristic of ER-positive luminal A tumors, regardless of menopause, indicating a regulatory role for ER expression. The low proliferative activity of luminal IDBC cells was explained by high E-cadherin expression, which increased adhesive properties. Low E-cadherin expression is also a prognostic marker for TNBC.

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: E-cadherin is a potent tumor suppressor in breast cancer. Its role in disease progression is confirmed by the correlation between partial or complete loss of E-cadherin expression and poor prognosis for patients.

RevDate: 2026-04-09

Zhang J, Wang L, He Y, et al (2026)

Efficacy of scalp cooling system versus chemical cooling cap in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia in breast cancer (COHAIR Study): a prospective randomized trial.

Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland), 87:104784 pii:S0960-9776(26)00094-9 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: A prospective, randomized trial was conducted at a tertiary cancer hospital, to investigate the efficacy of scalp cooling system and chemical cooling cap in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in early breast cancer.

METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to scalp cooling system group or chemical cooling cap group. Alopecia was assessed using the World Health Organization toxicity grading scale for anticancer drug and Quality of life and psychological status were evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

RESULTS: A total of 152 patients were included in the random grouping process. The mean age of the participants was 44.6 ± 9.0 years (range 27-65 years), and 97.4% patients were diagnosed invasive ductal carcinoma. Among 117 patients completed the observation period with four cycles of anthracycline followed by four cycles of taxane regimen, hair preservation success rates were 74.5% in scalp cooling system and 71.2% in chemical cooling cap group and demonstrated good tolerability. The chemical group showed significantly lower anxiety scores and better QoL.

CONCLUSIONS: Cooling therapies effectively improved CIA. Scalp cooling showed superior early efficacy during anthracycline treatment, while chemical cooling provided better psychological outcomes and QoL benefits. Disease-free survival (DFS) was comparable between groups.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03711877 on 26 November 2021.

RevDate: 2026-04-09

Vickery J, Peerenboom R, Siddiqui F, et al (2026)

Hematolymphoid neoplasms involving the breast: A single institution clinicopathologic study of 59 patients.

Annals of hematology, 105(5):.

RevDate: 2026-04-08

Chen JH, Wanis KN, Rahman M, et al (2026)

Implications for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Omission in Patients with Early-Stage Node-Negative HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer Undergoing Mastectomy.

Annals of surgical oncology [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: The SOUND and INSEMA trials have demonstrated the non-inferiority of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy (SLNB) omission in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early-stage breast cancer (BC) with negative axillary ultrasound undergoing breast-conserving therapy (BCT). We evaluated SLNB positivity rates and treatment characteristics among patients undergoing BCT versus mastectomy.

METHODS: Patients with cT1N0M0 HR+/HER2- unifocal invasive ductal carcinoma with negative axillary ultrasound undergoing upfront BCT + radiation therapy (RT) or mastectomy +/- RT were included (2010-2023). Clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, and patient outcomes were compared by surgery type.

RESULTS: Among 1506 patients, the median age was 59 years (interquartile range [IQR] 51-67). In total, 78.2% (1178) underwent BCT and 21.8% (328) underwent mastectomy. The mastectomy cohort was significantly younger and had larger and higher-grade tumors (age 55.7 vs. 60.8; grade 3: 20.1 vs. 12.5%, both p < 0.001). Rates of positive SLNs were similar in BCT and mastectomy cohorts (7.6 vs. 8.2%, p = 0.684). Among the mastectomy cohort, 10.1% received RT and 28.1% received chemotherapy, with higher rates in patients with positive SLNs (RT: 51.8 vs. 6.31%, chemotherapy: 76.5 vs. 22.5%, both p < 0.0001). At a median follow up time of 25.3 months (IQR 13.2-58.9), three (0.2%) had axillary recurrences (two after mastectomy) and seven (0.46%) had distant recurrences (two after mastectomy).

CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with cT1N0M0 HR+/HER2- disease and negative AUS who underwent SLNB, early recurrence rates were low regardless of surgery type. Given that nodal status affects the use of RT after mastectomy, further research investigating the omission of SLNB in this cohort is warranted.

RevDate: 2026-04-07

Li N, Taherdangkoo K, Baatsch IM, et al (2026)

Mir147 Limits the Contribution of Non-Foamy Macrophages to Atherosclerosis.

Circulation [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Hypercholesterolemia and a high-fat diet promote 2 macrophage subtypes involved in atherosclerosis by inducing lipid droplet accumulation in foamy macrophages (FMs) and inflammatory activation in non-foamy macrophages (NFMs). MicroRNAs are key regulators of macrophage function; for instance, miR-10a-5p reduces atherosclerosis and improves mitochondrial health in FMs, whereas miR-155-5p accelerates atherosclerosis by impairing efferocytosis. miR-147-3p is upregulated by inflammatory stimuli in macrophages and in atherosclerotic lesions, suggesting a role in NFMs.

METHODS: The role of miR-147-3p in myeloid cells, with or without enhanced green fluorescent protein expression, on atherosclerosis was examined in Apoe[-/-]Mir147[flox/flox]LysMCre[+] mice. Using live-plaque 4D confocal imaging, we assessed lipid droplets, caspase-3 activation, apoptotic DNA, cholesterol crystal (CC) formation, and mitochondrial function. We also imaged macrophage migration, phagocytosis of apoptotic DNA, and the formation of tubular membrane extensions. We tested mitochondrial function in live-plaque tissue by Seahorse assay. GFP-tagged Argonaute 2 immunoprecipitation combined with prime RNA sequencing was performed using atherosclerotic aortas from Apoe[-/-]LSL-tAgo2/Mir147[flox/flox]LysMCre[+] and control mice. The effect of the galectin-3 inhibitor GB1107 was studied using 4D live-plaque imaging.

RESULTS: Unlike FMs, NFMs are primarily located in the plaque core and show higher miR-147-3p levels in both mouse and human atherosclerosis. Knocking out Mir147 in myeloid cells increases atherosclerosis, with enhanced CC formation and apoptotic DNA accumulation in necrotic cores. Removing Mir147 reduces mitochondrial activity and elevates caspase-3 activity in NFMs, but not in FMs, and lowers the spare respiratory capacity of plaque macrophages. Moreover, deleting Mir147 impairs NFM uptake of apoptotic DNA, increases extracellular apoptotic DNA, and promotes CC formation. Additionally, Mir147 deficiency in NFMs induces caspase-3 activation in endothelial cells, facilitating the transendothelial extension of FM projections. The Lgals3 transcript, encoding galectin-3, was reduced in the tagged Argonaute 2 immunoprecipitate after Mir147 knockout. A miR-147-3p binding site in the Lgals3 3'-UTR was functionally confirmed. GB1107 treatment reversed the Mir147 knockout effect in macrophages.

CONCLUSIONS: miR-147-3p reduces atherosclerosis by suppressing the harmful effects of NFMs on endothelial cells and by enhancing their clearance of apoptotic DNA through targeting galectin-3. Increasing miR-147-3p levels might thus slow the expansion of the necrotic core and reduce atherothrombosis caused by NFM-induced endothelial damage.

RevDate: 2026-04-07
CmpDate: 2026-04-07

Wieland J (2026)

[Differentiating crises in people with intellectual disabilities].

Tijdschrift voor psychiatrie, 68(3):131-134.

BACKGROUND: Crises in people with intellectual disabilities often occur at the intersection of mental health care (MHC) and intellectual disability care (IDC). Different actors and crisis regulations with their own definitions and agreements make appropriate care challenging. Effective collaboration between MHC and IDC is essential but often not structurally organized.

AIM: To distinguish between different types of crises in order to promote shared perceptions and a common language between MHC and IDC. This will improve the coordination of interventions and make cooperation between professionals more effective.

METHOD: Based on clinical experience and scientific background, I propose a model with four types of crises: contextual crisis, somatic crisis, overburdening, and psychiatric crisis.

RESULTS: Better differentiation between different types of crises can be advantageous for people with intellectual disabilities. It ensures a shared perception and common language across domains, leading to better task distribution and cooperation between the various professionals involved.

CONCLUSION: Better differentiation of crises can improve collaboration between MHC and IDC. This model provides tools for joint crisis management and can further improve care in the future.

RevDate: 2026-04-07

Yan X, Xie Y, Liu M, et al (2026)

Incidental Detection of a CAIX-avid Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on 68Ga-NY104 PET/CT During Evaluation of a Suspected Renal Mass.

Clinical nuclear medicine pii:00003072-990000000-02195 [Epub ahead of print].

68Ga-NY104 is a novel tracer targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) with promising diagnostic efficacy for clear cell renal cell cancer. We present a 55-year-old woman with a suspected left renal mass who underwent 68Ga-NY104, showing no significant uptake in the renal mass but incidentally revealing an intense uptake nodule in the left breast. Subsequent 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed mild renal mass and intense breast nodule uptake. Postoperative pathology confirmed the renal mass as benign angiomyolipoma and the breast nodule as invasive ductal carcinoma. This case highlights the inclusion of primary breast cancer in the differential diagnosis of extra-renal CAIX-avid lesions.

RevDate: 2026-04-06
CmpDate: 2026-04-06

Sun Y (2026)

Low-grade osteosarcoma after radiotherapy for breast cancer: a case report and literature review.

Frontiers in oncology, 16:1758269.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnostic strategies and clinical management of primary low-grade osteosarcoma of the breast occurring after radiotherapy for breast cancer.

METHODS: We report a rare case of primary low-grade osteosarcoma of the breast in a 69-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer radiotherapy, and review the relevant literature to summarize its clinicopathological features, aiming to improve clinicians' and pathologists' recognition and diagnostic capability for this rare disease.

RESULTS: The patient was diagnosed with left breast invasive ductal carcinoma (pT2N0M0, Luminal A type) 12 years ago and underwent breast-conserving surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. She presented with a recurrent mass at the original radiotherapy site. Following mastectomy and comprehensive pathological evaluation, the final diagnosis was primary low-grade osteosarcoma of the breast. She then underwent a modified radical mastectomy and has been followed up for 22 months with no signs of local recurrence or distant metastasis to date. Primary osteosarcoma of the breast is rare, typically high-grade, and is associated with a poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Primary low-grade osteosarcoma is exceptionally rare, with only sporadic case reports suggesting a potentially more favorable prognosis compared to its high-grade counterpart. Its bland histological appearance can lead to misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis, and no standardized treatment protocols have been established for this disease.

CONCLUSION: Core needle biopsy of radiation-induced low-grade osteosarcoma of the breast is prone to misdiagnosis due to limited sampling and bland histological morphology; comprehensive pathological evaluation of surgical specimens combined with a specific immunohistochemical panel (SATB2, MDM2, β-catenin) is key to a definitive diagnosis. Mastectomy is a reasonable primary treatment option for this rare tumor, and long-term standardized follow-up is necessary. This case report supplements the clinical and pathological data on radiation-induced low-grade osteosarcoma of the breast, and provides a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

RevDate: 2026-04-06
CmpDate: 2026-04-06

Sriram A, Polhemus L, Rodriguez W, et al (2026)

Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome Related to Pembrolizumab Treatment for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Cureus, 18(3):e104726.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as pembrolizumab have become integral to the treatment of various metastatic malignancies. However, their use is associated with a growing spectrum of immune-related adverse events, including rare neurological complications. This report adds to the limited existing literature on ICI-associated opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (OMAS) and highlights the importance of prompt recognition and multidisciplinary management of such cases. We present a case of a 67-year-old female who presented with rapid, chaotic eye movements, truncal ataxia, and full-body myoclonus two months after beginning a combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy regimen of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and pembrolizumab for triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma. The case highlights pembrolizumab, an ICI targeting the programmed death-1 receptor, as a cause of adult-onset OMAS. In our discussion, we expand upon the mechanism of action of ICIs, notably the immune pathways underlying their use. We follow this with how this immunotherapy causes damage to peripheral tissues, focusing on the neurological side effects. We finish by discussing currently implemented treatment options for patients who experience these adverse events, and future directions in the field of autoimmune and paraneoplastic neurology. This case describes the onset of OMAS following pembrolizumab therapy in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer, a rare but clinically significant adverse event. As ICIs are increasingly used, clinicians must remain vigilant for uncommon neurological immune-related adverse events. Early recognition and immunosuppressive treatment can mitigate long-term sequelae. This case underscores the need for further research and interdisciplinary awareness in the evolving field of autoimmune and paraneoplastic neurology.

RevDate: 2026-04-06
CmpDate: 2026-04-06

Abarca Ruiz JW, SuƔrez Caicedo MN, Redroban Tufino EJ, et al (2026)

Acute Pancreatitis as the Initial Presentation of Metastatic Breast Cancer Due to Malignant Hypercalcemia: A Case Report.

Cureus, 18(3):e104627.

Hypercalcemia-induced acute pancreatitis is a rare condition, most commonly associated with primary hyperparathyroidism or advanced malignancies, and represents a metabolic emergency. We report the case of a 63-year-old woman who presented with severe epigastric abdominal pain, constipation, and episodes of disorientation. Laboratory tests revealed elevated pancreatic enzymes and severe hypercalcemia. Acute pancreatitis secondary to hypercalcemia was diagnosed, and normal parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels excluded primary hyperparathyroidism. The presence of anemia, thrombocytopenia, and multiple lytic bone lesions initially suggested multiple myeloma; however, this diagnosis was ruled out due to the absence of monoclonal gammopathy. Further imaging revealed an irregular right breast mass with axillary lymphadenopathy, classified as BI-RADS 5. Tumor markers were markedly elevated, and core needle biopsy confirmed human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive invasive ductal carcinoma with bone metastases. Despite intensive treatment with intravenous hydration and zoledronic acid, neurological deterioration occurred; hence, after 25 days of hospitalization, the patient was discharged for home-based palliative care at the family's request. This case highlights the importance of considering metastatic malignancies, particularly breast cancer, in patients with pancreatitis of unclear etiology and severe hypercalcemia.

RevDate: 2026-04-06
CmpDate: 2026-04-06

Musamba J, Chisompola D, Mwansa P, et al (2026)

Correlates of Ki-67 proliferation index in a cohort of women with suspected breast cancer in Lusaka, Zambia.

PLOS global public health, 6(4):e0005752 pii:PGPH-D-25-03910.

Ki-67 is a key biomarker of tumor proliferation in breast cancer, yet its clinical correlates in this population, where disease is often detected at earlier stages, remain underexplored. This study aimed to identify factors independently associated with high Ki-67 expression among women investigated for suspected breast cancer at Unilabs Laboratory, Lusaka, Zambia. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 208 women suspected of having breast cancer through a laboratory-based screening program in Lusaka, Zambia (2019-2024). Demographic, clinical, and pathology data were extracted from laboratory records. Ki-67 expression, as the outcome variable, was dichotomized as low (<20%) or high (>20%). Variables significant in bivariate analysis (p < 0.05) were included in a multivariable logistic regression model to identify correlates of high Ki-67 expression. The median age was 48 years (IQR: 40-63), and 46.2% (n = 96) exhibited high Ki-67 expression. In bivariate analysis, younger age, invasive ductal carcinoma, right breast involvement, progesterone receptor (PR) positivity threshold ≄10%, non-Quick Score scoring methods, and lack of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing were associated with high Ki-67. However, in adjusted multivariable models, only older age (>41 years, aOR: 0.43-0.46, p < 0.05), PR positivity threshold ≄10% (aOR: 6.14-6.38, p < 0.05), and use of non-Quick Score scoring methods (aOR: 10.5-14.9, p ≤ 0.002) remained significantly associated with high Ki-67, while other factors lost statistical significance after controlling for confounders. In this diagnostic cohort from Zambia, nearly half of women with breast cancer exhibited high Ki-67 expression, reinforcing its relevance even in early detection settings. The study identified younger age (≤40 years), higher PR positivity threshold, and alternative scoring methods as independent correlates of high Ki-67, highlighting the importance of standardized biomarker assessment. Future studies should consider a prospective study design incorporating molecular subtyping to enhance the clinical interpretation of Ki-67 in similar populations.

RevDate: 2026-04-03

Corso G, Andreon C, La Vecchia C, et al (2026)

Invasive lobular and ductal breast cancers: a systematic review and metanalysis in association with BRCA1/2 mutation status.

European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 239:116692 pii:S0959-8049(26)00472-7 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) differs from invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDC) with respect to genetic alterations and risk factors. We aimed to quantify differences in the prevalence of germline BRCA1/2 mutations between these two patients' populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search to extract data on the association between BRCA1/2 mutation status and breast cancer (BC) histological subtype (ILC and IDC). Summary odds ratios (SOR) and 95% CI were calculated using random effects univariate and bivariate models and between-study heterogeneity investigated through meta-regression and subgroup analyses.

RESULTS: Twelve studies, published between 1998 and 2025, were considered, including 8004 BC women. BRCA1 mutations were significantly less frequent in patients with ILC than IDC (SOR=0.32, 95%CI (0.16-0.65)) whereas no association was found overall for BRCA2 (SOR=1.28, 95%CI (0.95-1.72)). The difference between the association with BRCA1 and BRCA2 was statistically significant (p-value<0.001). There was no indication of publication bias in BRCA1 (Egger's and Begg's test p-value=0.23, 0.12). The between study heterogeneity was 29% in BRCA1 and 0% in BRCA2. Excluding papers with high risk of bias, BRCA2 mutations were more frequent in patients with ILC than in IDC (SOR=2.56, 95%CI (1.15-5.7)). This association was primarily driven by the bivariate random-effects model, which accounts for the correlation between BRCA1 and BRCA2 estimates.

CONCLUSIONS: In studies with lower risk of bias, germline BRCA2 mutations were more frequent in patients with ILC than IDC. Conversely, BRCA1 mutations are more frequently observed in IDC, particularly among younger patients and those with a positive family history of BC.

RevDate: 2026-04-03
CmpDate: 2026-04-03

Wang X, Xiao X, Yang A, et al (2026)

Correlation between quantitative DCE-MRI and pathologic complete response in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Medicine, 105(14):e48122.

This study aimed to determine the associations between pretreatment quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters, post-neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) MRI features, and pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Twenty-eight consecutive IDC patients who received NST were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent MRI at 3 time points: before NST; after 2 cycles of NST; and before surgery. Continuous and categorical variables were compared between pCR and non-pCR groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test, respectively, with HER2 status adjusted in PK parameter analyses. Partial correlation assessed associations between MRI features and pCR. Select PK parameters were further evaluated using Firth's penalized-likelihood regression, controlling for covariates. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate predictive performance. Significant differences were detected between groups regarding HER2-positive, luminal B subtype, Miller-Payne, and postoperative lymph node metastasis (P < .05). Pretreatment peritumoural extravascular extracellular volume (Ve), post-NST shrinkage pattern, and residual disease were significantly different between the groups (P < .05). Partial correlation analysis indicated a positive association between the peritumoural flux rate constant (Kep) and pCR (P < .05). Regression analysis identified the peritumoural Kep as a factor influencing the pCR with an area under the curve of 0.756 (95% CI = 0.564-0.947). Our preliminary findings suggested an association between the pCR and pretreatment peritumoural PK parameters, highlighting the potential value of the peritumoural region. These results require further validation in larger prospective studies.

RevDate: 2026-04-01

Wu Z, Cheng Y, Lin S, et al (2026)

Trimethylamine N-oxide as a potential biomarker for predicting axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer: a retrospective study.

World journal of surgical oncology, 24(1):.

BACKGROUND: Axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis is a critical prognostic factor in breast cancer, but current assessment methods have limitations. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, has been implicated in tumor progression, though its role in breast cancer remains unclear.

METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed TMAO levels in breast tissue from benign breast nodules (BBN, n = 10), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, n = 10), and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC, n = 10). A cohort of 97 treatment-naive IDC patients (26 ALN + , 71 ALN −) was further evaluated. TMAO concentrations were quantified via ELISA, and associations with clinicopathological features were assessed using logistic regression and ROC analysis.

RESULTS: TMAO levels were significantly higher in IDC (113.9 ± 16.36 ng/g) than in DCIS (82.29 ± 13.84 ng/g, p < 0.01) or BBN (76.09 ± 10.32 ng/g, p < 0.001). ALN + patients exhibited elevated TMAO (210.92 ± 82.09 ng/g) versus ALN − (122.99 ± 48.23 ng/g, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified TMAO (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.009–1.031), T-stage (T1 vs T2, OR = 1.201, 95% CI: 1.019–2.169), and axillary ultrasound positivity (OR = 6.993, 95% CI: 1.099–45.455) as independent predictors. A combined model (TMAO + T-stage + ultrasound) improved predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.915; 95% CI: 0.838–0.992).

CONCLUSION: TMAO levels correlate with breast cancer progression and ALN metastasis, demonstrating potential as a biomarker. Further studies are needed to validate its clinical utility and mechanistic role.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12957-026-04251-4.

RevDate: 2026-04-02

Wang L, Dong C, Wang H, et al (2026)

Evaluating the predictive value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and six diffusion models for prognostic factors in mass-type invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

BMC medical imaging pii:10.1186/s12880-026-02308-0 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2026-04-02
CmpDate: 2026-04-02

Li J, Li S, Li C, et al (2026)

Prosthetic Loosening in a Total Hip Arthroplasty Patient After Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy: A Case Report.

Drug, healthcare and patient safety, 18:543323 pii:543323.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that there are a lot of risk factors that could cause periprosthetic osteolysis and aseptic loosening, threatening the life-span of the hip prosthesis. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancy in women. However, the use of breast cancer chemotherapy and hormonal therapy has been shown to significantly elevate the risk of osteoporosis. Chemotherapy can systematically suppress the anabolism of various organs, ultimately leading to bone metabolism dysfunction and osteolysis. Aromatase inhibitors (AI) function by inhibiting the conversion of androgens to estrogen, thereby reducing systemic estrogen levels, which is essential for maintaining bone mass; however, prolonged estrogen deprivation can lead to osteoporosis, which has been proven to pose a significant threat to the survival of hip implants.

CASE PRESENTATION: In this case, the patient suffered hip joint tuberculosis and took intertrochanteric osteotomy procedure at age 24. Seventeen years after, she took Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). She then undertook chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for breast invasive ductal carcinoma (BI-RADS category III), 1 year after her primary THA. Three years later, she was diagnosed with aseptic loosening of her hip prosthesis. A summary and analysis of her treatment were conducted.

CONCLUSION: Breast cancer chemotherapy and hormonal therapy might be a threat to the stability of THA prosthesis. More attention should be paid when a Total Hip Arthroplasty patient received chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of breast cancer treatments, as current therapies like hormonal therapy can increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

RevDate: 2026-04-01
CmpDate: 2026-04-01

Aldawood M, Alamoudi MK, Alsaleh AA, et al (2026)

Methylglyoxal-derived glycated albumin enhances the stemness potential of invasive ductal carcinoma-derived breast cancer stem-like cell line KAIMRC1.

Oncology letters, 31(5):186.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for breast cancer (BC) development and recurrence due to multifactorial mechanisms, including the generation of glycated proteins under hyperglycemic conditions. Emerging evidence indicates that hyperglycemia promotes the formation and expansion of BC stem-like cells (BCSC), contributing to worse outcomes in patients with T2DM. To support early detection and personalized therapy, there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers that specifically target BCSCs in patients with T2DM. The present study examined the effects of glycated albumin (GA) on the cellular functions of KAIMRC1, a naturally immortalized BCSC line derived from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the primary breast carcinoma developed in patients with T2DM. Cells were subjected to in vitro assays, including soft agar colony formation, real-time monitoring of cell proliferation, motility and invasion through a reconstituted basement membrane using the xCELLigence system and western blotting. A triple-negative BC cell line was used as a comparator. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity was quantified using a biochemical assay. As expected, KAIMRC1 cells exhibited high ALDH activity, a characteristic feature of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). GA induced dose-dependent increases in KAIMRC1 cell proliferation, motility, invasion and colony formation and was associated with elevated levels of the oncoprotein phosphorylated-ERK1/2, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and the stemness-associated proteins OCT3/4 and vimentin. GA-treated KAIMRC1 cells showed notable invasive capacity despite slow proliferation, consistent with known metastatic potential of quiescent CSCs. Conversely, unglycated albumin had no detectable biological effects except for an anti-mitogenic response at high concentration. Bioinformatics analyses showed that vimentin mRNA was upregulated in patients with BC and DM and was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with BC. RAGE neutralization attenuated GA-induced vimentin upregulation. Altogether, these findings show that GA exerts pro-tumorigenic effects in IDC-derived CSCs and upregulates vimentin protein expression via RAGE, highlighting the GA-RAGE axis as a potential therapeutic target and supporting vimentin as a promising prognostic marker for invasive BC in patients with DM.

RevDate: 2026-04-01
CmpDate: 2026-04-01

Liberman L, Harel E, Y Gilboa (2026)

Sensory Processing Disorders and Emotional Distress Among Young Children Exposed to Traumatic Events.

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 80(3):.

IMPORTANCE: Sensory processing disorders have been found mostly among school-age children exposed to traumatic events or after maltreatment. Therefore, it is important to examine sensory processing and emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events after a collective terror attack.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between sensory processing patterns and emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events after a terror attack.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional design with purposive criterion sampling.

SETTING: Community.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-seven children ages 2 to 7 yr, residents of the Gaza envelope (the populated areas in the Southern District of Israel within 4.3 mi of the Gaza Strip border) in Israel, who were directly affected by the events that followed the October 7, 2023, terror attack.

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Demographic questionnaire, the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS), and the Sensory Profile 2.

RESULTS: Participants scored significantly higher than the cutoff scores for PEDS Total Score and the Anxious/Withdrawn, Fearful, and Acting Out subscales. Almost half the participants showed sensory processing patterns that were scored as "more" or "much more" than others, with sensory avoidance and sensitivity being the most prevalent. Significant correlations were found between most of the emotional distress and sensory processing patterns.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Sensory processing difficulties frequently occurred and were significantly correlated with emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events. Occupational therapy practitioners working with children with sensory processing difficulties play a role in addressing the environmental and regulatory needs of young children affected by trauma. Plain-Language Summary: This study examined how young children ages 2 to 7 years were affected by the traumatic events after the October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. It focused on the correlation between emotional distress and sensory processing. Emotional distress refers to strong negative feelings that may affect how a child behaves. Among young children, it may show up as fear, anxiety or acting out. Sensory processing is how children notice, interpret, and respond to things they see, hear, touch, taste, or feel. Some children are overly sensitive and can be easily overwhelmed by sights, sounds, or textures. Others may not notice sensations that most people do, some may seek extra stimulation, and some may avoid certain sensations. The study included 37 children living near the Gaza border who directly experienced traumatic events. The results showed that many had high levels of emotional distress and sensory processing difficulties, especially sensitivity and avoidance. Emotional distress and sensory processing were correlated. The findings suggest that early childhood trauma can affect how children feel and respond to inputs in daily life. Occupational therapy practitioners can help these children by supporting their sensory needs to improve their participation in daily activities.

RevDate: 2026-03-30
CmpDate: 2026-03-30

Xu A, Weng X, Zheng J, et al (2026)

Exploring the recurrence and metastasis of breast invasive ductal carcinoma based on machine learning and survival analysis.

Frontiers in oncology, 16:1734379.

OBJECTIVE: Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the predominant histopathological subtype comprising about 80% of breast malignancies, continues to pose a significant clinical challenge due to frequent recurrence. Existing relapse prediction models remain limited in accuracy and generalizability. This study aimed to construct and validate machine learning-based models for predicting 5-year (short- to medium term) recurrence and metastasis risk in IDC, based on recurrence-free survival (RFS) analysis.

METHODS: A total of 640 IDC cases diagnosed between January 2017 and December 2019 were enrolled, data were partitioned into three sets: the training set (n = 303) from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; the validation set (n = 217) from Shaoxing Central Hospital; and the test set (n = 120) from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. Independent prognostic factors were identified through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Three predictive strategies were implemented: evaluating recurrence risk, distinguishing local from distant recurrence, and identifying metastatic sites. Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), XGBoost (XGB), Random Forest (RF), k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Neural Network (NN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were trained and validated.

RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 5.7 years. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified multiple factors significantly associated with RFS, including the rad-score, Ki-67 index, lymph node metastasis, tumor histological grade, and breast cancer family history in first- or second-degree relatives (all p < 0.05). In contrast, age, menopausal status, and molecular subtype showed no significant association with recurrence risk in this cohort (p = 0.987, p = 0.987, and p = 0.960, respectively). The clinical-radiomic nomogram demonstrated strong in predictive IDC recurrence. The XGBoost model demonstrated robust and consistent predictive performance across all cohorts, achieving AUCs of 0.842, 0.848, and 0.912 on the training, validation, and test sets, respectively. On the independent test set, the model attained an accuracy of 93.8%, sensitivity of 96.3%, and specificity of 79.6%.Furthermore, density plots of the radiomic score and Ki-67 index effectively differentiated between local recurrence, bone metastasis, and metastases to other organs. Patients with lymph node metastasis and high histological grade demonstrated a higher frequency of metastases to distant organs, accounting for most cases and emphasizing the contrast with local recurrence and bone metastasis. Patients with a breast cancer family history displayed a distinct pattern of bone metastasis.

CONCLUSION: This study underscores the utility of machine learning models in forecasting recurrence and metastatic behavior in IDC. The clinical-radiomic nomograms proved valuable for individualized surgical and therapeutic decision-making in IDC patients.

RevDate: 2026-03-30
CmpDate: 2026-03-30

Kaufman P, O'Meara KE, J Hawrelak (2024)

Preventing chemotherapy-induced diarrhea and microbiota imbalances with prebiotics and probiotics in breast cancer treatment: A case report.

Gut microbes reports, 1(1):2379475.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cancer in women in the United States. Of those diagnosed, 40-80% will undergo chemotherapy. Adverse effects of chemotherapy are chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) and gut microbiota dysregulation. CID can lead to dehydration, metabolic acidosis, malnutrition, and gut dysbiosis. Antidiarrheal medications are the standard treatment of care; however, this has been shown to further contribute to gut dysbiosis, is not always effective in controlling diarrhea, and can lead to rebound constipation with the potential of pathogenic bacterial overgrowth. In this case report, we describe the experience of a patient-centered, personalized intervention with pre- and probiotics to preserve the microbiota and prevent CID. A 57-year-old postmenopausal female with BC undergoing adriamycin-cyclophosphamide (AC) and taxol-cyclophosphamide (TC) chemotherapies for invasive ductal carcinoma under the care of a cancer team wanted to refrain from using loperamide and instead use nutritional interventions and supplementation for preventing CID and maintaining gut health. This case report is a narrative report of the observed outcomes of one patient with BC after taking specific prebiotics and probiotics. The outcomes included the prevention of CID and other gastrointestinal adverse effects, and maintaining microbiota alpha-diversity, butyrate producing genera, and Bifidobacterium populations while inhibiting the overgrowth of Proteobacteria pathogenic bacteria.

RevDate: 2026-03-30
CmpDate: 2026-03-30

Park A, Lugo-Rodriguez V, KF Diaz (2026)

Epidermal inclusion cyst after breast reduction mammoplasty.

Radiology case reports, 21(6):2482-2484.

We report a case of a 74-year-old female with left breast multicentric invasive ductal carcinoma status post left mastectomy with reconstruction and right breast symmetrizing reduction mammoplasty presenting with a new asymmetry of the right breast that was found to be an epidermal inclusion cyst (EIC) upon core needle biopsy. The aim of the case report is to characterize the pathogenesis of EIC as well as its clinical and imaging features. This benign entity is of significance due to its malignant potential to squamous cell carcinoma.

RevDate: 2026-03-30
CmpDate: 2026-03-30

Sophabmixay AO, JC Obuch (2026)

Breast Cancer Metastasis to the Gastrointestinal Tract After Nine Years of Remission: A Case Report.

Cureus, 18(2):e104194.

Gastrointestinal (GI) metastasis from breast cancer is rare and more commonly associated with invasive lobular carcinoma than invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Diagnosis of GI metastases secondary to breast cancer is difficult because patients may have long disease-free intervals or present with non-specific symptoms. We present a case of a 55-year-old patient with high-grade IDC in nine-year remission after bilateral mastectomy, axillary node dissection, reconstruction, and adjuvant chemoradiation who presented with recurrent abdominal pain and progressive, cholestatic liver enzyme elevation. Imaging and endoscopic evaluations demonstrated hepatic and duodenal lesions and biliary strictures. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of recurrent Stage IV IDC with metastasis to the duodenum, liver, lymph nodes, and spine. The patient received palliative systemic therapy and survived three years after recurrence diagnosis. Our case emphasizes that metastasis of IDC to the GI tract can occur after prolonged remission and that cholestatic liver enzyme elevation with new hepatic or biliary abnormalities should prompt consideration of metastatic recurrence in patients with a prior history of breast cancer.

RevDate: 2026-03-30

Shern TP, Holt LR, Lloyd K, et al (2026)

Economic and Health System Impact of Implementing the SOUND Trial Approach in Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Annals of surgical oncology [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Axillary management in early-stage breast cancer is increasingly shifting toward de-escalation. While sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) remains standard, evidence suggests axillary ultrasound (AUS) may safely replace SLNB in selected patients. The SOUND trial demonstrated noninferior oncologic outcomes with AUS-based staging among clinically node-negative patients with small (≤ 2 cm), unifocal invasive breast cancers and negative preoperative AUS. However, the economic and health system impact of implementing this strategy in routine practice remains unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 221 SOUND-eligible patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery with SLNB at four affiliated hospitals between January and June 2023. Costs were modeled using 2025 Medicare reimbursement rates, comparing the observed SLNB pathway with a theoretical AUS-only approach. Estimates included procedural, anesthesia, pathology, and complication-related costs, analyzed from both hospital and patient perspectives.

RESULTS: Total estimated hospital costs were $1192,159.56 for SLNB versus $111,825.65 for AUS-only staging, a 90.6% reduction. Mean patient out-of-pocket costs decreased similarly (from $1078.88 to $101.20 per patient). SLNB added an average of 15.1 min of operative time and increased pathology workload owing to lymph node processing.

CONCLUSIONS: In SOUND-eligible patients, axillary staging with ultrasound alone provides substantial reductions in cost, operative time, and resource utilization while supporting a less invasive, value-based approach to breast cancer care. Together with existing evidence, these findings support broader implementation of the SOUND strategy in appropriately selected populations, particularly postmenopausal patients over 50 years undergoing breast-conserving surgery for cT1N0, ER-positive, HER2-negative invasive ductal carcinoma with a negative AUS.

RevDate: 2026-03-28
CmpDate: 2026-03-28

Kim S, Woo S, Song YM, et al (2026)

Reducing social isolation in schools: a social network analysis of the HOPE bullying prevention program.

Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 20(1):.

BACKGROUND: School bullying is a public health concern, disproportionately affecting socially isolated students. Peer network position strongly influences vulnerability to victimization. This study examined the effectiveness of a Korean school-based bullying prevention program, HOPE, using social network analysis (SNA).

METHODS: From an initial intervention cohort of 275 students, a total of 204 students (112 boys, 92 girls) who completed both pre- and post-intervention measures across nine classrooms were included in the final analysis (attrition rate: 25.8%). In-degree centrality (IDC), defined as the number of close-friend nominations received from peers, was measured before and after the intervention as the primary outcome. SNA was conducted at baseline and post-intervention to capture changes in peer network structures. Secondary analysis examined psychosocial characteristics of students with low baseline IDC to identify factors associated with isolation and victimization.

RESULTS: Following the HOPE program, IDC scores for previously isolated students were observed to increase. Post-intervention networks showed greater density, reflecting improved peer acceptance and social integration. Students with low baseline IDC were more likely to report elevated anxiety and lower self-esteem, underscoring their vulnerability to exclusion. Post-intervention network displayed greater density and inclusiveness with fewer students at risk of marginalization.

CONCLUSION: The HOPE program was associated with enhanced social integration and promoted supportive classroom networks. By reshaping peer dynamics, the intervention may be linked to reduced isolation and strengthened protective relationships for vulnerable children. These findings underscore the utility of SNA in evaluating bullying prevention efforts and suggest that network-based approaches can provide valuable insights into how programs promote resilience and reduce bullying risk.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13034-026-01032-5.

RevDate: 2026-03-28

Tiberghien ME, Blanc-Lapierre A, Saib S, et al (2026)

Performance of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography for sizing breast invasive ductal carcinoma with an in situ component.

Surgical oncology, 66:102409 pii:S0960-7404(26)00060-5 [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2026-03-28

Yanushko D, Pichot A, Vincent A, et al (2026)

HIF1 inhibition targets tumoral and myeloid cells, and is a promising therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Cell death & disease pii:10.1038/s41419-026-08590-8 [Epub ahead of print].

Metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) remains lethal due to limited effective therapies. PTEN and TP53 are commonly mutated tumor suppressors in metastatic PCa, yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving aggressiveness and treatment resistance are not fully understood. We have previously shown that mice with both Pten and Trp53 inactivation in prostate luminal cells at adulthood develop aggressive intraductal prostate carcinoma (IDC) and liver metastases. By combining single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, along with flow cytometry and immunohistochemical analyses, we now reveal that prostatic tumors of such mice are hypoxic and progress within a complex immune microenvironment, including neutrophils, TREM2[+] macrophages, and CCR2[+] myeloid cells. Moreover, we uncovered that genetic Hif1a inactivation in prostate luminal cells or pharmacological inhibition of HIF1 signaling in Pten/Trp53[(i)pe-/-] mice does not prevent IDC formation or epithelial plasticity driven by Trp53 loss, but impairs neutrophil recruitment. In addition, HIF1 inhibition reduces CCR2[+] myeloid cell infiltration. Importantly, targeting these immune cells sensitizes tumors to androgen deprivation and reduces the size of liver metastatic niches. Moreover, pharmacological HIF1 inhibition not only overcomes castration resistance, but also eliminates metastatic niches, offering a more effective approach than direct myeloid cell blockade. Thus, HIF1 targeting emerges as a promising therapy for metastatic castration-resistant PCa.

RevDate: 2026-03-28
CmpDate: 2026-03-28

Silva RMD, Soper MS, Martins LC, et al (2026)

Improvements in Timely Care and Patient-Reported Outcomes for Breast Cancer: A Seven-Year Southern Brazilian Cohort Analysis.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 14(6): pii:healthcare14060786.

Background/Objective: Breast cancer is one of the leading diseases affecting the Brazilian population and is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Due to its heterogeneity, treatment involves multiple therapeutic modalities, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer in a private hospital in southern Brazil, and to assess the physical and psychological effects associated with different therapeutic modalities. Methods: An ambidirectional longitudinal cohort study was conducted from September 2018 to December 2024, incorporating retrospective data since 2013. Clinical and therapeutic data were collected, and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) using the QLQ-C30 Summary Score (QLQ-BR23, FACT-ES, BREAST-Q, LMC21) and Symptom Global Score questionnaires were analyzed using mixed-effects models to evaluate physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and overall quality-of-life domains, as well as body image. The temporal trend of time-to-treatment was assessed via linear regression. Results: Among 871 individuals evaluated, 98.4% were female, and invasive ductal carcinoma was the predominant histological type (75.1%). Radiotherapy was one of the most frequently used treatment modalities (39.2%), while immunotherapy had the lowest usage rate (2.7%). A significant reduction in the time between diagnosis and initiation of treatment was observed from 2013 to 2024 (from 21.0 to 10.9 days; p < 0.01), reflecting improvements in healthcare services. Mixed-effects models for PROMs indicated significant improvements across all assessed domains (p < 0.01) over the 48-month follow-up, despite a median follow-up of 22 months. Conclusions: High-quality and timely oncological care provided to breast cancer patients in a private hospital in southern Brazil demonstrates the implementation of a dynamic, agile, and human-centered care model, contributing to improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes validated by robust longitudinal analysis.

RevDate: 2026-03-28
CmpDate: 2026-03-28

Wen W, Qin J, Q Chang (2026)

Semi-Supervised Graph Attention Network for Screw Pump Fault Diagnosis: Revealing the Dynamic Coupling of Multi-Source Information.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland), 28(3): pii:e28030338.

The screw pump is a critical device for elevating downhole petroleum to the surface, and screw pump failure can significantly disrupt the production of oil wells. Due to the complex structure of the screw pump, the same pump fault can cause different changes in the monitoring parameters, and different faults can also cause the same parameter change. In consequence of the complexity, it requires a large amount of labeled data for a diagnosis model to achieve fault diagnosis of a screw pump in practical application. Aiming for this kind of condition, we discovered the dynamic coupling effect between multi-source information through detailed research on the collected data of screw pumps. To fully leverage the information dynamic coupling (IDC) effect, a semi-supervised learning graph attention network (SSL-GAT) fault diagnosis method is proposed. This approach integrates the semi-supervised learning framework and graph attention neural network for the fault diagnosis of a screw pump. The experimental validation of the SSL-GAT method demonstrates its outstanding performance in screw pump fault diagnosis.

RevDate: 2026-03-27
CmpDate: 2026-03-27

Ding JS, Zhang M, F Zhou (2026)

Case Report: A primary breast collision tumor composed of myeloid sarcoma and invasive ductal carcinoma.

Frontiers in oncology, 16:1788294.

Collision tumors, characterized by the coexistence of distinct malignant neoplasms within the same anatomical site, are rare in the breast. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman with an incidentally discovered palpable mass in the upper inner quadrant of the left breast. Preoperative hematological evaluation was unremarkable. Comprehensive imaging evaluation, including ultrasound, mammography, MRI, and PET-CT, was suggestive of malignancy. A preoperative core needle biopsy was performed but yielded limited material, with pathology suggestive of possible invasive ductal carcinoma, necessitating definitive surgical excision for diagnosis. Following breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy, histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis revealed a collision tumor composed of myeloid sarcoma (MS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the latter exhibiting a triple-negative phenotype (ER-, PR-, HER2-), with no lymph node metastasis. This case highlights the clinicopathological and imaging features of this rare entity and underscores the integral role of multimodal imaging, thorough pathological evaluation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the limitations of biopsy in heterogeneous lesions in diagnosis and management.

RevDate: 2026-03-27
CmpDate: 2026-03-27

Rajbongshi H, Gogoi M, Goswami S, et al (2026)

Diagnostic Role of Shear Wave Elastography for Differentiating Benign and Malignant Breast Lesions With Histopathological Examination (HPE) Correlation.

Cureus, 18(2):e104103.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with invasive ductal carcinoma being the most common malignant tumor. Ultrasonography (USG) is the initial imaging modality for breast lesions, but its low specificity often necessitates invasive histopathological examination (HPE). Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a novel technique that assesses tissue stiffness non-invasively, providing promising results in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of SWE combined with B-mode USG in characterizing breast lesions and correlates findings with HPE results. A hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted on 50 female patients aged 18 years and above with breast lesions categorized as Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 or higher. SWE demonstrated a sensitivity of 72.72%, a specificity of 85.71%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 80%, highlighting its potential to reduce unnecessary biopsies. This study concludes that SWE is a valuable adjunct to conventional USG for breast lesion evaluation.

RevDate: 2026-03-27
CmpDate: 2026-03-27

Mohamed Z, Abdulkarim A, Abdullah AR, et al (2026)

Molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Libyan women and their clinicopathological associations: A retrospective observational study from eastern Libya.

Medicine, 105(13):e48215.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally, with significant regional variations in its molecular subtypes, clinical presentation, and management. Despite advancements in oncology, limited data exist on the molecular and clinical characteristics of BC in Libya. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of molecular subtypes, clinicopathological features, and treatment patterns among Libyan women with BC at Tobruk Medical Center. This retrospective observational study included BC patients diagnosed between January 2019 and December 2020 at Tobruk Medical Center. Demographic, clinical, pathological, and treatment-related data were extracted from medical records. Molecular subtyping was based on immunohistochemical assessment of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk). Among 115 patients analyzed, the median age at diagnosis was 46 years. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 89.6% of cases, with grade II tumors being the most common (69.6%). Luminal B was the predominant molecular subtype (67.8%), followed by luminal A (14.8%), HER2-enriched (10.4%), and triple-negative BC (7.0%). Advanced-stage diagnoses (stage III and IV) were observed in 57.4% of cases. Hormone receptor positivity was detected in 82.6%, and HER2 positivity in 25.2% of cases. This study highlights the high prevalence of advanced-stage BC and the predominance of the aggressive luminal B subtype in Libya. Targeted early detection programs and improved treatment access are urgently needed to address these challenges.

RevDate: 2026-03-26
CmpDate: 2026-03-26

Akter KM, Das S, Alam MI, et al (2026)

Palliative Management of Advanced Breast Carcinoma Complicated by Myiasis: First Case Report From Bangladesh.

Clinical medicine insights. Case reports, 19:11795476261429282.

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common subtype of breast cancer. While malignant wounds are known to predispose patients to secondary infections, the co-occurrence of cutaneous myiasis in breast carcinoma remains rare. We report the first documented case of wound myiasis in a patient with advanced breast carcinoma in Bangladesh. A 52-year-old woman with HER2-positive IDC of the right breast, previously treated with mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in a tertiary care hospital of Dhaka, presented to the Department of Palliative Medicine at Bangladesh Medical University with severe chest wall pain, facial swelling, and a foul-smelling ulcerated wound on her right chest wall on mastectomy site, infested with live maggots. The patient had advanced stage 4 disease with extensive skin and bony metastasis, stage 3 lymphedema, and a Palliative Performance Scale score of 30%, indicating an estimated survival of 8 to 41 days. Approximately 650 larvae were removed over 3 days through manual extraction and irrigation using saline, metronidazole, and turpentine, followed by occlusive dressing with petroleum gauze. She was treated with morphine, flucloxacillin, ivermectin, and albendazole, which resulted in significant symptomatic relief. This case highlights the complex intersection of advanced malignancy, socioeconomic deprivation, poor hygiene, and parasitic infestation. Palliative care played a critical role in pain relief, wound management, and preserving dignity in her final days. This report underscores the importance of early recognition and integrated management of malignant wound myiasis, particularly in resource-constrained environments. It also draws attention to the broader psychosocial impacts of such conditions and the essential role of end-of-life care in mitigating suffering.

RevDate: 2026-03-26

Lee ZJO, Gudi MA, Tan PH, et al (2026)

Localized Breast Amyloidosis in a Previously Treated Breast: A Case Report and Literature Review.

International journal of surgical pathology [Epub ahead of print].

Breast amyloidosis is a rare disorder that can mimic malignancy, particularly in patients with a history of breast cancer. We describe a 61-year-old woman with a history of left breast invasive ductal carcinoma who developed an enlarging mass at the mastectomy site eight years post-treatment. Imaging suggested recurrence; however, biopsies revealed Congo red-positive amyloid deposits with admixed necrosis, fibrosis, and inflammation, with no evidence of recurrent carcinoma or lymphoproliferative disease. Mass spectrometry identified only amyloid signature proteins, with no specific amyloid fibril protein or subtype detected, and in the absence of systemic involvement, supporting a diagnosis of localized degenerative amyloidosis possibly related to prior treatment. This not only represents a novel etiopathological category of post-treatment degenerative amyloidosis but also highlights the importance of Congo red staining and mass spectrometry in the evaluation of ambiguous post-treated lesions to prevent misdiagnosis and overtreatment.

RevDate: 2026-03-25
CmpDate: 2026-03-25

Nath S, Illa SK, Worku D, et al (2026)

Composite selection signal analysis: Uncovering candidate genes and quantitative trait loci in Indian sheep breeds.

PloS one, 21(3):e0344299 pii:PONE-D-24-51732.

Selective pressures, both natural and artificial, have significantly influenced the genomic architecture of domesticated sheep. Understanding their underlying molecular mechanisms is critical for developing efficient breeding programs to conserve and improve economically important traits in native breeds. In this study, we analysed high-density 50K SNP data from three Indigenous sheep breeds: Chanthangi (CHA, n = 29), Garole (GAR, n = 24), and Deccani (IDC, n = 26), each native to diverse climatic regions of India. We implemented a novel SNP-based de-correlated composite of multiple signals (DCMS) statistic, which integrates p-values from five selection metrics viz., FST, H1, H12, Tajima's D, and nucleotide diversity (Ļ€) into a unified measure. The SNP-based DCMS approach offers finer resolution and complements window-based methods by enabling more precise localisation of selection signals and candidate genes. Multiple testing correction was applied at a False Discovery Rate (FDR) threshold of <5% to detect significant genomic regions. Comprehensive gene and quantitative trait loci (QTL) annotation and enrichment analysis of these regions were also performed for each breed. The DCMS analysis identified 21, 10, and 14 novel and breed-specific putative genes in the Chanthangi, Garole, and Deccani breeds, respectively, as well as 10, 28, and 13breed-specific QTL regions. The identified genes and QTLs are associated with diverse phenotypic traits, including growth and muscle development (CNTNAP5, DOCK3), reproduction (TCERG1L, BUB1, UNC5C, C2CD5, BBX), wool trait (TPPP3, P2RY6, FGF10, POU2F1, FAM168A), disease resistance (MTSS1, B4GALNT3), environment adaptation (TRMT12, MAPKAPK3), domestication (LRRC36). The QTLs identified are associated with body conformation (body measurements and bone area), production (milk fat yield), reproduction (total lambs born), disease resistance (hemonchus resistance, foot rot, and pneumonia susceptibility), and health (platelet count and entropion). Our SNP-based DCMS method enabled high-resolution detection of breed-specific selection signatures. It facilitated the discovery of both known and novel genomic regions, candidate genes, and QTLs unique to Indian sheep breeds. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying economically important traits and offers a robust foundation for targeted genetic improvement and conservation of indigenous sheep breeds.

RevDate: 2026-03-25

Li H, Z Wang (2026)

Molecular Subtype Dictates Survival Outcomes in Encapsulated Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast: A Propensity Score-Matched SEER Analysis Supporting Treatment De-Escalation.

Clinical breast cancer pii:S1526-8209(26)00027-3 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) is a rare breast malignancy. Controversy persists over its classification and whether its prognosis stems from histology or biology. This study clarified the role of molecular subtypes in EPC prognosis and evaluated treatment de-escalation feasibility.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: EPC and contemporary invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients (2010-2019) were identified from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) balanced baseline characteristics, including age, grade, stage, and molecular subtype. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression.

RESULTS: We included 165 EPC and 247,581 IDC patients. EPC patients were significantly older with lower grade tumors, less nodal involvement, and higher HR+/HER2- proportions (89.7% vs. 71.1%, P < .001). Before matching, EPC showed superior BCSS (P = .044). After PSM (n = 165 per group), no significant differences were observed in BCSS (P = .207) or OS (P = .733) between groups. Subgroup analysis of HR+/HER2- patients yielded consistent results. Chemotherapy usage was low (10.3%) in EPC with excellent outcomes; radiotherapy was an independent protective factor for survival.

CONCLUSION: EPC's favorable prognosis is primarily driven by its molecular profile (HR+/HER2-) rather than histology. After subtype adjustment, EPC survival is equivalent to IDC. Findings support chemotherapy omission for most EPC patients while emphasizing radiotherapy for local control.

RevDate: 2026-03-24
CmpDate: 2026-03-24

Agrawal UK, S Jaiswal (2026)

Invasive Apocrine Carcinoma in a Young Female With Triple Hormone Receptor Positivity: A Case Report.

Cureus, 18(2):e103977.

Apocrine carcinoma (AC) of the breast is a rare histological subtype, classically characterized by androgen receptor (AR) positivity with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) negativity. We report the case of a 35-year-old premenopausal woman who presented with a five-month history of a left retroareolar breast lump associated with intermittent serous nipple discharge. Clinical examination and breast imaging revealed a suspicious lesion, and core needle biopsy suggested invasive ductal carcinoma. The patient underwent nipple-sparing breast conservation surgery with axillary clearance. Histopathological examination demonstrated invasive AC, modified Bloom-Richardson grade 1, without lymphovascular invasion or nodal metastasis. Immunohistochemistry revealed an unusual triple hormone receptor-positive profile (ER-positive, PR-positive, AR-positive), with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negativity and a low Ki-67 proliferative index. Adjuvant treatment included combination chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and dual hormonal therapy with tamoxifen and an AR inhibitor. This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of hormone receptor-positive AC and underscores the importance of comprehensive immunohistochemical profiling for individualized management.

RevDate: 2026-03-23

Arshad M, Abdullah AR, Ismail F, et al (2026)

Complete NUB1 depletion in ER - negative breast cancer progression in paired primary-metastatic cases: a case series.

Journal of medical case reports pii:10.1186/s13256-026-05939-7 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 is an interferon-inducible tumor suppressor increasingly recognized as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer. Low cytoplasmic expression correlates with aggressive disease, yet little is known about its dynamics between primary and metastatic estrogen-receptor-negative tumors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this report is to compare NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 expression in paired estrogen-receptor-negative primary and metastatic breast cancer tissues, clarifying its role in tumor progression.

CASE PRESENTATION: Two postmenopausal Caucasian women, patient A (ID: 14,024, aged 58 years) and patient B (ID: 20,996, aged 54 years), both diagnosed with estrogen-receptor-negative, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, grade III invasive ductal carcinoma, underwent NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 immunohistochemical analysis on matched primary breast tumors and corresponding metastatic lymph nodes. Both primary tumors exhibited high nuclear but low cytoplasmic NEDD8 ultimate buster 1, shifting to complete loss in metastases. The patient with higher primary cytoplasmic NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 had longer relapse-free and overall survival.

CONCLUSION: Loss of NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 in metastases may signal a transition from hypoxia-driven nuclear localization to unchecked metastatic progression. These findings highlight NEDD8 ultimate buster 1 as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic stratifier, warranting larger studies to confirm its mechanistic and clinical relevance.

RevDate: 2026-03-23
CmpDate: 2026-03-23

Khuu C, Malek M, Conlon SG, et al (2026)

MUTYH cancer-associated variants within the interdomain connector differentially impact glycosylase activity and cellular DNA repair.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology pii:2026.03.03.709415.

The base excision repair (BER) glycosylase MUTYH initiates repair of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG): adenine (A) mispairs to prevent G to T transversion mutations. Inherited biallelic mutations in MUTYH are correlated with the cancer pre-disposition syndrome MUTYH -associated polyposis (MAP) and contribute to an increased lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Over 1,000 germline and somatic MUTYH variants have been reported that are associated with MAP and other cancers, but for most the functional impact is unknown. Herein, we examined a subset of cancer-associated variants (CAVs) localized in the interdomain connector (IDC), which links the N-terminal adenine excision and C-terminal OG recognition domains via its zinc linchpin motif and serves as a hub for downstream repair interactions. In vitro assays measuring glycosylase activity, lesion affinity, and AP endonuclease stimulation revealed no substantial defects relative to wild-type MUTYH. In contrast, a newly optimized mammalian cell assay revealed some IDC variants exhibit reduced repair. These results suggest that some variants disrupt steps downstream of adenine excision, whereas others impair lesion recognition and base excision. This work underscores the value of independent functional assays for accurately assessing variant dysfunction and classification. Analysis of MUTYH variants highlights the complexity of the roles of MUTYH in preserving genomic integrity.

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RJR Experience and Expertise

Researcher

Robbins holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in the life sciences. He served as a tenured faculty member in the Zoology and Biological Science departments at Michigan State University. He is currently exploring the intersection between genomics, microbial ecology, and biodiversity — an area that promises to transform our understanding of the biosphere.

Educator

Robbins has extensive experience in college-level education: At MSU he taught introductory biology, genetics, and population genetics. At JHU, he was an instructor for a special course on biological database design. At FHCRC, he team-taught a graduate-level course on the history of genetics. At Bellevue College he taught medical informatics.

Administrator

Robbins has been involved in science administration at both the federal and the institutional levels. At NSF he was a program officer for database activities in the life sciences, at DOE he was a program officer for information infrastructure in the human genome project. At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, he served as a vice president for fifteen years.

Technologist

Robbins has been involved with information technology since writing his first Fortran program as a college student. At NSF he was the first program officer for database activities in the life sciences. At JHU he held an appointment in the CS department and served as director of the informatics core for the Genome Data Base. At the FHCRC he was VP for Information Technology.

Publisher

While still at Michigan State, Robbins started his first publishing venture, founding a small company that addressed the short-run publishing needs of instructors in very large undergraduate classes. For more than 20 years, Robbins has been operating The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project, a web site dedicated to the digital publishing of critical works in science, especially classical genetics.

Speaker

Robbins is well-known for his speaking abilities and is often called upon to provide keynote or plenary addresses at international meetings. For example, in July, 2012, he gave a well-received keynote address at the Global Biodiversity Informatics Congress, sponsored by GBIF and held in Copenhagen. The slides from that talk can be seen HERE.

Facilitator

Robbins is a skilled meeting facilitator. He prefers a participatory approach, with part of the meeting involving dynamic breakout groups, created by the participants in real time: (1) individuals propose breakout groups; (2) everyone signs up for one (or more) groups; (3) the groups with the most interested parties then meet, with reports from each group presented and discussed in a subsequent plenary session.

Designer

Robbins has been engaged with photography and design since the 1960s, when he worked for a professional photography laboratory. He now prefers digital photography and tools for their precision and reproducibility. He designed his first web site more than 20 years ago and he personally designed and implemented this web site. He engages in graphic design as a hobby.

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Cancer is the generic name for more than 100 diseases in which cells begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner. Usually, when cells get too old or damaged, they die and new cells take their place. Cancer begins when genetic changes impair this orderly process so that some cells start to grow uncontrollably. The Emperor of All Maladies is a "biography" of cancer — from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. This is a must read book for anyone with an interest in cancer. R. Robbins

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Collection of publications by R J Robbins

Reprints and preprints of publications, slide presentations, instructional materials, and data compilations written or prepared by Robert Robbins. Most papers deal with computational biology, genome informatics, using information technology to support biomedical research, and related matters.

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Curriculum Vitae for R J Robbins

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Curriculum Vitae for R J Robbins

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