Changes in gynecologic and breast cancer diagnoses during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis from a tertiary academic gyneco-oncological center in Germany

Abstract Purpose With the beginning of 2021, the world has been suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic for more than 1 year. More and more, we are able to evaluate side effects of the pandemic in the healthcare sector. A negative impact on cancer diagnoses is one of them. Careful observation of trends in an academic gyneco-oncological context appears important to identify potential negative developments. Methods We analyzed the case number of gynecologic and breast cancer diagnoses in the period from January to June 2020 compared to 2019 and during the period of the first general German lockdown (March 22nd until May 5th 2020). Patients were characterized by age, tumor type, FIGO or TNM stage and presence of symptoms at initial hospital presentation. Results The frequency of newly diagnosed gynecologic and breast cancer cases from beginning of January until end of June changed by − 10% and by − 12% during the lockdown in 2020 compared to 2019. In both periods, reduction of breast cancer cases was relatively larger than decrease of gynecologic cancers. Moreover, median patient age decreased. For the first half of 2020, we found a shift towards higher tumor stages (N+/M1 or FIGO III–IV). During the lockdown period, the appearance of tumor-associated symptoms at diagnosis increased by about 12%. Conclusion This analysis illustrates the anticipated general decrease in diagnoses of primary cancers during the lockdown periods in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic for gynecologic and breast cancer cases.

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Quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging in high-risk patients and newly diagnosed breast cancer patients; a systematic review

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries ◽

10.24911/ijmdc.51-1538825110 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Basmah Altuwayjiri

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Quantitative Analysis ◽

High Risk ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Diffusion Weighted Imaging ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

High Risk Patients ◽

Risk Patients

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Impact of BRCA1/BRCA2 counseling and testing on newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

The Women s Oncology Review ◽

10.3109/14733400400013055 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 237-240

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Counseling And Testing ◽

Brca1 Brca2

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Recommendation and Acceptance of Counselling for Familial Cancer Risk in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Cases

Breast Care ◽

10.1159/000517021 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Karin Kast ◽

Julia Häfner ◽

Evelin Schröck ◽

Arne Jahn ◽

Carmen Werner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Genetic Counselling ◽

Primary Breast Cancer ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Familial Cancer ◽

University Hospital ◽

Tumor Board ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Familial Cancer Risk

Background: In clinical routine, not every patient who is offered genetic counselling and diagnostics in order to investigate a familial cancer risk predisposition opts for it. Little is known about acceptance of counselling and testing in newly diagnosed breast cancer cases in Germany. Methods: All primary breast cancer cases and patients with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) treated at the University Hospital of Dresden between 2016 and 2019 were included. The number of tumor board recommendations for genetic counselling on the basis of the GC-HBOC risk criteria was recorded. Acceptance was analyzed by number of cases with counselling in the GC-HBOC-Center Dresden. Results: Of 996 primary breast cancer and DCIS cases, 262 (26.3%) were eligible for genetic counselling. Recommendation for genetic counselling was accepted by 64.1% (168/262). Of these 90.5% (152/168) opted for molecular genetic analysis. The acceptance rate for counselling increased between 2016 and 2019 from 58.3 to 72.6%. Altogether, 20.4% (31/152) patients were found to carry a pathogenic variant in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. Conclusion: Acceptance of recommendation is increasing as clinical consequences augment. Optimization in providing information about hereditary cancer risk and in accessibility of counselling and testing is required to further improve acceptance of recommendation.

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Prospective comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/MRI, MRI, CT, and bone scintigraphy for the detection of bone metastases in the initial staging of primary breast cancer patients

European Radiology ◽

10.1007/s00330-021-07956-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nils Martin Bruckmann ◽

Julian Kirchner ◽

Lale Umutlu ◽

Wolfgang Peter Fendler ◽

Robert Seifert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Bone Metastases ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Bone Scintigraphy ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Primary Breast Cancer ◽

Whole Body ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Initial Staging

Abstract Objectives To compare the diagnostic performance of [18F]FDG PET/MRI, MRI, CT, and bone scintigraphy for the detection of bone metastases in the initial staging of primary breast cancer patients. Material and methods A cohort of 154 therapy-naive patients with newly diagnosed, histopathologically proven breast cancer was enrolled in this study prospectively. All patients underwent a whole-body [18F]FDG PET/MRI, computed tomography (CT) scan, and a bone scintigraphy prior to therapy. All datasets were evaluated regarding the presence of bone metastases. McNemar χ2 test was performed to compare sensitivity and specificity between the modalities. Results Forty-one bone metastases were present in 7/154 patients (4.5%). Both [18F]FDG PET/MRI and MRI alone were able to detect all of the patients with histopathologically proven bone metastases (sensitivity 100%; specificity 100%) and did not miss any of the 41 malignant lesions (sensitivity 100%). CT detected 5/7 patients (sensitivity 71.4%; specificity 98.6%) and 23/41 lesions (sensitivity 56.1%). Bone scintigraphy detected only 2/7 patients (sensitivity 28.6%) and 15/41 lesions (sensitivity 36.6%). Furthermore, CT and scintigraphy led to false-positive findings of bone metastases in 2 patients and in 1 patient, respectively. The sensitivity of PET/MRI and MRI alone was significantly better compared with CT (p < 0.01, difference 43.9%) and bone scintigraphy (p < 0.01, difference 63.4%). Conclusion [18F]FDG PET/MRI and MRI are significantly better than CT or bone scintigraphy for the detection of bone metastases in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Both CT and bone scintigraphy show a substantially limited sensitivity in detection of bone metastases. Key Points • [18F]FDG PET/MRI and MRI alone are significantly superior to CT and bone scintigraphy for the detection of bone metastases in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. • Radiation-free whole-body MRI might serve as modality of choice in detection of bone metastases in breast cancer patients.

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Association between ultrasound findings, tumor type, grade, and biological markers in patients with breast cancer

Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine ◽

10.1186/s43055-019-0048-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yasmine Mohamed Elsaeid ◽

Dina Elmetwally ◽

Salwa Mohamed Eteba

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Biological Markers ◽

Tumor Grade ◽

The State ◽

Tumor Type ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Duct Carcinoma ◽

Ultrasound Findings ◽

Her 2 ◽

And Biological Markers

Abstract Background This prospective study included 65 female patients with primary breast cancer. Ultrasound was performed for all patients. Ultrasound findings were analyzed according to the ACR BI-RADS lexicon 5th edition and correlated with tumor type, grade, and biological markers (ER, PR, HER-2/neu, and Ki67). The purpose of this study is to assess the association between ultrasound findings, tumor type, grade, and the state of biological markers in patients with breast cancer. Results Irregular shape and speculated margins are more frequently associated with invasive duct carcinoma than DCIS (p value < 0.001). There were no association between the ultrasound findings (shape, margin, orientation, echopattern, and posterior features) and the tumor grade (p value 1.0, 0, 0.544, 1.0, and 1.0), respectively. Irregular shape is more frequently seen in ER and PR positive breast cancers (p value = 0.036 and 0.026, respectively). Non-circumscribed margins were frequently seen in PR positive breast cancers (p value = 0.068). No statistically significant difference between US descriptors and HER-2/neu-positive cases. Conclusion Irregularly shaped tumors with speculated margins are frequently seen in invasive duct carcinoma and also more frequently seen in ER-, PR-, and Ki67-positive cases. No relation between ultrasound descriptors and the tumor grade of invasive duct carcinoma. Also, there were no relation between ultrasound descriptors and the state of HER-2/neu.

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