Ethical Concerns Regarding Breast Cancer Screening

The incidence and mortality of breast cancer are rising in the whole world in the past few decades, adding up to a total of around two million new cases and 620,000 deaths in 2018. Unlike what occurs in developed countries, most of the cases diagnosed in the developing world are already in advanced stages and also in women younger than 50 years old. As most screening programs suggest annual mammograms starting at the age of 50, we can infer that a considerable portion of the new breast cancer cases is missed with this strategy. Here, we will propose the adoption of an alternative hierarchical patient flow, with the creation of a diagnostic fast track with referral to timely treatment, promoting better resources reallocation favoring the least advantaged strata of the population, which is not only ethically acceptable but also a way of promoting social justice

Venous thromboembolism incidence in postoperative breast cancer patients

Background: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity in cancer patients. Breast cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment are at an increased risk of VTE. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of VTE in patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of breast cancer and to identify the related risk factors. Methods: A historical cohort of patients at the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) underwent surgery for breast cancer. The inclusion criteria covered patients with invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ who had breast surgery anytime from January 2016 to December 2018. Results: Of the 1672 patients included in the study, 15 had a confirmed diagnosis of VTE (0.9%), and 3 of these had deep vein thrombosis (0.2%), and 12, had pulmonary thromboembolism (0.7%). Clinical and tumoral characteristics did not differ between the groups. The incidence of VTE was higher in patients who had undergone skin-sparing mastectomy or nipple-sparing mastectomy (p = 0.032). Immediate reconstruction, particularly with abdominal-based flaps (4.7%), increased VTE events (p = 0.033). Median surgical time was higher in patients with VTE episodes (p = 0.027), and total hospital length of stay increased in days (6 days vs. 2 days, p = 0.001). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative prophylaxis with Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) were associated with lower VTE rates (0.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.048 and 0.7% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.039; respectively) in these patients. Conclusions: The incidence of VTE events in breast cancer patients who underwent surgery was 0.9%. Immediate reconstruction (especially with abdominal-based flaps), skin-sparing/nipple-sparing mastectomies, and longer surgeries were associated with increased risk. The LMWH postoperative prophylaxis reduced this risk

Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy for the diagnosis of fibroepithelial breast tumors

OBJETIVO: avaliar a taxa de concordância da biópsia percutânea com agulha grossa guiada por ultrassom seguida pela biópsia excisional em nódulos de mama palpáveis, sugestivos de tumores fibroepiteliais. MÉTODO: estudo retrospectivo que selecionou 70 biópsias com diagnóstico histológico de tumor fibroepitelial em 67 dentre 531 pacientes com lesões mamárias submetidas à biópsia percutânea com agulha grossa guiada por ultrassonografia, com transdutor linear de alta frequência (7.5 MHz), utilizando pistola automática Bard-Magnum e agulha 14 gauge. Foram incluídos os casos com diagnóstico de tumor fibroepitelial na biópsia percutânea ou biópsia excisional. Biópsias com diagnóstico histopatológico de fibroesclerose também foram incluídas no estudo. A força da concordância entre o resultado da biópsia percutânea e da biópsia excisional foi medida pelo coeficiente de Kappa. RESULTADOS: a biópsia excisional revelou 40 casos de fibroadenoma (57,1%), 19 de tumor filoide (27,2%) e 11 de fibroesclerose (15,7%). A taxa de concordância para o fibroadenoma foi substancial (k = 0,68; IC95% = 0,45 - 0,91), quase perfeita para o tumor filoide (k = 0,81; IC95% = 0,57 - 1,0) e moderada para a fibroesclerose (k = 0,58; IC95% = 0,36 - 0,90). CONCLUSÕES: a biópsia percutânea com agulha grossa é propedêutica minimamente invasiva que tem taxas de concordância com a biópsia excisional, de "substancial" a "quase perfeita". A fibroesclerose deve ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial dos tumores fibroepiteliais.PURPOSE: to evaluate the concordance rate of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy followed by excisional biopsy in palpable breast lumps, suggestive of fibroepithelial tumors. METHOD: a retrospective study included 70 biopsies with a histological diagnosis of fibroepithelial tumor in 67 out of 531 patients with breast lesions submitted to ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy with a high frequency (7.5 MHz) linear transducer, using an automatic Bard-Magnum gun and a 14-gauge needle. Cases with a diagnosis of fibroepithelial tumor by core needle biopsy or excisional biopsy and with a diagnosis of fibrosclerosis were included in the study. The agreement between the two biopsy methods was assessed using the Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: excisional biopsy revealed 40 cases of fibroadenoma (57.1%), 19 cases of phyllodes tumor (27.2%), and 11 cases of fibrosclerosis (15.7%). The concordance rate for fibroadenoma was substantial (k = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.45 - 0.91), almost perfect for the phyllodes tumor (k = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.57 - 1.0), and moderate for fibrosclerosis (k = 0.58, 95%CI = 0.36 - 0.90). CONCLUSIONS: the core needle biopsy is a minimally invasive method that has "substantial" to "almost perfect" concordance rate with excisional biopsy. Fibrosclerosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fibroepithelial tumors

Gastric metastasis as the first manifestation of an invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast

Gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer are rare and generally occur several years after the diagnosis of the primary lesion. The diagnosis of gastric metastasis as the initial presentation of breast cancer is even rarer and can potentially mimic gastric carcinoma. We report the case of a 66-year-old female patient submitted to a total gastrectomy because of the histological diagnosis of undifferentiated gastric carcinoma. During the surgical procedure, biopsies of the peritoneum and the liver were performed, which were consistent with metastatic breast invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). The primary lesion of the breast was detected during the post-operative period, when a 4-cm-long lesion was detected on physical examination and mammography. The revision of the gastric biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ILC. The authors call attention to the rarity of gastrointestinal metastases as the initial presentation of breast ILC

Measurement of extracapsular extension in sentinel lymph node as a possible predictor of residual axillary disease in breast cancer

Background: The presence of Extracapsular Extension (ECE) in the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) is still a doubt in the literature. Some studies suggest that the presence of ECE may be related to a greater number of positive axillary lymph nodes which could impact Disease Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS). This study searches for the clinical significance of the ECE. Methods: Retrospective cohort comparing the presence or absence of ECE in T1-2 invasive breast âncer with positive SLNB. All cases treated surgically at the Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo (ICESP) between 2009 and 2013 were analyzed. All patients with axillary disease in SLNB underwent AD. Outcomes: Identify the association between the presence and length of ECE and additional axillary positive lymph nodes, OS and DFS between both groups. Results: 128 patients with positive SLNB were included, and 65 had ECE. The mean metastasis size of 0.62 (SD = 0.59) mm at SLNB was related to the presence of ECE (p < 0.008). The presence of ECE was related to a higher mean of positive sentinel lymph nodes, 3.9 (± 4.8) vs. 2.0 (± 2.1), p = 0.001. The median length of follow-up was 115 months. The OS and DFS rates had no iferences between the groups. Conclusion: The presence of ECE was associated with additional positive axillary lymph nodes in this study. Therefore, the OS and DFS were similar in both groups after 10 years of follow-up. It is necessary for additional studies to define the importance of AD when SLNB with ECE

Gastric metastasis as the first manifestation of an invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast

Gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer are rare and generally occur several years after the diagnosis of the primary lesion. The diagnosis of gastric metastasis as the initial presentation of breast cancer is even rarer and can potentially mimic gastric carcinoma. We report the case of a 66-year-old female patient submitted to a total gastrectomy because of the histological diagnosis of undifferentiated gastric carcinoma. During the surgical procedure, biopsies of the peritoneum and the liver were performed, which were consistent with metastatic breast invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). The primary lesion of the breast was detected during the post-operative period, when a 4-cm-long lesion was detected on physical examination and mammography. The revision of the gastric biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ILC. The authors call attention to the rarity of gastrointestinal metastases as the initial presentation of breast ILC

Is human papilloma virus associated with breast cancer? A review of the molecular evidence

Although the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with many cancers is well established, the involvement of HPV in breast cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive review of the results and methods used to demonstrate that HPV markers are present in human breast cancer, and how well these studies fulfil the criteria for proving the viral etiology of a cancer.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio