scholarly journals Shorter delay to treatment by integrated diagnostic services and NGO- provided support among breast cancer patients in two Brazilian referral centres

Author(s):  
Lorena Sofia Dos Santos Andrade ◽  
Tácila Thamires De Melo Santos ◽  
Milena Edite Case de Oliveira ◽  
Kedma Anne Lima Gomes ◽  
Adriana Raquel Araújo Pereira Soares ◽  
...  

Background: The diagnosis of breast cancer requires a complicated series of diagnostic exams. The present study addressed the delay of patients who used publicly and privately financed diagnostic services. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) donated diagnostic mammograms and biopsies.Design and Methods: Data from 304 patients were obtained from two Brazilian referral centres. In one referral centre (FAP), diagnostic mammography, clinic-histopathological exam and immunohistochemistry were outsourced, whereas in the other centre (HNL), these services were integrated. Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis and non-parametric tests were used to compare variables and time intervals.Results: If diagnostic mammography was financed privately and covered by private health insurance, the likelihood of a delay of >90 days between the first medical visit and the initiation of treatment decreased 2.15-fold (95%CI: 1.06- 4.36; p=0.033) and 4.44-fold (95%CI: 1.58-12.46; p=0.004), respectively. If the clinic-histopathological exam was outsourced (FAP) and publicly or privately financed, the median time between diagnostic mammography and the diagnostic result was 53 and 65 days in the integrated (HNL) and outsourced public system, compared to 29 days in the outsourced private system (p<0.050). The median time between the first medical visit and the diagnostic results of patients who were supported by NGOs, who financed their diagnostic services privately, and who used exclusively public diagnostic services was, respectively, 28.0, 48.5 and 77.5 days (p<0.050).Conclusion: Patients who used privately financed health services had shorter delays. Compared to outsourcing, the integration of the publicly financed clinic-histopathological exam diminished the delay. The support of patients by NGOs accelerated patient flow.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Sofia dos Santos Andrade ◽  
Tácila Thamires de Melo Santos ◽  
Milena Edite Case de Oliveira ◽  
Kedma Anne Lima Gomes ◽  
Adriana Raquel Araújo Pereira Soares ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The diagnosis of breast cancer, from first medical visit until treatment initiation, requires a complicated series of diagnostic exams. The present study addressed the delay of patients who used publicly and privately financed diagnostic services. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) donated diagnostic mammograms and biopsies. Methods: Data from 304 patients were obtained from two Brazilian referral centres. In one referral centre (FAP), diagnostic mammography, clinic-histopathological exam and immunohistochemistry were outsourced, whereas in the other centre (HNL), these services were integrated. Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis and non-parametric tests were used to compare variables and time intervals among patient groups. Results: If diagnostic mammography was financed privately and covered by private health insurance, the likelihood of a delay of >90 days between the first medical visit and the initiation of treatment decreased 2.15-fold (95%CI: 1.06- 4.36; p= 0.033) and 4.44-fold (95%CI: 1.58-12.46; p= 0.004), respectively. The median time between the first medical visit and the diagnostic result and between the first medical visit and the initiation of treatment was, respectively, 56.0 and 116.5 days. For these time intervals, 54 (34.8%) and 114 (64.8%) patients had a delay of >90 days for diagnostic results and the initiation of treatment, respectively. For patients in the FAP and HNL who had a delay of >90 days, the median time between the first medical visit and the diagnostic results was 180 and 158 days, respectively (p= 0.032). If the clinic-histopathological exam was outsourced (FAP) and publicly or privately financed, the median delay between diagnostic mammography and the diagnostic result was 65.0 or 29.0 days, respectively, compared to 53.0 days in the integrated (HNL) publicly financed system (p < 0.050). The median time between the first medical visit and the diagnostic results of all patients who were supported by NGOs, who financed their diagnostic services privately, and who used exclusively public diagnostic services was, respectively, 28.0, 48.5 and 77.5 days (p < 0.050).Conclusions: Patients who used privately financed health services had shorter delays. Compared to outsourcing, the integration of the publicly financed clinic-histopathological exam diminished the delay. The support of patients by NGOs accelerated patient flow.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200
Author(s):  
Anke Bergmann ◽  
Erica Nogueira Fabro ◽  
Blenda do Amaral e Silva ◽  
Ana Carolina Padula Ribeiro ◽  
Marianna Lou ◽  
...  

Objective: describe the characteristics, associated prognostic factors and overall survival of patients with spinal compression syndrome after bone metastasis in breast cancer patients. Method: A survival study was performed in women with breast cancer and bone me­tastasis, with diagnosis of radicular and/or spinal compression syn­drome at a single institution. We retrospectively collect the variables related to demographic characteristics (age, marital status and educa­tion) and clinical information (clinical stage, surgical treatment of breast cancer, site of metastasis, type of compression syndrome and death). Outcome was considered the occurrence of death and cen­sures, the cases alive at the last follow-up. Cox regression was used on a statistically significant level of 95%. Results: Thirty-six cases were included. Median time between breast cancer diagnosis and bone metastasis was 17 months (0–167), and median time to compression syndrome was 30 months (0–167). Death occurred in 92% of cases, a median of 22 months (1–99) after bone metastasis diagnosis and 9 months (0–47) after diagnosis of compression syndrome. The only variable that was associated with increased survival after compres­sion syndrome was the use of bisphosphonates after bone metastasis. Conclusion: Overall survival was 22 months after diagnosis of bone metastasis and 9 months after compression syndrome. Patients that had used bisphosphonates had increased survival after compression syndrome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e12533-e12533
Author(s):  
Constantinos Savva ◽  
Charles N Birts ◽  
Stéphanie A Laversin ◽  
Alicia Lefas ◽  
Jamie Krishnan ◽  
...  

e12533 Background: Obesity is associated with breast cancer development and worse survival. Obesity can initiate, promote, and maintain systemic inflammation via metabolic reprogramming of macrophages that encircle adipocytes, termed crown-like structures (CLS). In breast cancer patients, CLS are present in 36-50% of patients and have been associated with anthropometric parameters. Here we focus on HER2+ breast cancer. The role of adiposity in HER2+ breast cancer is conflicting which may be attributed to the tumour heterogeneity. Adiposity has also been shown to affect the local immune environment of solid tumours. However, the prognostic significance of CLS in HER2+ breast cancer is still unknown. Methods: We investigated the prognostic significance of CLS in a cohort of 219 patients with primary HER2+ breast cancer who were diagnosed between 1982 to 2012 in Southampton General Hospital. This cohort includes 76 HER2+ trastuzumab naïve patients and 143 HER2+ patients treated with adjuvant trastuzumab. We stained FFPE tumour samples for the expression of CD68, CD16 and CD32B on CLS and correlated these to clinical outcomes. CLS were defined as CLS within distant adipose tissue, CLS within the adipose-tumour border (B-CLS) and intratumoural CLS. CLS were quantified manually in full face sections by two independent scorers and descriptive and Cox regression analysis was carried out. Results: A total of 201 tumours were suitable for CLS analyses. The median follow-up was 34.74 months (range, 0.43-299.08). In the trastuzumab naive cohort, B-CLS≤1 and B-CLS > 1 were present in 37 (52.11%) and 34 (47.89%), respectively. In the trastuzumab treated cohort, B-CLS≤1 were identified in 69 (53.08%) and B-CLS > 1 were found in 61 (46.92%) of the tumours. CLS were more commonly found in the adipose-tumour border (60.89%) rather than in the distant adipose tissue (36.14%) or intratumorally (14.36%). The presence of any CLS was significantly associated with BMI≥25 kg/m2 (p = 0.018). There was strong evidence of association between CD68+CD32B+ B-CLS and BMI≥25 kg/m2 (p = 0.007). Co-expression of CD16 and CD32B by B-CLS was more frequent in patients with BMI≥25 kg/m2 (p = 0.036). Survival analysis showed shorter time to metastatic disease in patients with CD68+ B-CLS > 1 (p = 0.011) in the trastuzumab treated cohort. Subgroup analysis revealed that in the BMI≥25 kg/m2 group, patients with CD68+ B-CLS > 1 had shorter time to metastatic disease compared to patients with B-CLS≤1 (p = 0.004). Multivariate cox regression showed that B-CLS > 1 is an independent prognostic factor for shorter time to metastatic disease in patients with primary HER2+ breast cancer that received adjuvant trastuzumab (HR 6.81, 95%CI (1.38-33.54), p = 0.018). Conclusions: B-CLS can be potentially used as a predictive biomarker to optimize the stratification and personalisation of treatment in HER2-overexpressed breast cancer patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongqing Su ◽  
Qianzi Lu ◽  
Yi Pan ◽  
Yao Yu ◽  
Shiyuan Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Breast cancer has plagued women for many years and caused many deaths around the world. Method: In this study, based on the weighted correlation network analysis, univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, 12 immune-related genes were selected to construct the risk score for breast cancer patients. The multivariable Cox regression analysis, gene set enrichment analysis and nomogram were also conducted in this study. Results: Good results were obtained in the survival analysis, enrichment analysis, multivariable Cox regression analysis and immune-related feature analysis. When the risk score model was applied in 22 breast cancer cohorts, the univariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the risk score model was significantly associated with overall survival in most of the breast cancer cohorts. Conclusion: Based on these results, we could conclude that the proposed risk score model may be a promising method, and may improve the treatment stratification of breast cancer patients in the future work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olöf Bjarnadottir ◽  
Maria Feldt ◽  
Maria Inasu ◽  
Pär-Ola Bendahl ◽  
Karin Elebro ◽  
...  

AbstractStatins, commonly used to treat hypercholesterolemia, have also been proposed as anti-cancer agents. The identification of a predictive marker is essential. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase (HMGCR), which is inhibited by statins, might serve as such a marker. Thorough antibody validation was performed for four different HMGCR antibodies. Tumor expression of HMGCR (#AMAb90619, CL0260, Atlas Antibodies, Stockholm, Sweden) was evaluated in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study breast cancer cohort. Statin use and cause of death data were retrieved from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and Swedish Death Registry, respectively. Breast cancer-specific mortality (BCM) according to statin use and HMGCR expression were analyzed using Cox regression models. Three-hundred-twelve of 910 breast cancer patients were prescribed statins; 74 patients before and 238 after their breast cancer diagnosis. HMGCR expression was assessable for 656 patients; 119 showed negative, 354 weak, and 184 moderate/strong expressions. HMGCR moderate/strong expression was associated with prognostically adverse tumor characteristics as higher histological grade, high Ki67, and ER negativity. HMGCR expression was not associated with BCM. Neither was statin use associated with BCM in our study. Among breast cancer patients on statins, no or weak HMGCR expression predicted favorable clinical outcome. These suggested associations need further testing in larger cohorts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Lopez-Tarruella ◽  
M. J. Escudero ◽  
Marina Pollan ◽  
Miguel Martín ◽  
Carlos Jara ◽  
...  

AbstractThe debate about surgical resection of primary tumor (PT) in de novo metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients persists. We explored this approach’s outcomes in patients included in a retrospective registry, named El Álamo, of breast cancer patients diagnosed in Spain (1990–2001). In this analysis we only included de novo MBC patients, 1415 of whom met the study’s criteria. Descriptive, Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were carried out. Median age was 63.1 years, 49.2% of patients had single-organ metastasis (skin/soft tissue [16.3%], bone [33.8%], or viscera [48.3%]). PT surgery (S) was performed in 44.5% of the cases. S-group patients were younger, had smaller tumors, higher prevalence of bone and oligometastatic disease, and lower prevalence of visceral involvement. With a median follow-up of 23.3 months, overall survival (OS) was 39.6 versus 22.4 months (HR = 0.59, p < 0.0001) in the S- and non-S groups, respectively. The S-group OS benefit remained statistically and clinically significant regardless of metastatic location, histological type, histological grade, hormone receptor status and tumor size. PT surgery (versus no surgery) was associated with an OS benefit suggesting that loco-regional PT control may be considered in selected MBC patients. Data from randomized controlled trials are of utmost importance to confirm these results.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 961-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Xing ◽  
Huiting Dong ◽  
Qun Liu ◽  
Tingting Zhao ◽  
Fan Yao ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) expression and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in patients with breast cancer. Methods: ALDH1 expression and the presence of VM were examined by immunohistochemistry and CD31/PAS double staining, respectively, using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 202 breast cancer patients. The mean follow-up period ranged from 15 to 115 months. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves. Prognostic values were assessed by multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model. Results: ALDH1 expression was strongly associated with VM (P = 0.005). ALDH1 expression was positively correlated with histological grade (P = 0.011). Both ALDH1 expression and VM were negatively related to the status of the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and were statistically increased in triple-negative breast cancer. Patients with ALDH1 expression or VM displayed poorer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than ALDH1-negative or VM-negative patients, with the worst OS and DFS observed in ALDH1/VM-double-positive patients. ALDH1-positive and VM-positive were independent survival risk factors for DFS and OS. Conclusion: ALDH1 expression and VM are correlated with the survival rate of patients with breast cancer. ALDH1 and VM, either alone or together, are prognostic factors in patients with breast cancer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7178
Author(s):  
Anne-Sophie Heimes ◽  
Franziska Härtner ◽  
Katrin Almstedt ◽  
Slavomir Krajnak ◽  
Antje Lebrecht ◽  
...  

Interferons are crucial for adaptive immunity and play an important role in the immune landscape of breast cancer. Using microarray-based gene expression analysis, we examined the subtype-specific prognostic significance of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) as a single gene as well as an IFN-γ signature covering the signaling pathway in 461 breast cancer patients. Prognostic significance of IFN-γ, as well as the IFN-γ signature for metastasis-free survival (MFS), were examined using Kaplan–Meier as well as univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses in the whole cohort and in different molecular subtypes. The independent prognostic significance of IFN-γ as a single gene was limited to basal-like breast cancer (hazard ratio (HR) 2.779, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.117–6.919, p = 0.028). In contrast, the IFN-γ-associated gene signature was an independent prognostic factor in the whole cohort (HR 2.287, 95% CI 1.410–3.633, p < 0.001) as well as in the basal-like (HR 3.458, 95% CI 1.154–10.359, p = 0.027) and luminal B (HR 2.690, 95% CI 1.416–5.112, p = 0.003) molecular subtypes. These results underline the subtype-dependent prognostic influence of the immune system in early breast cancer.


2014 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 696-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shwn-Huey Shieh ◽  
Vivian Chia-Rong Hsieh ◽  
Shu-Hui Liu ◽  
Chun-Ru Chien ◽  
Cheng-Chieh Lin ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 596-596
Author(s):  
P. P. Gor ◽  
R. J. Gray ◽  
M. Horn ◽  
T. R. Rebbeck ◽  
P. A. Gimotty ◽  
...  

596 Background: Disparate outcomes of breast cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy may be influenced by variation in drug metabolism due to genetic polymorphisms in DME. Cyclophosphamide and thiotepa require activation by cytochrome P450 (CYP) and detoxification by glutathione-S-transferase, two highly polymorphic enzymes. We hypothesized that variants in CYP3A4(*1B), GSTM1 and GSTT1 would impact survival outcomes after adjuvant chemotherapy, with effects potentially modulated by chemotherapy dose. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients enrolled on E2190/Int0121, a randomized trial of cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin (A), and fluorouracil (F) versus CAF + high dose chemotherapy (HDC) using cyclophosphamide and thiotepa followed by stem cell rescue; disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were equivalent in the clinical trial. PCR-based methods were used to genotype hematologic stem cells. Hazard ratios for genotypes were obtained using Cox regression. Results: Stem cell samples and clinical data from August 1, 1991 through August 1, 2005 were available for 347/540 of patients enrolled; 151 patients on CAF and 196 on CAF + HDC arms, respectively. Median follow-up was 9.8 years. See table . CYP3A4*1B allele carriers had significantly poorer DFS (HR 1.84) in the combined cohort and CAF arm (HR 1.87), but not in the HDC arm; OS was not significant by CYP3A4 genotype. GSTM1 null homozygotes in the combined cohort and HDC arm had significantly better DFS (HR 0.70 and 0.66, respectively) and OS (HR 0.67 and 0.57, respectively), but not in the CAF arm. GSTT1 null homozygotes had significantly worse DFS (HR 2.3) and OS (2.02) in the CAF arm, but not in the HDC arm or combined cohort. Conclusions: In the overall E2190/Int0121 cohort, polymorphisms in activating (CYP3A4*1B) and inactivating (GSTM1) DME significantly impact DFS and OS. The detrimental effect of GSTT1 in the CAF arm appears to be ameliorated by HDC. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document