Syntaxin-1 and Insulinoma-Associated Protein 1 Expression in Breast Neoplasms with Neuroendocrine Features

Introduction: A subset of breast neoplasia is characterized by features of neuroendocrine differentiation. Positivity for Neuroendocrine markers by immunohistochemistry is required for the diagnosis. Sensitivity and specificity of currently used markers are limited; based on the definitions of WHO Classification of Tumours, 5th edition, about 50% of breast tumors with features of neuroendocrine differentiation express chromogranin-A and 16% express synaptophysin. We assessed the applicability of two novel markers, syntaxin-1 and insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) in breast carcinomas.Methods: Hypercellular (Type B) mucinous carcinomas, solid papillary carcinomas, invasive carcinomas of no special type with neuroendocrine features and ductal carcinomas in situ of neuroendocrine subtype were included in our study. The immunohistochemical panel included chromogranin A, synaptophysin, CD56, syntaxin-1 and INSM1. The specificity of syntaxin-1 and INSM1 was determined using samples negative for chromogranin A, synaptophysin and CD56.Results: The sensitivity of syntaxin-1 was 84.7% (50/59), with diffuse positivity in more than 60% of the cases. Syntaxin-1 also had an excellent specificity (98.1%). Depending on the definition for positivity, the sensitivity of INSM1 was 89.8% (53/59) or 86.4% (51/59), its specificity being 57.4% or 88.9%. The sensitivities of chromogranin A, synaptophysin and CD56 were 98.3, 74.6 and 22.4%, respectively.Discussion: Syntaxin-1 and INSM1 are sensitive and specific markers of breast tumors with neuroendocrine features, outperforming chromogranin A and CD56. We recommend syntaxin-1 and INSM1 to be included in the routine neuroendocrine immunohistochemical panel.

SP8.1.4 Design features of the EPR-integrated Southampton Breast Cancer Data System (SBCDS), with timeline structured whole-of-life records on 20,000 sequential cases since the 1970s

Introduction The digitisation of the electronic patient record (EPR) provides transformative opportunities for data visualisation. The synchronised timeline and iconographic interface permits the whole-of-life display, navigation and interpretation of all documents and reports of each and every EPR on a single screen, thus substantially facilitating clinical research. Methods Since 2010, we have conceived, programmed and iterated a radical interface, UHS Lifelines, within our Trust EPR using agile methodology. It is live for >2.5M record sets, and enriched with cellular pathology records back to 1990. We have integrated this interface into a unique, HTML-enabled, dynamic and continually updated database for the recording of treatments and pathologies of all cases of breast neoplasia from our current and historic record sets. Results As of January 2021, our data system contains ∼20,000 sequential whole of life records of patients with breast neoplasia, including ∼15,000 locally diagnosed and ∼ 5,000 externally referred cases. The unique Cancer Lifetrack timelines displays the disease course of every case from primary diagnosis, through loco-regional recurrence, to distant metastasis, other morbid cancers and cause of death, where relevant. An integral data mining system permits a wide range of analyses. Conclusions We believe our Breast Cancer Data System to be the first-in-class exemplar of a new and proven approach to clinical data visualisation. It permits near-instantaneous oversight and real time updating of every patient record in the system. We recognise its potential application for the whole-of-life study of all chronic diseases of childhood and adulthood as the model is more widely adopted.

Mammary Development and Breast Cancer: a Notch Perspective

Mammary gland development primarily occurs postnatally, and this unique process is complex and regulated by systemic hormones and local growth factors. The mammary gland is also a highly dynamic organ that undergoes profound changes at puberty and during the reproductive cycle. These changes are driven by mammary stem cells (MaSCs). Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in women. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play prominent roles in tumor initiation, drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. The highly conserved Notch signaling pathway functions as a key regulator of the niche mediating mammary organogenesis and breast neoplasia. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which Notch contributes to breast carcinoma pathology and suggest potentials for therapeutic targeting of Notch in breast cancer. In summary, we provide a comprehensive overview of Notch functions in regulating MaSCs, mammary development, and breast cancer.

Intraperitoneal migration of a hookwire following wide local excision of a breast lesion presenting as a spontaneous pneumothorax

Hookwire migration is a rare complication of wide local excision surgery for breast neoplasia. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who presented to hospital with acute on chronic left upper quadrant and left scapular pain. She had undergone a hookwire-guided wide local excision of a right breast neoplasm 5 years previously. Her vital signs, clinical examination and blood test were unremarkable. A CT scan revealed a left-sided pneumothorax and a 20 cm metallic intraperitoneal foreign body transpiercing the diaphragm. A review of the patient’s clinical record revealed that she experienced a vagal collapse during hookwire implantation. This article underlines the importance of clear communication between members of a multidisciplinary team involved in a staged surgical intervention and exemplifies that foreign bodies can migrate across large distances, sometimes against gravity, to cross multiple anatomical compartments and cause iatrogenic injuries multiple years after an index intervention

Hospitalizations for malignant breast neoplasia in brazilian regions from 2014 to 2018 / Internações por neoplasia maligna da mama nas regiões brasileiras no período de 2014 a 2018

Objetivo: analisar os casos de internação por neoplasia maligna da mama nas regiões brasileiras de 2014 a 2018. Método: estudo descritivo e quantitativo, realizado através dos dados referentes aos internamentos por neoplasia maligna da mama nas cinco regiões brasileiras disponíveis no Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde entre os anos de 2014 a 2018. Resultados: foram notificados 305.086 internamentos por câncer de mama no período de 2014 a 2018. Em 2017 ocorreram o maior número de internações com 65.029 (21,3%) casos, a região Sudeste ocupou o primeiro lugar com 51,1% dos internamentos, houve predominância do sexo feminino (98,9%), cor branca (45,8%) e na faixa etária de 40 a 59 anos (51,3%). Conclusão: os dados encontrados mostram que a conscientização dos profissionais e da população sobre a importância da prevenção e detecção precoce do câncer de mama é um fator essencial para a mudança do panorama no país.

Blunt duct adenosis: a separate entity from columnar cell lesions?

Blunt duct adenosis (BDA) is a breast lesion first described by Foote and Stewart in 1945 as a proliferative benign lesion of the terminal duct lobular unit. Throughout recent decades, further literature descriptions of BDA have been confusing. Some consider BDA to be a separate entity, some a growth pattern of columnar cell changes. The WHO 2012 considered BDA and columnar cell changes to be synonyms, while columnar cell lesions, especially those with atypia, are part of a spectrum of early precursors of the low nuclear grade breast neoplasia family. In the updated WHO 2019 version, BDA is mentioned as ‘not recommended’ terminology for columnar cell lesions without further discussing it, leaving the question open if BDA should be considered a separate entity.Good diagnostic criteria for BDA have however largely been lacking, and its biological background has not yet been unravelled. In this paper, we point out that BDA is mainly associated with benign breast lesions and not with other recognised precursor lesions. Further, 16q loss, which is the hallmark molecular event in the low nuclear grade breast neoplasia family, is lacking in BDA. We therefore hypothesise that BDA may not be a true precursor lesion but a benign polyclonal lesion, and propose morphological diagnostic criteria to better differentiate it from columnar cell lesions.