A comparative analysis of core needle biopsy and final excision for breast cancer: histology and marker expression

Breast cancer patient-derived microtumors resemble tumor heterogeneity and enable protein-based stratification and functional validation of individualized drug treatment

Despite tremendous progress in deciphering breast cancer at the genomic level, the pronounced intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity remains a major obstacle to the advancement of novel and more effective treatment approaches. Frequent treatment failure and the development of treatment resistance highlight the need for patient-derived tumor models that reflect the individual tumors of breast cancer patients and allow a comprehensive analyses and parallel functional validation of individualized and therapeutically targetable vulnerabilities in protein signal transduction pathways. Here, we introduce the generation and application of breast cancer patient-derived 3D microtumors (BC-PDMs). Residual fresh tumor tissue specimens were collected from n = 102 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and subjected to BC-PDM isolation. BC-PDMs retained histopathological characteristics, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components together with key protein signaling pathway signatures of the corresponding primary tumor tissue. Accordingly, BC-PDMs reflect the inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer and its key signal transduction properties. DigiWest®-based protein expression profiling of identified treatment responder and non-responder BC-PDMs enabled the identification of potential resistance and sensitivity markers of individual drug treatments, including markers previously associated with treatment response and yet undescribed proteins. The combination of individualized drug testing with comprehensive protein profiling analyses of BC-PDMs may provide a valuable complement for personalized treatment stratification and response prediction for breast cancer.

Concordance of immunohistochemistry for predictive and prognostic factors in breast cancer between biopsy and surgical excision: a single-centre experience and review of the literature

PURPOSE

Accurate evaluation of breast cancer on bioptic samples is of fundamental importance to guide therapeutic decisions, especially in the neoadjuvant or metastatic setting. We aimed to assess concordance for oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), c-erbB2/HER2 and Ki-67. We also reviewed the current literature to evaluate our results in the context of the data available at present.

METHODS

We included patients who underwent both biopsy and surgical resection for breast cancer at San Matteo Hospital, Pavia, Italy, between January 2014 and December 2020. ER, PR, c-erbB2, and Ki-67 immunohistochemistry concordance between biopsy and surgical specimen was evaluated. ER was further analysed to include the recently defined ER-low-positive in our analysis.

RESULTS

We evaluated 923 patients. Concordance between biopsy and surgical specimen for ER, ER-low-positive, PR, c-erbB2 and Ki-67 was, respectively, 97.83, 47.8, 94.26, 68 and 86.13%. Cohen's κ for interobserver agreement was very good for ER and good for PR, c-erbB2 and Ki-67. Concordance was especially low (37%) in the c-erbB2 1 + category.

CONCLUSION

Oestrogen and progesterone receptor status can be safely assessed on preoperative samples. The results of this study advise caution in interpreting biopsy results regarding ER-low-positive, c-erbB2/HER and Ki-67 results due to a still suboptimal concordance. The low concordance for c-erbB2 1 + cases underlines the importance of further training in this area, in the light of the future therapeutic perspectives.

Diagnostic value of core needle biopsy for determining HER2 status in breast cancer, especially in the HER2-low population

PURPOSE

The status of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is important for treatment decision-making of breast cancer and was commonly determined by core needle biopsy (CNB). The concordance of CNB with surgical excision biopsy (SEB) has been verified, but remain unclear according to the newly developed classification of HER2 status. Our study aimed to re-evaluate the diagnostic value of CNB for determining HER2 status in breast cancer, especially in the HER2-low population.

METHODS

Eligible breast cancer patients in West China Hospital between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2021 were enrolled consecutively and data were extracted from the Hospital Information System. The agreement of HER2 status between CNB and SEB was calculated by concordance rate and κ statistics, as well as the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values (PPV & NPV). Logistic models were used to explore potential factors associated with the discordance between both tests.

RESULTS

Of 1829 eligible patients, 1097 (60.0%) and 1358 (74.2%) were consistent between CNB and SEB by pathological and clinical classifications, respectively, with κ value being 0.46 (0.43-0.49) and 0.57 (0.53-0.60). The sensitivity (50.9%-52.7%) and PPV (50.5%-55.2%) of CNB were especially low among IHC 1+ and 2+/ISH - subgroups by pathological classifications; however, it showed the highest sensitivity (77.5%) and the lowest specificity (73.9%) in HER2-low population by clinical classifications. Advanced N stages might be a stable indicator for the discordance between both tests.

CONCLUSION

The diagnostic value of CNB was limited for determining HER2 status in breast cancer, especially in HER2-low population.

A single centre experience in Turkey for comparison between core needle biopsy and surgical specimen evaluation results for HER2, SISH, estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in breast cancer patients

Background

Breast carcinoma diagnosis can be made with core-needle biopsy (CNB), but there are controversies regarding the evaluation of hormone receptor (HR) status in needle biopsy specimens. When preoperative neoadjuvant therapy is required in breast cancer cases, the CNB specimen should be evaluated to decide on the treatment.

Objectives

In this study, we aimed to compare the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) results of the CNB specimens and surgical specimens (SS) of our breast carcinoma cases.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study included cases diagnosed with breast cancer in our center for approximately 1 year between 2017 and 2018. About 97 cases with both CNB specimens and SS were included in the study. Data such as the ER, PR, HER2, and SISH evaluation results in CNB and SS, age distribution and histopathological type, metastatic lymph nodes, lymphovascular invasion, tumor size, and grade of the tumor were recorded. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Armonk, NY, USA) software.

Results

All of the cases were female and 70.1% of them were aged over 45. About 27.8% of the cases were aged 31-45 years, and 2.1% were aged under 30. When evaluated according to the histopathological type of the tumor, 71.1% of cases were invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 8.2% were invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), 6.2% were IDC + ILC, 11.3% were another carcinoma, and 3.1% were in situ carcinoma. 12.4% of the cases were Grade I, 43.3% were Grade II, and 20.6% were Grade III. 43.3% of our cases' tumor size were ≤2 cm and 56.7% >2 cm. 50 (51.5%) of these cases had no lymph node metastasis. It was found out that 36 (37.1%) of the cases had 1-4 metastatic lymph nodes and 11 (11.3%) of them had 5 and more metastatic lymph nodes. It was found out that 44 (45.4.%) of the cases had no lymphovascular invasion and 53 (54.6%) of them had a lymphovascular invasion. When HR statuses in CNB and SS were compared, ER was found to have a sensitivity of 96.1% and a specificity of 100%. PR was found to have a sensitivity of 94.2% and a specificity of 66.7%. HER2 was found to have a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 73.4%.

Conclusion

ER evaluation results are reliable in deciding on needle biopsy material. PR may show the heterogeneous distribution in HER2 tumor. Thus, if PR and HER2 results in needle biopsy material are negative, assessments should be repeated in SS.

Association of Ki-67 Change Pattern After Core Needle Biopsy and Prognosis in HR+/HER2− Early Breast Cancer Patients

Background

To investigate the association of Ki-67 change pattern after core needle biopsy (CNB) and prognosis in HR+/HER2− early breast cancer patients.

Method

Eligible patients were categorized into three groups: Low group, Elevation group, and High group. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to compare the clinic-pathological characteristics. Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate the rates of recurrence-free interval (RFI) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), which were compared via the Log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to investigate independent prognostic factors.

Results

A total of 2,858 patients were included: 1,179 (41.3%), 482 (16.9%), and 1,197 (41.8%) patients were classified into the low, elevation, and high groups, respectively. Age, tumor size, histological grade, lymph-vascular invasion (LVI), and ER level status were associated with Ki-67 change pattern after CNB. With a median follow-up of 53.6 months, the estimated 5-year RFI rates for the low group, elevation, and high groups were 96.4%, 95.3% and 90.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). And 5-year BCSS rates were 99.3%, 98.3% and 96.8%, respectively (P = 0.001). Compared with patients in the low group, patients in the high group had significantly worse RFI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–2.54) in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Ki-67 change after CNB was associated with prognosis in HR+/HER2− early breast cancer. Patients with Ki-67 high or elevation after CNB had an inferior disease outcome, indicating the necessity of re-evaluating Ki-67 on surgical specimens after CNB.

Concordance of breast cancer biomarker testing in core needle biopsy and surgical specimens: A single institution experience

BACKGROUND

Accurate diagnostic biomarker testing is crucial to treatment decisions in breast cancer. Biomarker testing is performed on core needle biopsies (CNB) and is often repeated in the surgical specimen (SS) after resection. As differences between CNB and SS testing may alter treatment decisions, we evaluated concordance between CNB and SS as well as associated changes in treatment and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of breast cancer patients at our institution between January 2010 and May 2020. Concordance between CNB and SS was assessed for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Survival in patients, including recurrence, metastatic recurrence, and death, were assessed using chi-squared likelihood ratio.

RESULTS

In total, 961 patients met eligibility criteria. Concordance, minor discordance, total concordance (concordance plus minor discordance), and major discordance between CNB and SS were reported for ER (87.7%, 9.2%, 90.8%, and 2.9%), PR (58.1%, 29.1%, 87.2%, and 12.8%), and HER2 IHC (52.5%, 20.9%, 73.4%, 26.6%), respectively. HER2 FISH concordance and major discordance were 58.5% and 1.2%, respectively. Of major discordance, ER (48.2%, p < 0.001) and HER2 FISH (50.0%) led to more management changes than HER2 IHC (2.4%, p = 0.04) and PR (1.6%, p = 0.10). Patients with ER major discordance had increased risk of death (6.7% concordance vs. 22.2% major discordance, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Overall, retesting ER and HER2 was more clinically beneficial than retesting PR. To aid decision-making and minimize healthcare costs, we propose patient-centered guidelines on retesting biomarker profiles.

Concordance between core needle biopsy and surgical excision for breast cancer tumor grade and biomarkers

PURPOSE

Histopathological biomarkers guide breast cancer management. Testing histopathological biomarkers on both core needle biopsy (CNB) and surgical excision (SE) in patients who are treated with upfront surgery is unnecessary and costly if there is high concordance between the two. This study investigated the concordance between CNB and SE for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2), tumor grade and Ki-67.

METHODS

Histopathological biomarker information were retrospectively collected from preoperative CNB and SE on patients diagnosed with breast cancer through the BreastScreen Sydney West program over a four-year period between January 2017 and December 2020. Data were then analyzed to calculate percentage of agreement and concordance using kappa values for ER, PR, HER2, tumor grade and Ki-67.

RESULTS

A total of 504 cases of invasive breast cancers were analyzed. There was substantial level of concordance for ER 96.7% (κ = 0.687) and PR 93.2% (κ = 0.69). Concordance for HER2 negative (IHC 0, IHC 1 +) or positive (IHC 3 +) tumor on CNB was 100% (κ = 1.00). Grade and Ki-67 showed moderate level of concordance, 72.6% (κ = 0.545) and 70.5% (κ = 0.453), respectively.

CONCLUSION

ER, PR and HER2 show high level of concordance. CNB is reliable in determining histopathological biomarkers for ER, PR positive and HER2 positive or negative tumors indicating that retesting these on SE may not be necessary.

Concordance of the 21-gene assay between core needle biopsy and resection specimens in early breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant therapy decisions may be partly based on the results of a multigene quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based assay: the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) test of resection specimens. When necessary, core needle biopsy (CNB) may be considered as a surrogate. Here, we evaluated the concordance in gene expression according to results from RT-PCR-based RS testing between paired CNBs and resection specimens.

METHODS

CNBs and resection specimens from 50 breast cancer (BC) patients were tested to calculate RSs. First, we examined the concordance of the ER, PR and HER-2 status of tissue samples indicated by immunohistochemical (IHC) and RT-PCR analyses. Then, we compared the IHC findings of ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 staining across paired samples. Ultimately, the RS and single-gene results for ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 were explored between paired samples.

RESULTS

The concordance between IHC and RT-PCR was 100%, 80.0% and 100% for ER, PR and HER-2, respectively, in both resection specimens and CNBs. The concordance for IHC ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 status was 100%, 94.0%, 52.0% and 82.0%, respectively, between paired samples. RS results from paired samples showed a strong correlation. The overall concordance in RS group classification between samples was 74%, 72% and 78% based on traditional cutoffs, TAILORx cutoffs and ASCO guidelines, respectively. ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 were modestly- to- strongly correlated between paired samples according to the RT-PCR results.

CONCLUSION

A modest- to- strong correlation of ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 gene expression and RS between CNBs and resection specimens was observed in the present study. The 21-gene RS test could be reliably performed on CNBs. ER, PR and HER-2 status showed remarkable concordance between the IHC and RT-PCR analyses. The concordance between paired samples was high for the IHC ER, PR and Ki-67 results and low for HER-2.

A Prospective Study on Level of Concordance Between Core Needle Biopsy and Surgical Specimen for Assessing Oestrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Her2/Neu Receptor Status in Carcinoma Breast and Its Implications on Treatment Decisions

A prospective study on the level of concordance between core needle biopsy specimen (CNB) and surgical specimen (SS) assesses the oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and Her2/Neu receptor status in Carcinoma breast and its implications on treatment decisions. Ninety consecutive treatment naive operable breast cancer patients treated between September 2015 and April 2017 were included in our prospective study. All patients underwent core needle biopsy prior to definitive surgery. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies for ER, PR, and Her2/Neu receptor assay were done in both the CNB specimen and SS. The concordances between CNB specimen and SS for ER, PR, and Her2/Neu receptor were 92%, 88%, and 78% respectively. In our study, overall discordance for ER, PR, and Her2/Neu status based on IHC tests on CNB specimen and its corresponding SS was 41% (37 out of total 90 patients), which was mostly for Her2/Neu (20 patients). Altogether, there was a change in treatment decision based on IHC test results of CNB specimen for 14 out of 37 discordant tests, translating to 15% of the overall study group. Four patients received adjuvant hormonal therapy, and 10 patients got adjuvant Traztuzumab added to their protocol. There is almost perfect to substantial concordance between CNB specimen and SS of IHC tests for ER and PR status. However, the concordance for Her2/Neu receptor is only moderate. Her2/Neu receptor assay by IHC is more sensitive in CNB specimen than in SS.

Analysis of the molecular subtypes of preoperative core needle biopsy and surgical specimens in invasive breast cancer

Background

Accurate molecular classification of breast core needle biopsy (CNB) tissue is important for determining neoadjuvant systemic therapies for invasive breast cancer. The researchers aimed to evaluate the concordance rate (CR) of molecular subtypes between CNBs and surgical specimens.

Methods

This study was conducted with invasive breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after CNB at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital between December 2014 and December 2017. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki67 were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. ER and PR were evaluated by Allred score (0–8). HER2 was graded from 0 to +3, and all 2+ cases were reflex tested with silver in situ hybridization. The labeling index of Ki67 was counted by either manual scoring or digital image analysis. Molecular subtypes were classified using the above surrogate markers.

Results

In total, 629 patients were evaluated. The CRs of ER, PR, HER2, and Ki67 were 96.5% (kappa, 0.883; p<.001), 93.0% (kappa, 0.824; p<.001), 99.7% (kappa, 0.988; p<.001), and 78.7% (kappa, 0.577; p<.001), respectively. Digital image analysis of Ki67 in CNB showed better concordance with Ki67 in surgical specimens (CR, 82.3%; kappa, 0.639 for digital image analysis vs. CR, 76.2%; kappa, 0.534 for manual counting). The CRs of luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple negative types were 89.0%, 70.0%, 82.9%, and 77.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

CNB was reasonably accurate for determining ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, and molecular subtypes. Using digital image analysis for Ki67 in CNB produced more accurate molecular classifications.

A nomogram for predicting the HER2 status in female patients with breast cancer in China: a nationwide, multicenter, 10-year epidemiological study

BACKGROUND

The concordance rate of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between core needle biopsy (CNB) and subsequent excisional biopsies of the same tumor varies from 81 to 96%, which may cause inappropriate neoadjuvant therapy that impair the potential benefit from HER2 targeted therapy for patients. This study aimed to establish a nomogram to predict the HER2 status pre-operatively as an auxiliary diagnosis to CNB assessment.

METHODS

Among 4211 breast cancer patients cataloged in the Nation-wide Multicenter 10-year Retrospective Clinical Epidemiological Study of Breast Cancer in China, 2291 patients with complete relevant information were included in this study, which were further randomized 3:1 and divided into a training set and a validation set. The nomogram was established based on independent predictors of HER2 positivity recognized by logistic regression analysis and further validated internally and externally.

RESULTS

The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that T-stage, N-stage, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status were independent predictors for HER2 status. The nomogram was thereby constructed by those independent predictors as well as histology type. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the training set and the validation set were 0.636 and 0.681, respectively. The calibration plots demonstrated good fitness of the nomogram for HER2 status prediction. With the optimal cutoff value, the nomogram yielded 80.0% sensitivity, 43.1% specificity in the training set and 81.1% sensitivity, 49.8% specificity in the validation set.

CONCLUSIONS

The present nomogram can provide valuable information on HER2 status and combined with standard CNB assessment, clinicians could make more appropriate decision on neoadjuvant therapy of breast cancer.

Using Simulation to Help Specify Design Parameters for Vacuum-Assisted Needle Biopsy Systems

Needle biopsy is a routine medical procedure for examining tissue or biofluids for the presence of disease using standard methods of pathology. The finite element analysis (FEA) methodology can provide guidance for optimizing the geometric parameters. The needle biopsy is simulated and analyzed while varying the needle angle, the aperture size and the slice-push ratio k. The results indicate that tissue reaction force in the axial direction of needle gradually decreases, and the stress and strain are more concentrated at the tip of needle with the increases of tip angle; the tissue reaction force decreases, and the torque increases while the slice-push ratio increases; and higher slice–push ratio can increase the peak stress concentration on the cutting edge and deformation of tissue; in the process of core needle cutting, increasing slice–push ratio can reduce the tissue reaction force significantly. While the aperture on distal wall of outer cannula becomes wider, the tissue reaction force increases significantly, and the cutting process will be more unstable. The results have the potential to provide important insight for improving the needle biopsy design process.

DCE-MRI Pharmacokinetic-Based Phenotyping of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: A Radiomic Study for Prediction of Histological Outcomes

Breast cancer is a disease affecting an increasing number of women worldwide. Several efforts have been made in the last years to identify imaging biomarker and to develop noninvasive diagnostic tools for breast tumor characterization and monitoring, which could help in patients' stratification, outcome prediction, and treatment personalization. In particular, radiomic approaches have paved the way to the study of the cancer imaging phenotypes. In this work, a group of 49 patients with diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma was studied. The purpose of this study was to select radiomic features extracted from a DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic protocol, including quantitative maps of ktrans, kep, ve, iAUC, and R1 and to construct predictive models for the discrimination of molecular receptor status (ER+/ER-, PR+/PR-, and HER2+/HER2-), triple negative (TN)/non-triple negative (NTN), ki67 levels, and tumor grade. A total of 163 features were obtained and, after feature set reduction step, followed by feature selection and prediction performance estimations, the predictive model coefficients were computed for each classification task. The AUC values obtained were 0.826 ± 0.006 for ER+/ER-, 0.875 ± 0.009 for PR+/PR-, 0.838 ± 0.006 for HER2+/HER2-, 0.876 ± 0.007 for TN/NTN, 0.811 ± 0.005 for ki67+/ki67-, and 0.895 ± 0.006 for lowGrade/highGrade. In conclusion, DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic-based phenotyping shows promising for discrimination of the histological outcomes.

The Reliability of Core-Needle Biopsy in Assessment of Hormone Receptor, HER2, and Ki-67 in Breast Carcinoma

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status and Ki-67 index by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis in breast carcinoma to determine the level of concordance between core-needle biopsy (CNB) and surgical specimens.

Summary of Background:

Accurate preoperative diagnosis of a breast lesion has recently been considered essential to the treatment strategy to achieve optimal treatment without delay. However, the reliability of using CNB specimens for IHC assessment is in relatively small number of cases and differing results between previous studies.

Methods:

The patients included in this study were 255 patients with primary breast carcinoma who had CNB and subsequent surgical resection at the Hospital of Dokkyo Medical University between 2010 and 2016. We compare the ER, PgR, HER2 status, and Ki-67 index by IHC analysis in breast carcinoma between CNB and surgical specimens.

Results:

There was a concordance rate between the ER, PgR, HER2, and Ki-67 IHC assessment of CNB and surgical specimens in 99.0%, 92.1%, 86.3%, and 91.5%, respectively. We also found small numbers of discordant cases in the estimation for which a discrepancy in determination led to a change in treatment.

Conclusions:

Our results do not entirely invalidate the use of CNB for assessment if they are the only source of tumor tissue available, but suggest a more cautious approach in their interpretation when clinical decisions are being made.

Comparison of Core Needle Biopsy and Surgical Specimens in Determining Intrinsic Biological Subtypes of Breast Cancer with Immunohistochemistry

PURPOSE

We evaluated the concordance between core needle biopsy (CNB) and surgical specimens on examining intrinsic biological subtypes and receptor status, and determined the accuracy of CNB as a basic diagnostic method.

METHODS

We analyzed breast cancer patients with paired CNB and surgical specimen samples during 2014. We used monoclonal antibodies for nuclear staining, and estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status evaluation. A positive test was defined as staining greater than or equal to 1% of tumor cells. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was graded by immunohistochemistry and scored as 0 to 3+ according to the recommendations of the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists. Ki-67 immunostaining was performed using the monoclonal antibody Ki-67, and the results were divided at 10% intervals. The cutoff value for high Ki-67 was defined as 20%. Concordance analysis of ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, and five intrinsic biological subtypes was performed on CNB and surgical specimens. Statistical analysis for concordance was calculated using κ-tests.

RESULTS

We found very good agreement for ER and PR with a concordance of 96.7% for ER (κ=0.903), and 94.3% for PR (κ=0.870). HER2 and Ki-67 showed concordance rates of 84.8% (κ=0.684) and 83.5% (κ=0.647), respectively, which were interpreted as good agreement. Five subgroups analysis showed 85.8% agreement and κ-value of 0.786, also indicating good agreement.

CONCLUSION

CNB showed high diagnostic accuracy compared with surgical specimens, and good agreement for ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67. Our findings reaffirmed the recommendation of CNB as an initial procedure for breast cancer diagnosis, and the assessment of receptor status and intrinsic biological subtypes to determine further treatment plans.

Comparison of Core Needle Biopsy and Excision Specimens for the Accurate Evaluation of Breast Cancer Molecular Markers: a Report of 1003 Cases

In this study, we compared the accuracy of marker evaluation in core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens versus excision specimens (ESs) from breast cancer patients. This retrospective study used data collected from the breast cancer database at the West China Hospital, China. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results from CNB specimens and ESs were compared, using estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67 as markers. Molecular subtyping and endocrine therapy usage correlations based on CNB samples and ESs were evaluated. The results obtained from CNB samples and ESs exhibited substantial agreement for the detection of ER (κ = 0.522), PR (κ = 0.441), and HER2 (κ = 0.451), and also influenced endocrine therapy usage. Fair and poor correlations were observed for Ki-67 staining and molecular subtyping (κ = 0.195), respectively. This disagreement might be attributable to a combination of heterogeneity and large tumor size. This study indicates that the discordance rate in molecular marker staining between CNB specimens and ESs is significant enough that results obtained with CNB specimens should be used cautiously or verified using ESs.

Reliability of the Ki67-Labelling Index in Core Needle Biopsies of Luminal Breast Cancers is Unaffected by Biopsy Volume

BACKGROUND

Assessing prognostic and predictive factors like the Ki67 labelling index (Ki67-LI) in breast cancer core needle biopsies (CNB) may be hampered by undersampling. Our aim was to arrive at a representative assessment of Ki67-LI in CNB of luminal breast cancers by defining optimal cutoffs and establishing the minimum CNB volume needed for highest concordance of Ki67-LI between CNB and subsequent surgical excision biopsy (SEB).

METHODS

We assessed the Ki67-LI in CNB and subsequent SEB of 170 luminal breast cancers according to two counting methods recommended by the International Ki67 in Breast Cancer Working Group and applied the cutoffs to distinguish low and high proliferation given by the St Gallen 2013 and 2015 consensus, respectively. We then compared CNB volume characteristics for cases with concordant and discordant Ki67-LI between CNB versus SEB.

RESULTS

Highest concordance (75%, κ = 0.44) between CNB and SEB was achieved using the method that assesses the average tumor Ki67-LI and a cutoff of 20%. No significant differences were found between cases with concordant and discordant Ki67-LI in CNB versus SEB for number of biopsy cores, total core length, tumor tissue length, or total CNB or tumor tissue area size in the CNB for two various cutoffs.

CONCLUSIONS

A concordance of 75% between CNB and SEB can be achieved for the Ki67-LI using a method assessing average Ki67-LI at the threshold of 20%. Increasing CNB volume did not result in improved agreement rates, indicating that reliability of Ki67 levels in CNB of luminal breast cancers is unaffected by CNB volume.

Meta-analysis of the concordance of histological grade of breast cancer between core needle biopsy and surgical excision specimen

BACKGROUND

With the increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and minimally invasive ablative therapy in breast cancer, pretreatment assessment of tumour grade on core needle biopsy (CNB) is increasingly needed. However, grading on CNB is possibly less accurate than grading based on the surgical excision specimen. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted to derive a reliable estimate of the agreement in tumour grading between CNB and subsequent surgical excision.

METHODS

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, Embase, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched. Pooled proportions of agreement in grading between CNB and the excision specimen, Cohen's κ and percentages of overestimation and underestimation were calculated. Random-effects models were applied because of substantial heterogeneity, assessed by I² test. Determinants of the level of agreement in grading were explored with meta-regression.

RESULTS

Thirty-four articles were included in the systematic review (6029 patients) and 33 in the meta-analysis (4980 patients). Pooled agreement and κ were 71·1 (95 per cent c.i. 68·8 to 73·3) per cent and 0·54 (0·50 to 0·58) respectively. Underestimation and overestimation occurred in 19·1 (17·1 to 21·3) and 9·3 (7·7 to 11·4) per cent respectively. Meta-regression showed associations between agreement of histological type (positive association) and proportion of patients with oestrogen receptor-positive disease (negative association) and grade agreement.

CONCLUSION

Grading on CNB corresponds moderately with grading based on excision specimens, with underestimation in about one in five patients. Incorrect CNB tumour grading has limited clinical implications, as multiple factors influence decision-making for adjuvant systemic therapy.

Risk Factors Associated with Discordant Ki-67 Levels between Preoperative Biopsy and Postoperative Surgical Specimens in Breast Cancers

PURPOSE

The Ki-67 labelling index is significant for the management of breast cancer. However, the concordance of Ki-67 expression between preoperative biopsy and postoperative surgical specimens has not been well evaluated. This study aimed to find the correlation in Ki-67 expression between biopsy and surgical specimens and to determine the clinicopathological risk factors associated with discordant values.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ki-67 levels were immunohistochemically measured using paired biopsy and surgical specimens in 310 breast cancer patients between 2008 and 2013. ΔKi-67 was calculated by postoperative Ki-67 minus preoperative levels. The outliers of ΔKi-67 were defined as [lower quartile of ΔKi-67-1.5 × interquartile range (IQR)] or (upper quartile + 1.5 × IQR) and were evaluated according to clinicopathological parameters by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The median preoperative and postoperative Ki-67 levels were 10 (IQR, 15) and 10 (IQR, 25), respectively. Correlation of Ki-67 levels between the two specimens indicated a moderately positive relationship (coefficient = 0.676). Of 310 patients, 44 (14.2%) showed outliers of ΔKi-67 (range, ≤-20 or ≥28). A significant association with poor prognostic factors was found among these patients. Multivariate analysis determined that significant risk factors for outliers of ΔKi-67 were tumor size >1 cm, negative progesterone receptor (PR) expression, grade III cancer, and age ≤35 years. Among 171 patients with luminal human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative tumors, breast cancer subtype according to preoperative or postoperative Ki-67 levels discordantly changed in 46 (26.9%) patients and a significant proportion of patients with discordant cases had ≥1 risk factor.

CONCLUSION

Ki-67 expression showed a substantial concordance between biopsy and surgical specimens. Extremely discordant Ki-67 levels may be associated with aggressive tumor biology. In patients with luminal subtype disease, clinical application of Ki-67 values should be cautious considering types of specimens and clinicopathological risk factors.

Spindle cell carcinoma of the breast: a comprehensive analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast spindle cell malignancies are rare. No standard treatment exists.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify patients with breast spindle cell malignancies, 1992 to 2011. Descriptive statistical analysis and survival analysis were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 286 patients were identified (98.6% female). Approximately, 15% had estrogen receptor-positive tumors and 12.5% had progesterone receptor-positive tumors. Nearly 38% underwent partial mastectomy, whereas 55.5% underwent mastectomy. The frequency of partial mastectomy has increased in more recent years. One-third received radiation. Lymph node metastases were infrequent (9.3%) and distant metastases were uncommon (6.1%). Ten-year survival rates for patients with early-stage (I and II) disease were 83.9% after partial mastectomy, 86.7% after partial mastectomy plus radiation, and 71.6% after complete mastectomy. Three-year survival rates for patients with late-stage (III and IV) disease were low with 40.0% after complete mastectomy and 0% after complete mastectomy plus radiation.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationally representative analysis demonstrates that early-stage spindle cell carcinoma of the breast is adequately treated by partial mastectomy. Radiation may be considered for small, potentially early survival benefit. For late stage disease, complete mastectomy is appropriate; however, survival is poor, and radiation contributes no significant additional benefit.

Prognostic features of breast cancer differ between women in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium

OBJECTIVES

Compared to European women, breast cancers in African women present at a younger age, with a higher tumor grade and are more often estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) negative. We here investigate the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics (ER, PR and human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)) and the proportion of triple negative (Tneg) invasive breast cancers from an unselected series of patients diagnosed in Kinshasa, and compare them to a population of Caucasian women with a palpable breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From 2010 till 2013, during the first breast cancer awareness campaign, organized in Kinshasa, 87 patients were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Diagnose was based on core biopsy. The control group consisted of Caucasian women (University Hospitals of Leuven, Belgium) with a palpable mass, diagnosed between 2000 till 2009, treated with surgery of which the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics were collected on excision specimens. Each patient in the Kinshasa group was matched based on age and tumor size to one or more patients of the Leuven database. Differences between both groups with respect to hormone receptors (ER, PR, HER2, Tneg) or grade are presented as relative risks (RR). The analysis is based on a log-binomial model accounting for clustering through matching by a random intercept for cluster. Differences between both groups with respect to hormone receptors correcting for grade is performed by the inclusion of grade as a covariate in the model.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, tumor volume and tumor grade, ER was more frequently negative (RR = 0.71, p < 0.001), with a trend in the same direction for PR (RR = 0.87, p = 0.057), and HER2 more often positive (RR = 1.60, p = 0.015) compared to the group from the University Hospitals of Leuven. There was no difference in the proportion of breast cancers being triple negative. Sub-analysis showed that the higher HER2 positive rate was only observed in older patients (≥50y: RR = 2.07, p = 0.007) whereas no difference in HER2 positive rate was found in younger patients (<50y: RR = 1.30, p = 0.358). A higher ER negative rate was observed in both age groups, however more pronounced in older patients (≥50y: RR = 0.64, p = 0.001; <50y: RR = 0.79, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer in women of Kinshasa presents at younger age and is more aggressive (more frequently ER negative and HER2 positive) compared to Caucasian women and this is more pronounced in older women (>50y). Only the ER results were concordant with the results of two similar studies (comparing an African with a European group), but were different when compared to studies on African-American women with breast cancer. This information is very important considering the treatment option: as more tumors are ER negative, endocrine therapy cannot be given while chemotherapy is often too expensive.

Impact of preoperative evaluation of tumour grade by core needle biopsy on clinical risk assessment and patient selection for adjuvant systemic treatment in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Histological characteristics are important when making a decision on adjuvant systemic treatment in breast cancer. Preoperative assessments of core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens are becoming increasingly relevant as novel minimally invasive ablative techniques are introduced, because a surgical specimen is no longer obtained with these methods. The clinical impact of potential underestimation of tumour grade on preoperative CNB on clinical decision-making was evaluated.

METHODS

Histological tumour grade was reassessed on CNB and resection specimens from consecutive invasive ductal carcinomas diagnosed between 2010 and 2013. For each patient, the indication for systemic therapy was assessed, based on either CNB or surgical excision, in combination with clinical characteristics and imaging findings. The clinical impact of discordance between tumour grade on CNB versus the resection specimen was assessed.

RESULTS

The analysis included 213 invasive ductal carcinomas in 199 patients. Discordance in tumour grade between CNB and the resection specimen was observed in 64 (30.0 per cent) of 213 tumours (κ = 0.53, 95 per cent c.i. 0.43 to 0.63). A decision on adjuvant treatment based on CNB would have resulted in overtreatment in seven (3.5 per cent) and undertreatment in three (1.5 per cent) of 199 patients. In the undertreated patients, incorrect omission of adjuvant systemic treatment would have increased the predicted 10-year mortality rate by 2.6-5.2 per cent and 10-year recurrence rate by 8.2-15.3 per cent based on the online risk assessment tool Adjuvant!

CONCLUSION

The substantial discordance in tumour grading between CNB and resection specimens from breast cancer affects the indication for adjuvant therapy in only a small minority of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma. Assessment of tumour grade by CNB is feasible and accurate for the planning of postoperative treatment.

Evaluation of hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and Ki-67 with core needle biopsy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy effects in breast cancer patients

Background

We investigated the reliability of core needle biopsy (CNB) in evaluating the status of hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2, and Ki-67 status, and the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on the expression of these immunohistochemical markers.

Methods

Among 177 patients with breast adenocarcinoma, 95 patients underwent NAC and the remaining 82 patients made up the control group. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to evaluate the expression status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2, and Ki-67 in the specimens obtained by surgical excision or CNB.

Results

In the control group, the expression of ER, PR, HER-2, and Ki-67 was highly consistent between samples from surgical excision or CNB (all r > 0.8, P < 0.05). In the NAC group, the proportions of samples with changes in ER, PR, HER-2, and Ki-67 expression were 12.7%, 24.1%, 5.1%, and 38.0%, respectively; the figures in the control group were 2.4%, 4.9%, 2.4%, and 7.3%, respectively, which significantly differed in ER, PR, and Ki-67 (P < 0.05), but not HER-2 (P > 0.05). In the NAC group, pre- and post-treatment ER⁺ rates did not significantly differ (P > 0.05), although PR⁺ and high Ki-67 expression rates did significantly differ (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Neither CNB nor surgical excision samples gave highly consistent results in HR, HER-2, and Ki-67 status. NAC can alter HR and Ki-67 status in breast adenocarcinoma patients. NAC decreased PR⁺ rate and Ki-67 expression. The mean ER⁺ rate exhibited a decreasing, but insignificant trend after NAC treatment. NAC had no significant effect on HER-2 expression.

Accuracy of prognostic and predictive markers in core needle breast biopsies compared with excisional specimens

BACKGROUND

Core needle biopsy (CNB) is widely accepted for preoperative diagnosis of breast cancer and sometimes can be the only way of providing a suitable specimen for prognostic and predictive marker studies prior to neoadjuvant treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of CNB by comparing histological tumor type and grade as well as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), p53, and HER2/ neu status by immunohistochemistry in CNB and excisional surgical specimens.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During a 2.5-year study period, we identified 30 patients with breast cancer, who underwent CNB and definitive surgery. To evaluate the accuracy of CNB, tumor grade, ER, PR, HER2, and p53 status were immunohistochemically determined in both the CNB and the surgical specimens, and concordance of results between the 2 specimens was assessed.

RESULTS

The concordance rate was 100% for histological type, 66.6% for histological grade, and 96.7, 90, 76.7 and 93.3% for ER, PR, p53 and HER2/neu, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that CNB has an excellent accuracy for tumor type, ER, and HER2/ neu; however, it should be used cautiously for tumor grade, PR, and p53 status. Thus, excisional biopsy is recommended for the determination of these factors.

Accuracy of estrogen and progesterone receptor assessment in core needle biopsy specimens of breast cancer

Background

Diagnosis of breast cancer is completed through core needle biopsy (CNB) of the tumors but there is controversy on the accuracy of hormone receptor results on CNB specimens.

Objectives

We undertook this study to compare the results of hormone receptor assessment in CNB and surgical samples on our patients.

Patients and Methods

Hormone receptor status was determined in CNB and surgical samples in breast cancer patients whose CNB and operation had been performed in this institute from 2009 to 2011 and had not undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

About 350 patients, 60 cases met all the criteria for entering the study. The mean age was 49.8 years. Considering a confidence interval (CI) of 95%, the sensitivity of ER and PR assessment in CNB was 92.9% and 81%, respectively and the specificity of both was 100%. The Accuracy of CNB was 98% for ER and 93% for PR.

Conclusions

Our results confirm the acceptable accuracy of ER assessment on CNB. The subject needs further investigation in developing countries where omission of the test in surgical samples can be cost and time-saving.

Association of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 following neoadjuvant systemic treatment in breast cancer patients undergoing surgery

AIMS

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) in breast cancer with neoadjuvant therapy by using tissue biopsy and surgical specimens.

METHODS

This study included 78 patients with breast cancer, who presented to our hospital between June 1999 and June 2011, and were treated with neoadjuvant therapy and subsequent mastectomy or partial mastectomy. All clinicopathological data regarding pre-neoadjuvant biopsy and definitive surgical specimens were reviewed for accuracy. The status of ER, PR, and HER2 was determined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Paired samples from 78 women (mean age 51.4 ± 11.7 years) were successfully analyzed. A switch in the status of ER was identified in 16 patients (20 %); PR, in 18 (23 %); and HER2, in 27 (35 %). There were no significant differences in the status of ER, PR, and HER2 between the primary tumor and the resected tumor after neoadjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy does not significantly influence the status of the steroid hormone receptors and the HER2 level in our study.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial biopsy may be reliable for determining the appropriate adjuvant therapy, but final pathology are still needed to evaluate the prognosis and provided the alternative treatment when tumor recurrence. Further prospective study is needed to optimize the care available for breast cancer patients.

Reliability of receptor assessment on core needle biopsy in breast cancer patients

We compared the breast core needle biopsy and the resection specimen with respect to estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status to identify predictors for discordant findings. We retrospectively collected data from 526 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. ER, PR and HER2 status had been assessed in both the core needle biopsy and resection specimen. The assessment of ER by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in core needle biopsy was false negative in 26.5% and false positive in 6.8% of patients. For the PR status the false negative and false positive results of core needle biopsy were 29.6% and 10.3%, respectively. The results of the HER2 status, as determined by IHC and silver in situ hybridization (SISH), were false negative in 5.4% and false positive in 50.0%. We need to be aware of the problem of false negative and false positive test results in ER, PR and HER2 assessment in core needle biopsy and the potential impact on adjuvant systemic treatment. With current techniques, we recommend using the resection specimen to measure these receptors in patients without neoadjuvant treatment. A better alternative might be the use of tissue microarray, combining both core needle biopsy and resection specimen.