INTRODUCTION: Breast self-examination (BSE) is a screening method that can help empower, raise awareness, and detect breast abnormalities in women. The use of smartphone applications for breast cancer early detection is...INTRODUCTION: Breast self-examination (BSE) is a screening method that can help empower, raise awareness, and detect breast abnormalities in women. The use of smartphone applications for breast cancer early detection is able to overcome some of these barriers. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of the effect of using smartphone application-based technology on breast cancer. METHODS: Google Scholar, PubMed, Proquest, and ScienceDirect were searched for "breast self-examination" and "smartphone application" literature. This literature's study designs were quasi-experimental, prospective cohort, qualitative, and systematic review. The study contained five unique research projects with 828 varied participants. RESULTS: The use of smartphones was seen to have advantages in terms of increased knowledge, perceived vulnerability, barriers to breast self-examination (BSE), self-efficacy, health motivation, and BSE practices. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of smartphone apps related to BSE is shown through the availability, accessibility, and focus of information and is in line with the Health Belief Model (HBM).
INTRODUCTION: Breast self-examination (BSE) is an important tool for early detection of breast cancer and can contribute to increased awareness and familiarity with breast tissue. This study aimed to review factors that...INTRODUCTION: Breast self-examination (BSE) is an important tool for early detection of breast cancer and can contribute to increased awareness and familiarity with breast tissue. This study aimed to review factors that influenced BSE in preventing breast cancer. METHODS: In the initial stage of searching for journal articles, 186 journals were obtained, then screening was carried out within a time span of 2019-2024 and using Indonesian and English 54 journals. Of the 12 journals reviewed, the results showed that 4 journals reviewed had conducted pre and post-BSE practices, and 8 journal reviews conducted BSE practices conducted by students and health workers. RESULTS: Several factors play an important role in implementing BSE, namely age, knowledge, history of exposure to information, family history, ethnicity, and attitude. Overall, the study shows that the need to create awareness and educate women, especially rural women, on the importance of BSE as a preventive measure for breast cancer is paramount. CONCLUSIONS: Factors influencing the implementation of BSE can be a barrier or an enhancement in breast cancer prevention.
INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is a significant threat to public health. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use...INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is a significant threat to public health. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer incidence. METHODS: The search was conducted using Google Scholar, Proquest, Pubmed and one Indonesian database, Garuda, using English and Indonesian keywords. The inclusion criteria in this study were the publication year of the last five years, namely 2019-2023, English and Indonesian language, case-control observational research, using the Indonesian population, and full-text access. RESULTS: A total of 165 studies were obtained from the Google Scholar database, including 104 studies. The overall multivariate analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant association of hormonal contraception with the incidence of breast cancer with OR values in the range of 2-6. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this systematic study suggest that the use of hormones can contribute to hormonal imbalances that further increase breast cell proliferation and disrupt gene expression, resulting in uncontrolled cell development/cancer. In addition, the findings recommend increasing the number of studies on this topic to obtain more adequate and possibly more diverse information.
INTRODUCTION: Housewives are a population at high risk of breast cancer due to repeated or chronic exposure to stress. Prevention in a simple yet evidence-based manner is needed. METHODS: This study is a narrative review...INTRODUCTION: Housewives are a population at high risk of breast cancer due to repeated or chronic exposure to stress. Prevention in a simple yet evidence-based manner is needed. METHODS: This study is a narrative review of the potential of massage as breast cancer prevention through stress and immune system mechanisms. RESULTS: Massage is able to prevent chronic stress through improved sleep and fatigue and lower stress levels. Prevention of chronic stress will maximize the function of cells that eliminate cancer cells, such as B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, and improve the balance of Foxp3 Tregulator cells. Partnered delivery massage will bring effective benefits for stress reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Massage can provide indirect prevention of breast cancer, and partnered delivery massage can be a good choice to reduce stress.
INTRODUCTION: Indonesian civilization extensively uses traditional medicine to cure illnesses and preserve health. The lack of knowledge on the security and efficacy of medicinal plants is still a significant concern. Al...INTRODUCTION: Indonesian civilization extensively uses traditional medicine to cure illnesses and preserve health. The lack of knowledge on the security and efficacy of medicinal plants is still a significant concern. Although the precise chemicals responsible for this impact are unknown, ginger is a common medicinal plant in Southeast Asia that may have anticancer qualities. METHOD: Using data from Dudedocking, a machine-learning model was created to predict possible breast anticancer chemicals from ginger. The model was used to forecast substances that block KIT and MAPK2 proteins, essential elements in breast cancer. RESULT: Beta-carotene, 5-Hydroxy-74'-dimethoxyflavone, [12]-Shogaol, Isogingerenone B, curcumin, Trans-[10]-Shogaol, Gingerenone A, Dihydrocurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin were all superior to the reference ligand for MAPK2, according to molecular docking studies. Lycopene, [8]-Shogaol, [6]-Shogaol, and [1]-Paradol exhibited low toxicity and no Lipinski violations, but beta carotene had toxic predictions and Lipinski violations. It was anticipated that all three substances would have anticarcinogenic qualities. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study shows the value of machine learning in drug development and offers insightful information on possible anticancer chemicals from ginger.
BACKGROUND: Fat transfer has been widely used after breast conservative surgery (BCS) where it aims to recover shapes as a simple, inexpensive, biocompatible method but the technique is not without complications. Platele...BACKGROUND: Fat transfer has been widely used after breast conservative surgery (BCS) where it aims to recover shapes as a simple, inexpensive, biocompatible method but the technique is not without complications. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a promising approach to enhance fat graft survival and subsequently improve the outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enriching fat graft with PRP for delayed correction of deformities after conservative surgery for breast cancer regarding esthetic outcome and incidence of complications. METHODS: The current study included 50 female patients who were scheduled for delayed lipofilling for correction of deformities after conservative surgery for breast cancer. The studied patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Group I (G I) included 25 patients scheduled for PRP enriched lipoinjection and Group II (G II) included 25 patients scheduled for lipoinjection without PRP as a control group. RESULTS: Number of sessions of lipoinjection was significantly less in G I in comparison to G II (P = 0.024). During the 2nd session; the amounts of fat injected and harvested were significantly less in G I in comparison to G II (P = 0.049 and 0.001 respectively). Recipient site complications were significantly more evident in G II in comparison to G I (P = 0.01). Surgeon and patient satisfactions were significantly more evident in GI in comparison to G II (P = 0.005 and 0.029 respectively). CONCLUSION: The addition of PRP to fat grafts is a simple, cost-effective and safe method to improve esthetic outcome and decrease complications.
INTRODUCTION: Immunotherapy has shown encouraging outcomes in breast cancer (BC) treatment in recent years. The programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) transmembrane protein is suggested to function as a co-inhibitory fac...INTRODUCTION: Immunotherapy has shown encouraging outcomes in breast cancer (BC) treatment in recent years. The programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) transmembrane protein is suggested to function as a co-inhibitory factor in the immune response, where it collaborates with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) to stimulate apoptosis, suppress cytokine release from PD-1 positive cells, and limit the growth of PD-1 positive cells. Furthermore, in many malignancies, PD-L1 reduces the immune system's response to neoplastic cells. These observations suggest that the PD-1/PD-L1 axis plays a vital role in cancer therapy and the regulation of cancer immune escape mechanisms. This review aimed to provide an overview of the functions of PD-1 and PD-L1 in BC cancer therapy. METHODS: This research design is a literature review. The style is a traditional review on topics or variables relating to the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. A literature search was carried out using three online databases. RESULTS: The search using the keywords yielded a total of 248 studies. Each result was filtered again according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a final total of 4 studies to be included in the literature review. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of PD-1/PD-L1 is essential for many malignancies. According to the evidence presented, this combination presents both an opportunity and a challenge in cancer treatment. Since many solid cancers, especially BC, express high levels of PD-1/PD-L1, cancer treatment mainly involves targeted therapies.
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) cases in Makassar, Indonesia, are on the rise, with 2723 cases recorded in 2018. Tumor cells in the blood indicate metastasis, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and monitoring. Pleio...BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) cases in Makassar, Indonesia, are on the rise, with 2723 cases recorded in 2018. Tumor cells in the blood indicate metastasis, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and monitoring. Pleiotrophin (PTN) is associated with various human malignancies, and recent studies suggest a correlation between PTN expression and advanced BC stages; therefore, PTN could serve as an independent predictor of metastasis. This study aimed to determine the correlation between serum PTN level, histopathological grading, and metastasis occurrence in BC patients in Makassar, Indonesia. METHODS: This study used an observational cross-sectional design. Pleiotrophin serum levels were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This study used a t-test and ROC curve analysis for the statistical tests. RESULTS: Of the 64 samples used in this study, metastasis was present in 26 cases and absent in 38 samples. The mean PTN serum levels in metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer patients were 4.311 and 1.253, respectively. The PTN receiver operating characteristic curve showed an area under the curve of 2.47 ng/dL, which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). A significant relationship was found between PTN level and metastasis (p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient was 0.791, indicating a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the serum PTN level among breast cancer patients had a cut-off value of 2.47 ng/dL. The research established a clear correlation between PTN level and metastasis occurrence in breast cancer patients, indicating a higher likelihood of distant metastasis with elevated PTN concentration.
BACKGROUND: Molecular subtyping of breast cancer cells is increasingly being developed as an initial step in selecting therapy and predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients. During breast cancer, the molecular s...BACKGROUND: Molecular subtyping of breast cancer cells is increasingly being developed as an initial step in selecting therapy and predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients. During breast cancer, the molecular subtype of cancer cells can change. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between changes in the intrinsic subtype of breast cancer with metastasis and progression-free survival in breast cancer patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with breast cancer from 2016 to 2021. The molecular subtypes from the immunohistochemical examination results were recorded twice, and metastasis and progression-free survival (PFS) were recorded. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and SPSS 26. RESULTS: Of the 44 patients, 19 (43.2%) experienced a change in molecular subtype, and 25 (56.8%) did not. No significant relationship existed between changes in molecular subtype and metastasis (p = 0.405). No significant relationship existed between changes in molecular subtype and PFS (p = 0.900). A significant relationship was found between changes in the molecular subtype and PFS in the patients with changes in the molecular subtype (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the intrinsic subtype were associated with PFS in breast cancer patients. Patients with an intrinsic subtype that changed to triple-negative showed worse PFS.
BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer is considered the standard of staging in cases of clinically negative lymph nodes. Its omission in favor of axillary dissection generates significant morbidity. OBJ...BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer is considered the standard of staging in cases of clinically negative lymph nodes. Its omission in favor of axillary dissection generates significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To determine the total number of sentinel node biopsy procedures in breast cancer in Colombia from 2017 through 2020, model and analyze them as if they were performed only in stage I breast cancer patients, and integrate their results into the concepts of quality of medical care. METHODS: Search in a database of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia with sentinel lymph node biopsy codes, and filters of breast cancer and year. Their results are contrasted with the number of cases in stage I of breast cancer. RESULTS: Breast cancer TNM staging was reported in 22154 cases, 3648 stage I. In the same time frame, the number of sentinel lymph node biopsies for breast cancer in Colombia was 1045, 28.64% of the total cases reported in stage I. CONCLUSIONS: Colombia is far from complying with the standard indicator of sentinel lymph node biopsy. It is recommended to concentrate breast cancer cases in hospitals that provide the conditions for its performance.
BACKGROUND: Tucatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently used in salvage therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast and colorectal cancer. The use of tucatinib alone or in combinati...BACKGROUND: Tucatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently used in salvage therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast and colorectal cancer. The use of tucatinib alone or in combination with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in the treatment of advanced HER2-positive cancers is rapidly expanding. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: We report the case of a 66-year-old female who presented to the dermatology clinic with a one-year history of widespread telangiectasias that began after initiation of combination chemotherapy with tucatinib and T-DM1 for metastatic HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma. RESULTS: The patient's lesions regressed upon cessation of combination therapy and reappeared in the setting of tucatinib re-initiation, with gradual improvement over the following four months following electrocautery to the affected regions. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that telangiectasias may be a previously unreported dermatologic side effect of combination treatment with tucatinib and T-DM1. Electrocautery is a safe and effective procedure to reduce the appearance of telangiectasias and improve patient satisfaction during chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising target for immunotherapy. Autophagy, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintenance are essential processes involved in tumorigenesis, tumor survival, invas...BACKGROUND: Breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising target for immunotherapy. Autophagy, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintenance are essential processes involved in tumorigenesis, tumor survival, invasion, and treatment resistance. Overexpression of angiogenic chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) in breast cancer TME is associated with oncogenic signaling pathways, increased tumor growth, metastasis, and poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: Thus, we aimed to investigate the possible anti-tumor effect of neutralizing antibodies against IL-8 by evaluating its efficacy on autophagic activity and breast CSC maintenance. METHODS: IL-8 monoclonal antibody supplemented tumor tissue culture systems from 15 females undergoing mastectomy were used to evaluate the expression of LC3B as a specific biomarker of autophagy and CD44, CD24 as cell surface markers of breast CSCs using immunofluorescence technique. RESULTS: Our results revealed that anti-IL-8 mAb significantly decreased the level of LC3B in the cultured tumor tissues compared to its non-significant decrease in the normal breast tissues.Anti-IL-8 mAb also significantly decreased the CD44 expression in either breast tumors or normal cultured tissues. While it caused a non-significant decrease in CD24 expression in cultured breast tumor tissue and a significant decrease in its expression in the corresponding normal ones. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody exhibits promising immunotherapeutic properties through targeting both autophagy and CSCs maintenance within breast cancer TME.
AIM: To retrospectively study the therapeutic modalities of primary breast sarcomas in view of the data of a local Tunisian experience. METHODS: It is a monocentric, descriptive, retrospective study including 13 cases of...AIM: To retrospectively study the therapeutic modalities of primary breast sarcomas in view of the data of a local Tunisian experience. METHODS: It is a monocentric, descriptive, retrospective study including 13 cases of primary breast sarcoma treated over a period of 25 years (1995-2020) in the oncological radiotherapy department of a university hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. RESULTS: In our study, 13 cases of non-metastatic breast sarcomas that has been identified, divided into ten cases of phyllodes sarcomas and three cases of non-phyllodes sarcomas.Surgically, all our patients had a mastectomy. Among them, seven underwent a lymph node procedure: five underwent axillary lymph node dissection, and two others had primary axillary lymph node biopsy. For the adjuvant treatment, all the patients included in our study received radiotherapy and seven received chemotherapy. Local recurrence occurred on the operative scar in one patient after completion of radiation therapy. Metastatic relapse was described in five patients. The time to onset of metastases varied between two months and five years. Nevertheless, a complete remission was noted in 6 patients with a follow-up varying from four years to 20 years. Two patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Breast sarcomas remain a very rare entity of aggressive tumors.The therapeutic approach is poorly codified. For this reason, the therapeutic decision should always be discussed in a multidisciplinary assessment.
BACKGROUND: Tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to resistance to anti-cancer drugs through multiple mechanisms including secretion of pro-survival factors by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In this study, we...BACKGROUND: Tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to resistance to anti-cancer drugs through multiple mechanisms including secretion of pro-survival factors by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In this study, we determined the chemotherapy resistance producing potential of CAFs in molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: The CAFs were isolated from fresh lumpectomy/mastectomy specimens of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The CAFs were cultured and secretome was collected from each breast cancer subtype. Breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, SK-BR3, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 were treated with different doses of tamoxifen, trastuzumab, cisplatin, and doxorubicin alone respectively and in combination with secretome of CAFs from respective subtypes. MTT assay was done to check cell death after drug treatment. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) analysis of CAF secretome was also done. RESULTS: MTT assay showed that anti-cancer drugs alone had growth inhibitory effect on the cancer cells however, presence of CAF secretome reduced the anti-cancer effect of the drugs. Resistant to drugs in the presence of secretome, was determined by increased cell viability i.e., MCF-7, 51.02% to 63.02%; SK-BR-3, 34.22% to 44.88%; MDA-MB-231, 52.59% to 78.63%; and MDA-MB-468, 48.92% to 55.08%. LCMS analysis of the secretome showed the differential abundance of CAFs secreted proteins across breast cancer subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of breast cancer cell lines with anti-cancer drugs in combination with secretome isolated from molecular subtype specific CAFs, reduced the cytotoxic effect of the drugs. In addition, LCMS data also highlighted different composition of secreted proteins from different breast cancer associated fibroblasts. Thus, TME has heterogenous population of CAFs across the breast cancer subtypes and in vitro experiments highlight their contribution to chemotherapy resistance which needs further validation.
INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy is conventionally offered to non-stage IV breast cancer patients with metastatic nodes. However, the RxPONDER trial showed that chemotherapy can be omitted in selected patients with 1-3 metasta...INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy is conventionally offered to non-stage IV breast cancer patients with metastatic nodes. However, the RxPONDER trial showed that chemotherapy can be omitted in selected patients with 1-3 metastatic nodes if the 21-gene assay recurrence score is ≤25. We aimed to investigate if axillary ultrasound can identify this group of patients with limited nodal burden so that they can undergo upfront surgery followed by gene assay testing, to potentially avoid chemotherapy. METHODS: T1-3, node positive, hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer patients ≥50 years old with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were reviewed from 2 centres. Patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and bilateral cancers were excluded. Number of ultrasound-detected abnormal axillary nodes, demographic and histological parameters were correlated with the number of metastatic nodes found on ALND. RESULTS: 138 patients were included, 59 (42.8%) and 79 (57.2%) patients had 1-3 and >3 metastatic nodes on ALND respectively. On logistic regression and ROC analysis, the number of ultrasound-detected abnormal nodes was significant (p < 0.001) for predicting limited nodal burden (ROC AUC = 0.7135). Probabilities of <4 metastatic nodes with ultrasound cut-offs of 5, 6 and 8 abnormal nodes were 0.057, 0.026 and 0.005 respectively, with 100% specificity. CONCLUSION: A cut-off of ≤5 ultrasound-detected abnormal nodes can distinguish between patients with limited versus high nodal burden, with high specificity. Hence, incorporating the number of abnormal ultrasound-detected nodes into clinical practice may prove useful in guiding between upfront surgery and gene assay testing or neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this group of patients.
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) patients' diagnosis and management was affected by a global reorganization after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on the patholo...BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) patients' diagnosis and management was affected by a global reorganization after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on the pathological stage of newly diagnosed patients with BC compared to pre-pandemic and to identify predictive factors of tumor advanced stage. METHODS: Pathological records of all consecutive newly operated BC patients between March 2020 and December 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical and pathological prognostic factors of BC were collected and compared between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Then, predictive factors of tumor advanced stage were identified. RESULTS: Of the 225 cases included in the analysis, 98.7% were females and 1.3% were males. The median time from first histological diagnosis to first surgical treatment was enlarged by 42 days with a significant difference between the two periods (p = 0.002). Newly diagnosed BC patients during the COVID-19 pandemic were operated at a more advanced stage (54.1% vs 36.2%, p = 0.007), had a greater lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.002), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.015) and are more commonly of IBC NST histological type (p = 0.005). Moreover, multivariate analyses showed that the pandemic period (AOR = 2.28; p = 0.016) and the lympho-vascular invasion (p < 0.001) were independently associated with advanced stage of tumors. CONCLUSION: Our findings proved an increase in alarming rates of advanced stage BC associated with the COVID-19 crisis. These findings support recommendations for a quick restoration of BC screening at full capacity, with adequate prioritization strategies to mitigate harm.
BACKGROUND: Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for one percent of all breast cancers. Due to the lack of awareness and routine screening programs, most patients present with systemic disease at the time of diagnosis with...BACKGROUND: Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for one percent of all breast cancers. Due to the lack of awareness and routine screening programs, most patients present with systemic disease at the time of diagnosis with low overall survival. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the prognostic factors of male breast cancer and its correlation with established prognostic parameters and patient outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-eight male breast cancer patients are identified from the MKA Breast Cancer Clinic database, and their corresponding clinical and pathological characteristics are obtained. Cut-off values of 1% and 10% are applied to further classify ER and PR results. RESULTS: Older men are more likely to develop MBC than younger men and are more likely to have spread to axillary lymph nodes. Invasive ductal carcinoma is a more common histologic type in MBC. All the tested patients have ER and PR positivity. Distant metastasis developed in 17/38 (44.7%) patients. Bone metastasis is seen commonly in metastatic MBC. CONCLUSIONS: According to our cohort, MBC is seen in older males, presents in later stages, and shows hormone receptor positivity and a tendency to bone involvement. MBC is a heterogenous but distinct biological entity requiring a specific clinical and pathological approach.
van Cappellen-van Maldegem SJM, Hoedjes M, de Boer MR
… +7 more, Nijman IL, van Valenberg HMW, Seidell JC, van de Poll-Franse LV, Buffart LM, Mols F, de Rooij BH
BACKGROUND: As physical inactivity and poor sleep quality may impose additional risk for cancer recurrence and overall mortality in postmenopausal breast cancer (PMBC) survivors, it is important to gain insight into the...BACKGROUND: As physical inactivity and poor sleep quality may impose additional risk for cancer recurrence and overall mortality in postmenopausal breast cancer (PMBC) survivors, it is important to gain insight into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their physical activity (PA) and sleep level. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the course of their physical activity (PA) and sleep throughout governmental measures against COVID-19 during 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: PMBC survivors (n = 96) wore an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT for seven consecutive days at 12 and 18 months after diagnosis and additional measurements were taken after onset of the second (partial) COVID-19 lockdown. Longitudinal data was categorized into four timepoints: before onset of COVID-19 (T1), during the initial lockdown (T2), in between initial and second lockdown (T3), and during the second lockdown (T4). General linear mixed effects models assessed differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day, total minutes of PA per day, average acceleration, intensity gradient, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration over time. RESULTS: Levels of MVPA per day before COVID-19 were low (Median = 20.9 min/day (IQR = 10.8;36.2)), and time spent physically active was most often in light intensity, which remained stable throughout the pandemic. Sleep duration (Median = 442.8 min/night (IQR = 418.3;478.0)) and efficiency (85.9% (IQR = 79.6;88.4)) was sufficient before COVID-19 and showed stability over time. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of PA with mostly light intensity, and adequate sleep efficiency and duration were observed before COVID in PMBC survivors. This was not further affected by COVID-19 governmental measures.
BACKGROUND: The p53 mutation in breast cancer confers a worse prognosis and is usually associated with p53 overexpression (p53+) on immunohistochemistry. Previous studies have shown that p53+ tumors could be associated w...BACKGROUND: The p53 mutation in breast cancer confers a worse prognosis and is usually associated with p53 overexpression (p53+) on immunohistochemistry. Previous studies have shown that p53+ tumors could be associated with low axillary tumor burden (ATB). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the association between p53+ and ATB in a large series of breast cancers as an aid to personalizing axillary surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrieved 1762 infiltrating breast carcinomas from our database that were treated with upfront surgery in Hospital del Mar from 2004 to 2018. We compared p53+ and p53-negative (p53-) tumors in terms of the percentage of cases with high ATB and overall survival. This comparison was made overall and for each immunophenotype. RESULTS: Overall, 18.7% of breast tumors were p53+. High ATB was less common in p53+ tumors than in p53- tumors in the luminal B-Her2-negative immunophenotype (6.2% versus 16.9%, respectively, P = 0.025), but not in the other immunophenotypes or overall. Overall survival was worse in patients with p53+ breast cancer (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: p53+ breast cancers were associated with worse overall survival. However, low ATB was more common in these tumors than in p53- tumors in the luminal B-Her2-negative subtype. Information on p53 expression could be of use to predict ATB in some breast cancer tumors.
AIM: In the present study, we sought to explore potential differences in the expression and promoter methylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) between tumor and marginal cells of breast cancer lesions. ME...AIM: In the present study, we sought to explore potential differences in the expression and promoter methylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) between tumor and marginal cells of breast cancer lesions. METHODS: A total of 50 randomly selected patients with breast cancer (BCa) undergoing needle biopsy were enrolled. Clinical specimens containing both tumor and marginal cells were collected and preserved. After DNA extraction using specific primers, MAPK1 mRNA and promoter methylation were measured with spectrophotometry at 260/280 nm absorption wavelengths. To deliver a comparative analysis, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program regarding breast cancer (BRCA), were downloaded from Xena Functional Genomics Explorer and separately analyzed. The suitability of MAPK1 expression and promoter methylation as biomarkers for BCa was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: We found a positive correlation between tumor stage and MAPK1 expression (P-value: 0.029) in BCa. Likewise, MAPK1 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P-value: 0.018). There was a significant difference in the expression of MAPK1 mRNA between tumor and marginal cells of BCa and BRCA (P-value < 0.001). However, we did not find any statistically significant difference in MAPK1 promoter methylation between tumor and marginal cells of both BCa and BRCA. With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.71, the diagnostic accuracy of MAPK1 expression in BCa and BRCA was validated. However, MAPK1 promoter methylation was not found to be a suitable biomarker. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that while MAPK1 expression, might be a promising biomarker for evaluating oncogenic activity in patients suspected of BCa. We were not able to detect a prognostic/diagnostic role for MAPK1 promoter methylation.