scholarly journals 900 Effects Of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on the 2ww Breast Referrals in A UK Specialist Breast Service

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
O Tokode ◽  
S Rastall

Abstract Aim Recommendations were issued to the hospital Trusts to configure service delivery to balance cancer care with patient and hospital staff safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was felt the service restrictions might lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. We conducted an audit to compare 2ww breast referrals in our center between May to July of 2019 and 2020. Method We triaged all referrals to face-face consultation or telephone consultation in our center during the pandemic. Patients with suspicious symptoms were offered face-face consultation after the telephone triage. Results Data analysis showed that the referrals fell by 28.3% (N 1569 versus N 1125). The largest reduction was noted in May (34.4% versus 24.2%). Mean waiting time in 2019 was 19.86 (± 7.14) and 11.43 (± 3.48) in 2020. The proportion of patients referred for suspected breast cancers increased across all age groups in 2020 (range +10.4% to 16.2%). Significantly more breast cancers were diagnosed in 2020 (7.1% versus 5.1%). No breast cancer was diagnosed in under 25 patients. 29.1% of the 522 patients telephoned were discharged, and others were seen in the clinic. Conclusions The COVID-19 infection’s management caused a fall in 2ww referrals and shortened waiting times but increased breast cancer diagnosis. Many 2ww referrals during the COVID-19 infection were unnecessary. The telephone consultation reduced waiting times but may have deferred clinic visitation for most patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10526-10526
Author(s):  
Grace Wei ◽  
Marilin Rosa ◽  
Maxine Chang ◽  
Brian J. Czerniecki ◽  
Xia Wang

10526 Background: The association between breast cancer characteristics and survival with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression has been primarily studied via binomial categories, ER-positive and ER-negative. In order to better characterize germline genetic influences on these markers, we investigated their IHC expression semi-quantitatively in cancer predisposition germline pathogenic variant (PV) carriers of the following genes: BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, TP53, PTEN, CDH1, ATM, CHEK2, and Lynch syndrome genes. The HER2 expression was also analyzed. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with germline panel genetic testing for cancer predisposition genes at Moffitt Cancer Center’s GeneHome clinic. Inclusion criteria included 1) women ≥18 years old, 2) breast cancer diagnosis, 3) cancer predisposition germline panel genetic test results, 4) available ER and PR expression levels, and 5) available HER expression and/or amplification status. ER, PR, and HER2 status were compared between PV carriers and non-PV carriers via Mann-Whitney U at p>0.05. Results: A total of 847 cases were reviewed for the study. Among 658 patients with a breast cancer diagnosis and complete ER PR data, 365 cases (55.5%) were non-PV carriers and 293 cases (44.5%) carried a PV in at least one of the genes listed above. Among 635 cases with available HER2 expression/amplification status, 355 (55.9%) cases were non-PV carriers and 288 (45.4%) cases were PV-carriers. When compared with non-PV carrier controls, BRCA1 PV carriers’ breast tumors had significantly lower ER and/or PR expression. Further, BRCA2 and TP53 PV tumors also displayed moderately lower ER expression. Contrarily, CHEK2 tumors displayed higher ER and PR expression compared to controls. Further, BRCA1 and BRCA2 PV carriers were more likely to have HER2- breast cancers. Conclusions: Differences in ER, PR, HER2 expression levels were observed in germline PV carrier breast cancers, signaling differential impacts by germline PVs on the tumor evolution process. It is likely that tumor differences in PV carriers influence responses to therapies, including hormone therapy, anti-HER2 therapy, and subsequent survival.[Table: see text]


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 20190034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiranja Prasad Babarenda Gamage ◽  
Duane T. K. Malcolm ◽  
Gonzalo Maso Talou ◽  
Anna Mîra ◽  
Anthony Doyle ◽  
...  

Clinicians face many challenges when diagnosing and treating breast cancer. These challenges include interpreting and co-locating information between different medical imaging modalities that are used to identify tumours and predicting where these tumours move to during different treatment procedures. We have developed a novel automated breast image analysis workflow that integrates state-of-the-art image processing and machine learning techniques, personalized three-dimensional biomechanical modelling and population-based statistical analysis to assist clinicians during breast cancer detection and treatment procedures. This paper summarizes our recent research to address the various technical and implementation challenges associated with creating a fully automated system. The workflow is applied to predict the repositioning of tumours from the prone position, where diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging is performed, to the supine position where treatment procedures are performed. We discuss our recent advances towards addressing challenges in identifying the mechanical properties of the breast and evaluating the accuracy of the biomechanical models. We also describe our progress in implementing a prototype of this workflow in clinical practice. Clinical adoption of these state-of-the-art modelling techniques has significant potential for reducing the number of misdiagnosed breast cancers, while also helping to improve the treatment of patients.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10540-10540
Author(s):  
B. Kaufman ◽  
A. Lahad ◽  
M. Krieger ◽  
M. Gal ◽  
E. Friedman ◽  
...  

10540 Background: BRCA1-associated tumors are known to have less favorable pathological characteristics, but there is little information on whether this is also reflected in the stage at diagnosis. Methods: Clinical and pathological information was collected on 1,122 consecutive Ashkenazi Jewish breast cancer patients who were tested post-diagnosis for the BRCA1/2 mutations common in this population. Results: Of 1,122 patients, 70 (6.2%) were BRCA1 and 50 (4.5%) were BRCA2 carriers. Mean age at diagnosis was 49.9 yrs. in BRCA1 carriers (p=.0001 vs. non-carriers (NC)) vs. 52.0 yrs. in BRCA2 carriers (p=.02 vs. NC) and 56.0 yrs. in NC. Pure DCIS was less common in BRCA1 carriers (3%) than in BRCA2 carriers (8.2%) and NC (11.8%) (p=.03). Medullary carcinoma was more common in BRCA1 (9.8%) and BRCA2 carriers (6.7%) than in NC (1.5%) (p<.001). Invasive lobular carcinomas were rarer in BRCA1 (1.6%) and BRCA2 (2.2%) compared to NC (8.8%) (p=.012). Hormone receptors (HR) negative was more common in BRCA1 (62%) compared to BRCA2 carriers (21%) (p=.00006) and NC (17%) (p<0.0001). Triple negative tumors (HR and HER2 negative) were more common in BRCA1 carriers (60%) than in BRCA2 carriers (14%) and NC (8.3%) (p=0.001). High grade was more common in BRCA1 (60.4%) and BRCA2 (51.4%) carriers than in NC (36.7%, p=.001). Less favorable pathological features and younger age at diagnosis in BRCA1 carriers were reflected in a more advanced stage at diagnosis. Stage I at diagnosis was found in 34% of BRCA1 carriers (p=.05 vs. NC), 43% of BRCA2 carriers and 46% of NC, stage II in 48% of BRCA1 carriers, 41% of BRCA2 carriers and 37% of NC, and stage III in 17% of BRCA1 carriers, 13.5% of BRCA2 carriers and 13.5% of non-carriers. Conclusions: This consecutive cohort study demonstrates that breast cancers in BRCA1 carriers are characterized by more aggressive pathological features and are diagnosed at more advanced stages than in BRCA2 carriers and non-carriers. This may suggest a differential approach for prevention and surveillance in BRCA1 compared to BRCA2 carriers. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9039-9039
Author(s):  
S. H. Giordano ◽  
B. Badgwell ◽  
Z. Duan ◽  
I. Bedrosian ◽  
G. Hortobagyi ◽  
...  

9039 Background: The guidelines for screening mammography use in patients age 80 years and older are not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mammography use on stage and tumor size at breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: The study is a retrospective cohort using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. We evaluated 14,976 women aged 80 and older diagnosed with breast cancer between 1996–2002. Patients were divided into three cohorts based on screening mammography use in the 60 months prior to diagnosis: nonusers, non-regular users (1–2 mammograms), and regular users (3+). The effects of screening on tumor stage (0-I vs. II-IV) and size were determined by logistic regression and multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Regular mammography use for the age groups 80–84, 85–89, and >= 90 was 29%, 19%, and 9%, respectively. Among regular users of mammography, 26% presented with stage II or greater cancer while 64% of non-users presented with stage II or greater disease. On multivariate analysis, non-users were 4.7 (95% CI 4.26–5.14) times more likely to present with high-stage cancer. Non-users, non-regular users, and regular users had an adjusted mean tumor size of 5.08 (4.44–5.72), 3.26 (2.57–3.95), and 2.77 (2.02–3.51), respectively. Conclusions: Regular screening mammography among women aged 80 years and older is associated with earlier stage at presentation and smaller tumor size compared to mammography nonusers. Health care providers should consider discussing potential benefits of screening mammography with their older patients particularly for those without significant comorbidity. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Author(s):  
G. Marchioro ◽  
F. Barbato ◽  
G. Azzarello ◽  
O. Vinante

Background. The psychological discomfort associated to breast-cancer diagnosis and related treatments is universally recognized. However homogeneous modalities of intervention are lacking. The questionnaires are the most employed tools to analyze pre-morbidity personality traits and the quality of life of cancer patients, but they lack valid indicators of the patients' overall quality of life. On the other hand, counseling along with administered psychological tests allows listening and mutual relationship between patient and examiner. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Rorschach test, a multidimensional method of collecting data on personality functioning, as an instrument to assess mood disorders, object relation, self-image and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Methods. 135 consecutive women affected by operable breast cancer underwent psychological counseling and the Rorschach test within 2–4 weeks after surgery. Results of the test were interpreted according to the structural and experiential approaches. The discrimination between “compact” and “noncompact” tables makes it possible to study the changes of patients identity during the illness, while the Experienced Stimulation and Experience Actual indices, providing information about the patient's coping to therapeutic approach, were calculated according to the Exner system. The records from a sample of 60 healthy women, equally distributed in three age groups (< 50, 50–59, > 60) coming from the same Italian region (regional sample) and the results from 736 nonpatient Italian subjects (national sample) were used as controls. Results. Quantitative results were comparable within groups, except for parameters of cognitive characteristics regulating the approach to reality (G, G+, F+, Anat, Ban). No patient fulfilled the parameter configuration corresponding to depressive disorder, but alexithymia with a state reaction interpreted as an adjustment disorder with depressive mood was recorded. This trait was correlated with lower educational levels and increasing age.


2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Chiarelli ◽  
Verna Mai ◽  
Erika E. Halapy ◽  
Rene S. Shumak ◽  
Frances P. O’Malley ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Pier Mario Cappa ◽  
Giancarlo Bertiond ◽  
Alessandro Colombo ◽  
Fabrizio Faggiano ◽  
Margherita Gussio ◽  
...  

A population-based survey of histologically diagnosed breast cancer was carried out among residents in Piedmont. A total of 5267 incident cases occurring in 1979–1981 was collected, corresponding to an age-standardized (on the world population) incidence rate of 49.5/100,000 per year. Rates (standardized on the population of Piedmont in 1981) were highest in the city of Torino (112.4/100,000 per year) and lowest in the province of Cuneo (67.5), whereas in the other provinces they ranged between 85.3 and 90.0. Estimation of rates in the 54 Local Health Authorities of Piedmont detected up to 2-fold differences between adjacent areas. A correlation was found between rates and size of the population of town of residence. Comparison with age-specific incidence rates from the Cancer Registry of the nearby province of Varese suggested a loss of nonhistologically confirmed cases selectively in older age groups. The distribution of cases diagnosed in 1979 by histologic type is presented. The proportion of diagnoses reported in terms which were consistent with the 1978 WHO Histological Typing of Breast Tumours was 61.3%. It was highest among cases identified in Pathology Services located in University Hospitals and/or diagnosing more than 50 breast cancers per year.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11044-11044
Author(s):  
A. Z. Bluming

11044 Background: To assess the incidence of contralateral or recurrent breast cancer among women prospectively treated with HRT after initial breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: A community-based, prospective, single-arm, pilot study of HRT among 246 women with previously treated primary breast cancer. Results: Median duration of HRT is 89+ months (range 12+ -173+). Median interval from initial surgery to initiation of HRT is 52 months (range 2–361 months). Follow-up to date is 100%. Actuarial disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), & median duration of HRT by stage are listed in the table : *T0N0: 2 LCIS recurred locally after lumpectomy alone. 2 DCIS recurred locally after lumpectomy/RT 5 contralateral tumors (3 DCIS, 2 T1N0) 1 distant recurrence - liver. (alive 4 years later). **T1N0: 9 local recurrences after lumpectomy/RT 7 contralateral tumors. 8 distant recurrences - 3 lung, 2 liver, 3 bone - 4 died ***T2N0: 2 local recurrences after lumpectomy/RT 2 distant recurrences - lung - 1 died ****T1N1: 3 local recurrence after lumpectomy/RT 2 contralateral tumors 2 distant recurrences - 1 bone, 1 supraclav node - 2 died ***** T2–3N1: 1 contralateral tumor 3 distant recurrences - 1 cerv node-2 bone mets - 2 died One hundred and sixteen patients have stopped HRT (47%), 57 because of anxiety about taking HRT (23%), 50 because of breast cancer development (20%), 3 because of the development of non-breast cancers, 2 died of nonmalignant disease, 3 because of HRT-associated symptoms, and 1 because of pulmonary emboli without clinical phlebitis. CHRT, as opposed to ERT, was administered to 50% of all patients and 58% of the 50 who subsequently developed breast cancer on study. Actuarial DFS to 25 years for T1N0 patients was 67% versus 37% (DSS=86%) for comparable T1N0 patients who did not receive HRT. Conclusions: No evidence to date of increased development, recurrence or of breast cancer-related death associated with post diagnosis HRT. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13081-e13081
Author(s):  
Rutika Jitesh Mehta ◽  
Adrienne Groman ◽  
Rohit K. Jain ◽  
Ellis Glenn Levine

e13081 Background: Synchronous breast cancers are uncommon and account for around 2% of all breast cancer diagnosis. Lobular histology is considered a risk factor for synchronous breast cancers. We sought to study the trends in synchronous breast cancer of ductal histology and influence of age by interrogating the SEER database. Methods: The SEER Research data 1973-2013 was interrogated for synchronous infiltrating ductal carcinoma diagnosis (2 diagnosis within 6 months of each other). Overall survival (OS), the primary endpoint, was defined as the time (in months) from diagnosis to death from any cause. Univariate proportional hazards modeling results were used to assess the effect of age, race and stage on overall survival. All associations were considered statistically significant at an alpha error < 0.01. All analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4. Results: 1469 cases were identified. Data was categorized by age group: ≤ 65 years or > 65 years. 60% were 65 years or younger. 85% were Caucasians, 9.6% African Americans and 5.2% others. Younger women (≤ 65 years) had a statistically higher proportion of Stage III/IV breast cancer diagnosis as compared to older women (33.4% vs 25.2%; p = 0.002). The incidence rate of synchronous breast cancers has been rising since 1973, more pronounced in the older age group. Incidence rates overall have risen from 0.09/100,000 persons in 1973-1980 to 0.29/100,000 persons in 2001-2013 (p < 0.001). Incidence rates for synchronous breast cancer in women > 65 years has increased from 0.30/100,000 persons in 1973-1980 to 1.03/100,000 persons in 2001-2013. The adjusted OS among older women is significantly worse than that of younger women (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.04-1.05; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Better imaging techniques and breast cancer screening guidelines have likely improved breast cancer detection rates thus leading to a rise in the incidence of synchronous breast cancers. It can be speculated that underlying medical problems and advanced age result in more morbidity and subsequent mortality in older women with standard treatment. The finding of more advanced disease among younger women deserves scrutiny as to cause.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2078-2078
Author(s):  
Alan Baltz ◽  
Issam Makhoul ◽  
Eric R Siegel

2078 Background: The “Choosing Wisely” (CW) list, released by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), highlights low-value procedures. In 2012, the CW recommendations advised against the use of staging imaging, including Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computerized Tomography (CT) and radionuclide bone scans, for the staging of early breast cancer at low risk for metastasis. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the impact of the ASCO CW recommendations on staging imaging among early stage breast cancers. Methods: Women above the age of 66 with an early stage incident breast cancer diagnoses between 2010 and 2015 were identified within the linked SEER-Medicare data. The primary outcome of interest was the proportion of patients with a claim for staging imaging in the six months following the breast cancer diagnosis. Negative binomial regression, adjusting for pre-recommendation trends, was performed to estimate the changes in the rate of imaging staging within each year following the release of the recommendation. Results: A total of 50,004 women were identified during the study period. Prior to the release of the recommendations in 2012, the staging imaging rates among women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancers were 5% greater in 2010 (p<.01) and 4% greater in 2011 (p<.01). Following the release of the recommendations, staging imaging rates did not decrease significantly in 2013 (2%;p=0.18). Imaging rates did, however, significantly decrease by 13% in 2014 (p<0.01) and by 16% in 2015 (p<0.01). Conclusions: The CW recommendation was associated with a significant decrease in unadvised staging imaging among incident early stage breast cancer diagnosis in the second and third year following its release. These findings demonstrate an improvement in the proportion of potentially inappropriate staging imaging in early stage breast cancers. The creation and dissemination of resources, such as the CW recommendations, serves as a powerful tool to improve clinical practice, quality of care, and patient safety from secondary malignancies, anxiety, and overdiagnosis.


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