Analysis of tumor template from multiple compartments in a blood sample provides complementary access to peripheral tumor biomarkers.

Targeted cancer therapeutics are promised to have a major impact on cancer treatment and survival. Successful application of these novel treatments requires a molecular definition of a patient\u27s disease typically achieved through the use of tissue biopsies. Alternatively, allowing longitudinal monitoring, biomarkers derived from blood, isolated either from circulating tumor cell derived DNA (ctcDNA) or circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ccfDNA) may be evaluated. In order to use blood derived templates for mutational profiling in clinical decisions, it is essential to understand the different template qualities and how they compare to biopsy derived template DNA as both blood-based templates are rare and distinct from the gold-standard. Using a next generation re-sequencing strategy, concordance of the mutational spectrum was evaluated in 32 patient-matched ctcDNA and ccfDNA templates with comparison to tissue biopsy derived DNA template. Different CTC antibody capture systems for DNA isolation from patient blood samples were also compared. Significant overlap was observed between ctcDNA, ccfDNA and tissue derived templates. Interestingly, if the results of ctcDNA and ccfDNA template sequencing were combined, productive samples showed similar detection frequency (56% vs 58%), were temporally flexible, and were complementary both to each other and the gold standard. These observations justify the use of a multiple template approach to the liquid biopsy, where germline, ctcDNA, and ccfDNA templates are employed for clinical diagnostic purposes and open a path to comprehensive blood derived biomarker access

Inflammatory breast cancer with excellent response to pembrolizumab-chemotherapy combination: A case report

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare variety of breast cancer accounting for two percent of breast cancer diagnoses in the United States. It is characterized by peau d\u27orange, breast edema and erythema on physical examination and dermal lymphatic invasion by tumor emboli on histological examination. Micrometastases to lymphatics and bone marrow at the time of diagnosis and angiogenic properties of IBC explain the high propensity of this cancer to relapse and metastasize, its aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Preoperative sequential anthracycline and taxane (plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab if HER2-positive) based chemotherapy is the current standard of care for IBC. We herein report a case of stage IIIC triple-negative IBC treated with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy based neoadjuvant therapy with a complete clinical and complete pathological response. This is the first case of triple-negative IBC treated with this regimen reported in the literature, thereby providing clinical data on the tolerability and efficacy of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy based neoadjuvant regimen for the treatment of IBC

Erratum to: Inflammatory breast cancer with excellent response to pembrolizumab-chemotherapy combination: A case report

Erratum for: Inflammatory breast cancer with excellent response to pembrolizumab-chemotherapy combination: A case report. Kharel Z, Nemer OP, Xi W, Upadhayaya B, Falkson CI, O\u27Regan RM, Dhakal A. Breast Dis. 2022;41(1):255-260. doi: 10.3233/BD-210041. PMID: 3559946