Imaging characteristics of young age breast cancer (YABC) focusing on pathologic correlation and disease recurrence

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate imaging characteristics of young age breast cancer (YABC) focusing on correlation with pathologic factors and association with disease recurrence. From January 2017 to December 2019, patients under 40 years old who were diagnosed as breast cancer were enrolled in this study. Morphologic analysis of tumor and multiple quantitative parameters were obtained from pre-treatment dynamic contrast enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), microvessel density (MVD) and endothelial Notch 1 (EC Notch 1) were investigated for correlation with imaging parameters. In addition, recurrence associated factors were assessed using both clinico-pathologic factors and imaging parameters. A total of 53 patients were enrolled. Several imaging parameters derived from apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram showed negative correlation with TSR; and there was negative correlation between MVD and Ve in perfusion analysis. There were nine cases of recurrences with median interval of 16 months. Triple negative subtype and low CD34 MVD positivity in Notch 1 hotspots showed significant association with tumor recurrence. Texture parameters reflecting tumor sphericity and homogeneity were also associated with disease recurrence. In conclusion, several quantitative MRI parameters can be used as imaging biomarkers for tumor microenvironment and can predict disease recurrence in YABC.

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New insights in the expression of stromal caveolin 1 in breast cancer spread to axillary lymph nodes

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82405-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cristian Scatena ◽

Giovanni Fanelli ◽

Giuseppe Nicolò Fanelli ◽

Michele Menicagli ◽

Paolo Aretini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lymph Nodes ◽

Cancer Metastasis ◽

Tumor Stroma ◽

Disease Recurrence ◽

Metastatic Spread ◽

Axillary Lymph Nodes ◽

Axillary Lymph ◽

Axillary Lymph Node Metastases ◽

Stromal Compartment ◽

Metastatic Sites

AbstractRecent evidence suggests that a loss of expression of caveolin in the stromal compartment (sCav-1) of human invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) may be a predictor of disease recurrence, metastasis and poor outcome. At present, there is little knowledge regarding the expression of sCav-1 at the metastatic sites. We therefore studied sCav-1 expression in IBCs and in their axillary lymph nodes to seek a correlation with cancer metastasis. 189 consecutive invasive IBCs (53 with axillary lymph node metastases and 136 without) were studied by immunohistochemistry, using a rabbit polyclonal anti-Cav-1 antibody. In IBCs sCav-1 was evaluated in fibroblasts scattered in the tumor stroma whereas in lymph nodes sCav-1 was assessed in fibroblast-like stromal cells. For the first time, we observed a statistically significant progressive loss of sCav-1 from normal/reactive axillary lymph nodes of tumors limited to the breast to metastatic axillary lymph nodes, through normal/reactive axillary lymph nodes of tumors with axillary metastatic spread. These data indicate that Cav-1 expressed by the stromal compartment of lymph nodes, somehow, may possibly contribute to metastatic spread in IBC.

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Analysis of the tumor characteristics in young age breast cancer patients using collaborative stage data of the Korea Central Cancer Registry

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment ◽

10.1007/s10549-021-06107-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Junyup Kim ◽

Seri Hong ◽

Jae Jun Lee ◽

Young-Joo Won ◽

Eun Sook Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Registry ◽

Young Age ◽

Tumor Characteristics ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Central Cancer Registry

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Epigenetic mechanisms in breast cancer therapy and resistance

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-22024-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Liliana Garcia-Martinez ◽

Yusheng Zhang ◽

Yuichiro Nakata ◽

Ho Lam Chan ◽

Lluis Morey

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Therapy Response ◽

Disease Recurrence ◽

Therapeutic Resistance ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Epigenetic Factors ◽

Breast Cancer Therapy ◽

Resistant Phenotype ◽

Early Adoption ◽

Clinical Resistance

AbstractThe majority of breast cancers express the estrogen receptor (ERα) and agents targeting this pathway represent the main treatment modality. Endocrine therapy has proven successful in the treatment of hormone-responsive breast cancer since its early adoption in the 1940s as an ablative therapy. Unfortunately, therapeutic resistance arises, leading to disease recurrence and relapse. Recent studies increased our understanding in how changes to the chromatin landscape and deregulation of epigenetic factors orchestrate the resistant phenotype. Here, we will discuss how the epigenome is an integral determinant in hormone therapy response and why epigenetic factors are promising targets for overcoming clinical resistance.

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Tumor‐stroma ratio is associated with Miller‐Payne score and pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2‐negative early breast cancer.

International Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1002/ijc.33700 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sophie C. Hagenaars ◽

Stefanie Groot ◽

Danielle Cohen ◽

Tim J.A. Dekker ◽

Ayoub Charehbili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Early Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Stroma ◽

Pathological Response ◽

Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

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The Emerging Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13051160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 1160

Author(s):

Giusi La Camera ◽

Luca Gelsomino ◽

Amanda Caruso ◽

Salvatore Panza ◽

Ines Barone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Endocrine Therapy ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Endocrine Resistance ◽

Disease Recurrence ◽

Estrogen Receptor Α ◽

Research Area ◽

Tumor Evolution

Breast cancer is the most common solid malignancy diagnosed in females worldwide, and approximately 70% of these tumors express estrogen receptor α (ERα), the main biomarker of endocrine therapy. Unfortunately, despite the use of long-term anti-hormone adjuvant treatment, which has significantly reduced patient mortality, resistance to the endocrine treatments often develops, leading to disease recurrence and limiting clinical benefits. Emerging evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanosized particles that are released by all cell types and responsible for local and systemic intercellular communications, might represent a newly identified mechanism underlying endocrine resistance. Unraveling the role of EVs, released by transformed cells during the tumor evolution under endocrine therapy, is still an open question in the cancer research area and the molecular mechanisms involved should be better defined to discover alternative therapeutic approaches to overcome resistance. In this review, we will provide an overview of recent findings on the involvement of EVs in sustaining hormonal resistance in breast cancer and discuss opportunities for their potential use as biomarkers to monitor the therapeutic response and disease progression.

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Association Between Very Young Age and Adverse Characteristics of Breast Cancer at Presentation Amongst Israeli Women

American Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1097/coc.0b013e3181d6b500 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 219-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Shani Paluch-Shimon ◽

Ido Wolf ◽

Siegal Sadetzki ◽

Iris Gluck ◽

Bernice Oberman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Young Age

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Nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 expression in breast cancer: Predicting early recurrence by targeting metastasis?

Tumor Biology ◽

10.1177/1010428317691181 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 101042831769118 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ekaterini Christina Tampaki ◽

Athanasios Tampakis ◽

Afroditi Nonni ◽

Konstantinos Kontzoglou ◽

Efstratios Patsouris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Disease Recurrence ◽

Prognostic Impact ◽

Stem Cell Markers ◽

Disease Relapse ◽

Nestin Expression ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Positive Group ◽

Cluster Of Differentiation ◽

Cd146 Expression

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of stem-cell markers nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 with clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer and to determine whether a prognostic impact of nestin and CD146 expression exists regarding occurrence of disease relapse in breast cancer. A total of 141 patients who were histologically diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent radical operations from November 2006 to October 2013 in Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, were enrolled in the study. CD146 and nestin protein expression were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Nestin expression was observed in 18.4% (26/141) of the cases, while CD146 expression was observed in 35.5% (50/141) of the cases. Nestin expression is significantly higher in younger patients with breast cancer. Nestin and CD146 expression were not correlated with the tumor size and the presence of lymph node metastasis. On the contrary, a significantly higher expression of nestin and CD146 was observed with triple-negative cancers (p < 0.0001 for both markers), low differentiated tumors (p = 0.021 for nestin and p = 0.008 for CD146), and increased Ki-67 expression (p = 0.007 for nestin and p < 0.0001 for CD146). The nestin-positive group of patients and the CD146–positive group of patients presented significantly higher rates of disease recurrence (log-rank test, p = 0.022 for nestin and p = 0.003 for CD146) with a distant metastasis, 30 months after the primary treatment. CD146 but not nestin, however, predicted independently (p = 0.047) disease recurrence. Nestin and CD146 are expressed in breast cancer cells with highly aggressive potency. They might contribute to disease relapse in breast cancer by activating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway and assist tumor neovascularization.

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