Molecular subtypes of breast cancer emerging in young women in Taiwan: evidence for more than just westernization as a reason for the disease in Asia

Association of imaging and pathological findings of breast cancer in very young women: Report of a twenty-year retrospective study

PURPOSE

In this study, we aimed to assess the new trends in characteristics, molecular subtypes, and imaging findings of breast cancer in very young women.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the database of a primary breast cancer referral center in southern Iran in 342 cases of 30-year-old or younger women from 2001 to 2020. Pathologic data, including nuclear subtype and grade, tumor stage, presence of in situ cancer, imaging data including lesion type in mammogram and ultrasound, and treatment data were recorded. Descriptive statistics were applied. Differences between categorical values between groups were compared using Pearson's Chi-square test.

RESULTS

The mean age was 27.89 years. The tumor type was invasive ductal carcinoma in 82 % of cases. Fourteen patients (4.4 %) had only in situ cancer, and 170 patients had in situ components (49.7 %). Molecular subtypes were available in 278 patients, including 117 (42.1 %) Luminal A, 64 (23.0 %) Luminal B, 58 (20.9 %) triple negative, and 39 (14 %) HER2 Enriched. In those with mammograms available, 63 (30.1 %) had no findings, 53 (25.3 %) had mass, 27 (12.9 %) had asymmetry, whether focal or global, 21 (10 %) had microcalcifications solely, and 45 (21.5 %) had more than one finding. Microcalcifications were significantly more common in Luminal cancers than HER2 and triple-negative cancers (p = 0.041).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows the most common subtype to be Luminal A cancer, with 74 % of the tumors being larger than 2 cm at the time of diagnosis. Irregular masses with non-circumscribed margins were the most common imaging findings.

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma of the breast: individual participant meta-analysis of Japanese population

BACKGROUND

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma (RIAS) of the breast is a very rare and poor prognostic disease. According to previous studies, the efficacy of chemotherapy for RIAS is still controversial. However, no study has assessed the prognosis of RIAS and the prognostic impact of preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy in Japanese patients. Our study aimed to assess them in Japanese people using publication data with our three patients.

METHODS

Thirty-nine patients diagnosed with RIAS, including 36 patients from 34 published case series, and three patients from our hospital were used for analysis. Disease-free survival (DFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed.

RESULTS

Among the 39 patients, 36 patients (92.3%) underwent surgery. The median DFS and OS periods were 14 months (range 1-75 months) and 23 months (range 4-84 months), respectively. Chemotherapy with taxane-based regimen was administered in 13 cases (33.2%) pre- or post-operatively. DFS was significantly improved with chemotherapy in addition to surgery (p = 0.037). However, addition of chemotherapy to surgery did not improve DDFS (p = 0.09) and OS (p = 0.878). In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70 years was an independent but poor prognostic factor of DFS. Additionally, a lack of chemotherapy showed a trend to be associated with worse DFS. There was no independent variable contributing to DDFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemotherapy may have reduced the recurrence rate of RIAS in Japanese patients but did not improve OS. Further data are needed to confirm the efficacy and proper regimen of chemotherapy.

Urban-Rural Disparity in Birth Cohort Effects on Breast Cancer Incidence

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Studies have reported minimal birth cohort effects on the incidence rates of breast cancer in Western countries but have reported notable birth cohort effects in some Asian countries. The risks of breast cancer may also vary within a country. In the present study, we abstracted female invasive breast cancer data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry for the period 1997-2016. We used the age-period-cohort model to compare birth cohort effects on breast cancer incidence rates between urban and rural regions in Taiwan. We identified a notable urban-rural disparity in birth cohort effects on breast cancer incidence rates in women in Taiwan. The incidence rates in the urban regions were higher than those in the rural regions across all cohorts. However, the incidence rates rose faster in the rural regions than in the urban regions across the cohorts. The risks of breast cancer observed for women born in 1992 were approximately 22 and 11 times than those observed for women born in 1917 in rural and urban regions, respectively. The observed gap in breast cancer incidence rates between the urban and rural regions gradually disappeared across the cohorts. Accordingly, we speculate that urbanization and westernization in Taiwan may be the drivers of female breast cancer incidence rates across birth cohorts.

Estrogen-DNA Adducts and Breast Cancer Risk in Premenopausal Asian Women

The incidence of breast cancer among premenopausal women has been increasing rapidly in recent decades in East Asia. This case-control study investigated whether estrogen-DNA adducts were associated with breast cancer risk in Taiwan. The control group (n = 146) comprised healthy female volunteers and women with non-proliferative breast disease. The case group (n = 221) comprised women either with proliferative benign breast disease or breast cancer. The ratios of estrogen-DNA adducts to their respective metabolites and conjugates in plasma were analyzed using ultraperformance LC/MS-MS. The SNPs of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and COMT were genotyped. Logistic regression model was used to compare the estrogen-DNA adduct ratios between the two groups. The estrogen-DNA adduct ratio in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (median ratio: 58.52 vs. 29.36, P = 0.004). A multiple logistic regression model demonstrated that a unit increase in the natural log of the estrogen-DNA adduct ratio in premenopausal women was a significant predictor of breast cancer risk, with an estimated hazard ratio of 1.718 (1.444-2.046, P < 0.001). However, the CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and COMT SNPs were not associated with the estrogen-DNA adduct ratios. In conclusion, plasma estrogen-DNA adduct ratio was associated with the presence of breast cancer or proliferating benign breast disease in premenopausal women in Taiwan.

PREVENTION RELEVANCE

This study provides evidence that endogenous estrogen-induced genotoxicity may contribute to the carcinogenesis of breast cancer in premenopausal Asian women. This work could have important preventive implication for the emerging disease in East Asia.

Birth Cohort Effects in Breast Cancer Incidence: Global Patterns and Trends

Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm in the world among women. The age-specific incidences and onset ages vary widely between Asian and Western countries/regions. Invasive breast cancer cases among women from 1997 to 2011 were abstracted from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Age-period-cohort analysis was performed to examine the trends. The cohort effect was prominent in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand, possibly related to the timing of westernization. The risk of breast cancer initially rose with the birth cohorts in Hong Kong and India (both former British colonies), peaked, and then declined in recent birth cohorts. Unlike other Asian countries/regions, virtually no birth cohort effect was identified in the Philippines (a Spanish colony in 1565 and the first Asian country to adopt Western cultural aspects). Moreover, an at-most negligible birth cohort effect was identified for all ethnic groups (including Asian immigrants) in the United States. This global study identified birth cohort effects in most Asian countries/regions but virtually no impact in Western countries/regions. The timing of westernization was associated with the birth cohort effect.

Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Survival Analysis of Shenyang in Northeast China: A Population-Based Study from 2008 to 2017

Background

To investigate the status of breast cancer incidence, trends, and survival in women in urban Shenyang from 2008–2017 using large Cancer Registry data.

Methods

Breast cancer incidence and mortality data were abstracted from the Shenyang Cancer Registry between 2008 and 2017. The crude and age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated for each year. Average annual percentage changes (AAPC) were used to describe the change over time.

Results

A total of 14,255 out of 18,782,956 women were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2008 and 2017 in urban Shenyang. The overall crude and age-standardized incidences were 75.89 and 43.42 per 100,000, respectively. The crude incidence increased from 61.93 per 100,000 in 2008 to 90.07 per 100,000 in 2017, with an AAPC of 5.10%. The crude mortality increased from 11.41 per 100,000 in 2008 to 17.29 per 100,000 in 2017, with an AAPC of 4.60. The highest age-specific incidence occurs in the 55–59 year age group at a rate of 140.67 per 100,000. During the study period, 2,710 women died from breast cancer. The overall crude and age-standardized mortality rates were 14.43 and 7.43 per 100,000, respectively. The highest age-specific mortality occurs at 80–84 years old at a rate of 57.57 per 100,000. The 3-year and 5-year survival rates for female breast cancer in urban Shenyang from 2008 to 2013 were 85.61% and 77.39%, respectively, and both declined with age.

Conclusion

The incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer in Shenyang increased over time. Screening and control strategies should be enhanced, especially for perimenopausal females.

Young adult cancer incidence trends in Taiwan and the U.S. from 2002 to 2016

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have not examined young adult cancer incidence trends in Taiwan, or comprehensively compared these trends at two nations with different population genetics, environmental exposures, and health care. Therefore, we compared the incidence rates and trends of the most common young adult cancers diagnosed at 20-39 years of age in Taiwan and the U.S.

METHODS

Incidence rates from 2002 to 2016 were calculated from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Datasets and the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. For trend assessment, average annual percent change (AAPC) values were calculated from 15 years of data using Joinpoint Regression Program. We also obtained sex or age of diagnosis stratified estimates.

RESULTS

The age-standardized overall young adult cancer incidence rate significantly increased from 2002 to 2016 in both Taiwan (AAPC=1.1%, 95% CI: 0.8-1.5%) and the U.S. (AAPC=1.8%, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4%). Cancers with significantly decreasing trends in Taiwan included cancers of the nasopharynx, liver, and tongue, which were not among the most common young adult cancers in the U.S. Cancers with significantly increasing trends in both Taiwan and the U.S. included colorectal, thyroid, and female breast cancers. Lymphoma, ovarian cancer, and lung and bronchus cancer had significantly increasing trends in Taiwan but not in the U.S. Although cervical cancer had significantly decreasing trends in both nations among those 30-39 years of age, its trend was significantly increasing in Taiwan but decreasing in the U.S. among those 20-29 years of age.

CONCLUSION

The types of common young adult cancers as well as their incidence rates and trends differed in Taiwan and the U.S. Future studies should further understand the etiological factors driving these trends.

Risk Factors for Female Breast Cancer: A Population Cohort Study

Simple Summary

In recent years, it has been emphasized that the development of a healthy lifestyle can prevent the incidence of cancer, and several recent studies on female breast cancer (BC) have also become interested in sedentary behavioral issues. Our prospective cohort study found that, in addition to the currently known risk factors (RFs) such as parity and body mass index (BMI), which affect the probability of developing BC in women, a sedentary lifestyle and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can cause BC. Therefore, we propose that the modifiable risk profiles of sedentary behavior and sugary beverage consumption may also be associated with increased incidence of female BC in the Taiwanese population.

Abstract

Background: The incidence of female BC among the Eastern and Southeastern Asian populations has gradually increased in recent years. However, epidemiological studies on the relationship between a sedentary lifestyle and female BC are insufficient. In order to determine the association between this lifestyle and the incidence of female BC, we conducted a population-based cohort study on women in Taiwan. Methods: We followed a prospective cohort of 5879 women aged 30 years and over enrolled in the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), who developed female BC over a period of 72,453 person years, and we estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: RFs associated with female BC incidence included parity (adjusted HR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.44–0.91), body mass index (adjusted HR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.04–1.71), and ≥3 h/day spent sitting (adjusted HR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.08–3.32). The incidence of female BC in participants who sat for ≥3 h/day and consumed sugary drinks was 2.5 times greater than that in those who sat for <3 h/day and did not consume sugary drinks (adjusted HR = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.01–6.23). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that sedentary behavior and sugary drink intake may increase the risk of developing female BC. These are modifiable RFs; therefore, a healthy lifestyle and diet can reduce the incidence of female BC.

Prevalence of Molecular Subtypes of Breast Carcinoma and Its Comparison between Two Different Age Groups: A Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Care Center of Northeast India

Objective The aim of the study is to see the prevalence of different molecular subtypes in breast cancer patients among two different age groups: ≤40 years and >40 years. Materials and Methods Retrospective study was conducted from January 2019 to December 2019. We studied 568 cases of breast carcinoma and classified them into four molecular subtypes-luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER 2), and triple negative. Cases were divided into two different groups: (1) ≤40 years and (2) >40 years. Statistical Analysis was done by using SPSS software version 20.0. Results Out of 568 cases, 151 (26.6%) were ≤40 years of age and 417 (73.4%) were >40 years of age. The most common histological subtype of breast cancer was ductal carcinoma in 548 cases and the most common grade was grade III. Immunohistochemistry was done in 432 patients. In younger age group, the most common molecular subtype was luminal B (31%) followed by triple negative (20%), luminal A (14%), and then HER 2 (5.3%), while in the older age group most common molecular subtype was luminal B (27.8%) followed by triple negative (14%), HER 2 (12.2%), and then luminal A (12%). Conclusion Luminal B is found to be the most common subtype in Northeast Indian women with breast cancer, as compared with other studies in which luminal A was the most common subtype. This could be due to the reason that K _i -67 was not done in most of the other studies.

Individualized model for predicting pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Pathological complete response (pCR) is considered a surrogate for favorable survival in breast cancer (BC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), which is the goal of NACT. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the pCR probability of BC patients after NACT based on the clinicopathological features.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 527 BC patients treated with NACT between January 2018 and December 2021 from two institutions was conducted. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to select the most useful predictors from the training cohort (n = 225), and then a nomogram model was developed. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated with respect to its discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Internal validation and external validation were performed in an independent validation cohort of 96 and 205 consecutive BC patients, respectively.

RESULTS

Among the 18 clinicopathological features, five variables were selected to develop the prediction model, including age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) T stage, Ki67 index before NACT, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and hormone receptor (HR) status. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.825 (95% CI, 0.772 to 0.878) in the training cohort, and 0.755 (95% CI, 0.658 to 0.851) and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.724 to 0.856) in the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curve presented good agreement between prediction by nomogram and actual observation, and decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the nomogram had good net benefits in clinical scenarios.

CONCLUSION

This study constructed a validated nomogram based on age, AJCC T stage, Ki67 index before NACT, HER2, and HR status, which could be non-invasively applied to personalize the prediction of pCR in BC patients treated with NACT.

An Overview of the Treatment Efficacy and Side Effect Profile of Pharmacological Therapies in Asian Patients with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) among Asians accounts for ~ 40% of the global BC burden. Differences in BC risk, presentation, tumor biology, and response to treatment exist between Asian and non-Asian patients; however, Asian patients are often under-represented in clinical trials. This narrative review summarizes the efficacy and safety of pharmacological therapies for BC in Asian populations, with a focus on outcomes in Asian versus non-Asian patients treated with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 targeted therapies, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, bone-targeted therapies, poly-ADP ribose polymerase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and checkpoint inhibitors. While most therapies have demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety in Asian and non-Asian patients with BC, differences that are largely attributed to pharmacogenetic variations between populations exist. Pharmacogenetic differences may contribute to a reduced clinical benefit of tamoxifen, whereas improved clinical outcomes have been reported with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and CDK4/6 inhibitors in Asian versus non-Asian patients with BC. In particular, Asian patients have an increased incidence of hematological toxicities, including neutropenia, although adverse events can be effectively managed using dose adjustments. Recent trials with CDK4/6 inhibitors have increased efforts to include Asians within study subsets. Future clinical trials enrolling higher numbers of Asian patients, and an increased understanding of differences in patient and tumor genetics between Asians and non-Asians, have the potential to incrementally improve the management of BC in Asian patients.

International external validation of the SORG machine learning algorithms for predicting 90-day and one-year survival of patients with spine metastases using a Taiwanese cohort

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Accurately predicting the survival of patients with spinal metastases is important for guiding surgical intervention. The SORG machine-learning (ML) algorithm for the 90-day and one-year mortality of patients with metastatic cancer to the spine has been multiply validated, with a high degree of accuracy in both internal and external validation studies. However, prior external validations were conducted using patient groups located on the east coast of the United States, representing a generally homogeneous population. The aim of this study was to externally validate the SORG algorithms with a Taiwanese population.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Retrospective study at a single tertiary care center in Taiwan PATIENT SAMPLE: Four hundred and twenty-seven patients who underwent surgery for metastatic spine disease from November 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018 OUTCOME MEASURES: 90-day and one-year mortality METHODS: The baseline characteristics of our validation cohort were compared with those of the previously published developmental and external validation cohorts. Discrimination (c-statistic and receiver operating curve), calibration (calibration plot, intercept, and slope), overall performance (Brier score), and decision curve analysis were used to assess the performance of the SORG ML algorithms in this cohort.

RESULTS

Ninety-day and one-year mortality rates were 110 of 427 (26%) and 256 of 427 (60%), respectively. The external validation cohort and the developmental cohort differed in body mass index (BMI), preoperative performance status, American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale, primary tumor histology and in several laboratory measurements. The SORG ML algorithm for 90-day and 1-year mortality demonstrated a high level of discriminative ability (c-statistics of 0.73 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-0.78] and 0.74 [95% CI, 0.69-0.79]), overall performance, and had a positive net benefit throughout the range of threshold probabilities in decision curve analysis. The algorithm for 1-year mortality had a calibration intercept of 0.08, representing a good calibration. However, the 90-day mortality algorithm underestimated mortality for the lowest predicted probabilities, with an overall intercept of 0.81.

CONCLUSIONS

The SORG algorithms for predicting 90-day and 1-year mortality in patients with spinal metastatic disease generally performed well on international external validation in a predominately Taiwanese population. However, 90-day mortality was underestimated in this group. Whether this inconsistency was due to different primary tumor characteristics, body mass index, selection bias or other factors remains unclear, and may be better understood with further validative works that utilize international and/or diverse populations.

Comprehensive profiles and diagnostic value of menopausal-specific gut microbiota in premenopausal breast cancer

In Western countries, breast cancer tends to occur in older postmenopausal women. However, in Asian countries, the proportion of younger premenopausal breast cancer patients is increasing. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a critical role in breast cancer. However, studies on the gut microbiota in the context of breast cancer have mainly focused on postmenopausal breast cancer. Little is known about the gut microbiota in the context of premenopausal breast cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively explore the gut microbial profiles, diagnostic value, and functional pathways in premenopausal breast cancer patients. Here, we analyzed 267 breast cancer patients with different menopausal statuses and age-matched female controls. The α-diversity was significantly reduced in premenopausal breast cancer patients, and the β-diversity differed significantly between breast cancer patients and controls. By performing multiple analyses and classification, 14 microbial markers were identified in the different menopausal statuses of breast cancer. Bacteroides fragilis was specifically found in young women of premenopausal statuses and Klebsiella pneumoniae in older women of postmenopausal statuses. In addition, menopausal-specific microbial markers could exhibit excellent discriminatory ability in distinguishing breast cancer patients from controls. Finally, the functional pathways differed between breast cancer patients and controls. Our findings provide the first evidence that the gut microbiota in premenopausal breast cancer patients differs from that in postmenopausal breast cancer patients and shed light on menopausal-specific microbial markers for diagnosis and investigation, ultimately providing a noninvasive approach for breast cancer detection and a novel strategy for preventing premenopausal breast cancer.

Reproductive and environmental exposures and the breast cancer risk in Taiwanese women

Breast cancer (BC) incidence is increasing around the globe, including in Taiwan, though the cause of the increasing incidence is less clear. We followed up 11,296 Taiwanese females who did not have BC at baseline, and ascertained new invasive BC (N = 351) through data linkage to the National Cancer Registry from 1991 to 2018 to examine whether reproductive, lifestyle and environmental risk factors including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were associated with BC risk. We conducted a nested case–control study using baseline blood available from a total of 305 women with BC and 598 women without BC matched on time in cohort. We examined the association of PAH-albumin adducts and BC risk using conditional logistic regression models. Age at menarche (HR 0.6 (95% CI 0.5–0.9) for ≥ 15 vs. < 13 years) and multiparity were associated with BC risk (HR 2.0 (95% CI 1.4–2.8), 2.8 (1.9–4.2), and 2.4 (1.0–5.0) for 3–4, 1–2 and 0 live birth, compared with women ≥ 5 births). PAH-albumin adducts were not associated with BC risk. Given the increasing BC incidence in Taiwan, there is a need to identify environmental factors that are important to this population.

High prevalence of APOA1/C3/A4/A5 alterations in luminal breast cancers among young women in East Asia

In East Asia, the breast cancer incidence rate among women aged <50 years has rapidly increased. Emerging tumors are distinctly characterized by a high prevalence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-negative cancer. In the present study, we identified unique genetic alterations in these emerging tumors. We analyzed gene copy number variations (CNVs) in breast tumors from 120 Taiwanese patients, and obtained public datasets of CNV and gene expression (GE). The data regarding CNV and GE were separately compared between East Asian and Western patients, and the overlapping genes identified in the comparisons were explored to identify the gene-gene interaction networks. In the age <50 years/ER + /HER2- subgroup, tumors of East Asian patients exhibited a higher frequency of copy number loss in APOA1/C3/A4/A5, a lipid-metabolizing gene cluster (33 vs. 10%, P < .001) and lower APOA1/C3/A4/A5 expressions than tumors of Western patients. These copy number loss related- and GE-related results were validated in another Taiwanese cohort and in two GE datasets, respectively. The copy number loss was significantly associated with poor survival among Western patients, but not among East Asian patients. Lower APOA1, APOC3, and APOA5 expressions were associated with higher ESTIMATE immune scores, indicating an abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. In conclusion, APOA1/C3/A4/A5 copy number loss was more prevalent in luminal breast tumors among East Asian women aged <50 years, and its immunomodulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment possibly plays various roles in the tumor biology of East Asian patients.

First-line Treatment with Ribociclib plus Endocrine Therapy for Premenopausal Women with Hormone-receptor-positive Advanced Breast Cancer: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis

BACKGROUND

We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis incorporating recent phase III clinical trial (MONALEESA-7) data to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ribociclib (RIB) as a first-line treatment for premenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) from the United States healthcare payer perspective. In addition, because RIB has not been marketed in China, we identified the range of drug costs for which RIB could be considered cost effective from a Chinese healthcare system perspective.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adding RIB to endocrine therapy over a lifetime. The clinical outcomes and utility data were obtained from published literature. Costs data were obtained from United States and Chinese official websites, and we determined the potential price for RIB in China based on its price in the United States. The main outcomes of this study were the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).

RESULTS

The model projected that mean outcome was better with RIB and endocrine combined (3.83366 QALYs) than with endocrine therapy alone (2.71203 QALYs). In the United States, RIB and endocrine therapy cost an additional $604,960.06, resulting in an ICER of $539,357.95/QALY compared with endocrine monotherapy. Subgroup analyses indicated that, in China, the projected mean outcomes were better for RIB and endocrine therapy (6.37 QALYs) than for endocrine monotherapy (2.71 QALYs). The corresponding incremental costs were $224,731.88943. Thus, the ICER comparing RIB and endocrine therapy with endocrine therapy alone represented a $61,454.96/QALY gain.

CONCLUSION

Additional use of RIB is estimated to not be cost effective as a first-line treatment for premenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative ABC in the United States. A value-based price for the cost of RIB is less than $31.74/200 mg for China.

The treatment landscape of advanced angiosarcoma in Asia-A multi-national collaboration from the Asian Sarcoma Consortium

Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare disease with a dismal prognosis. The treatment landscape and prognostic factors for advanced AS, including locally advanced, unresectable, and metastatic disease remain elusive. The Asian Sarcoma Consortium is an international collaborative effort to understand the sarcoma treatment landscape in Asia. We undertook a retrospective chart review of AS patients seen in 8 sarcoma academic centers across Asia. Patients with complete clinical, treatment, and follow-up data were enrolled. Overall, 276 advanced AS patients were included into this study; 84 (30%) of the patients had metachronous metastatic AS. The median age was 67 y; primary sites of AS was cutaneous in 55% and visceral in 45% of patients. In total, 143 (52%) patients received at least 1 line of systemic chemotherapy. The most common first-line chemotherapy regimen used was paclitaxel (47.6%) followed by liposomal doxorubicin (19.6%). The median overall survival (OS) was 7.8 mo. Significant prognostic factors for OS included age > 65 (hazard ratio (HR) 1.54, P = .006), male gender (HR 1.39, P = .02), and a cutaneous primary AS site (HR 0.63, P = .004). The median progression-free survival (PFS) for first-line chemotherapy was 3.4 mo. PFS for single vs combination or paclitaxel vs liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy regimens were comparable. This study provides an insight into the treatment patterns and prognostic factors of advanced AS patients in Asia. Prognosis of advanced AS remains poor. Data from this study serve as a benchmark for future clinical study design.

Breath biopsy of breast cancer using sensor array signals and machine learning analysis

Breast cancer causes metabolic alteration, and volatile metabolites in the breath of patients may be used to diagnose breast cancer. The objective of this study was to develop a new breath test for breast cancer by analyzing volatile metabolites in the exhaled breath. We collected alveolar air from breast cancer patients and non-cancer controls and analyzed the volatile metabolites with an electronic nose composed of 32 carbon nanotubes sensors. We used machine learning techniques to build prediction models for breast cancer and its molecular phenotyping. Between July 2016 and June 2018, we enrolled a total of 899 subjects. Using the random forest model, the prediction accuracy of breast cancer in the test set was 91% (95% CI: 0.85–0.95), sensitivity was 86%, specificity was 97%, positive predictive value was 97%, negative predictive value was 97%, the area under the receiver operating curve was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99–1.00), and the kappa value was 0.83. The leave-one-out cross-validated discrimination accuracy and reliability of molecular phenotyping of breast cancer were 88.5 ± 12.1% and 0.77 ± 0.23, respectively. Breath tests with electronic noses can be applied intraoperatively to discriminate breast cancer and molecular subtype and support the medical staff to choose the best therapeutic decision.

Influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Medical Adherence and Outcome in Estrogen Receptor (+) Breast Cancer Patients in Taiwan: A Real-World Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Medical adherence is often higher in clinical trials than in real world practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on medical adherence to hormonal therapy (HT) and survival outcome in ER (+) breast cancer patients in Taiwan.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Using a nationwide longitudinal population-based database, we enrolled patients with newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer who had received HT, and followed for up to 5 years (N = 872). Medication adherence in terms of medication possession ratios (MPR) and patient outcome were evaluated with or without TCM exposure. We applied logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards (PH) analysis to identify factors, including TCM exposure, associated with adherence to HT and mortality.

RESULTS

MPR to HT in general decreased over the 5-year period post breast cancer diagnosis. Both TCM and MPR to HT ≥ 80% were significantly associated with reduced risk of breast cancer-associated mortality. Subgroup analysis revealed that TCM annual visits ≥ 3 times with CHP prescription 1~90 days per year affected mortality reduction most significantly (HR: 0.26; 95% CI = 0.08-0.83; p < 0.05) compared to other TCM use. In contrast, using TCM (either short-term or long-term) was not associated with MPR in HT.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results supported the potential advantage of TCM on breast cancer-associated mortality, whereas TCM use does not compromise medical adherence to HT. This study offers important insights in integrative therapy for HT in patients with estrogen receptor (+) breast cancer.

Obesity and Energy Balance Considerations in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent state of energy imbalance that contributes to breast cancer risk and outcomes. The effects of obesity differ by breast cancer subtype and menopause. While most studies have focused on postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive disease, less is known about the relationship between obesity and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here we will review the observations linking obesity to TNBC, the socioeconomic disparities that contribute to obesity-related TNBC, and putative biologic mechanisms. Finally, we will consider the impact of obesity on surgical and medical treatment of TNBC and novel strategies to improve energy balance after cancer diagnosis.

Combinatorial Epigenetic and Immunotherapy in Breast Cancer Management: A Literature Review

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among cancer patients worldwide. To date, there are several drugs that have been developed for breast cancer therapy. In the 21st century, immunotherapy is considered a pioneering method for improving the management of malignancies; however, breast cancer is an exception. According to the immunoediting model, many immunosuppressive cells contribute to immunological quiescence. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of breast cancer treatments. In the last few years, numerous combinatorial therapies involving immune checkpoint blockade have been demonstrated that effectively improve clinical outcomes in breast cancer and combining these with methods of targeting epigenetic regulators is also an innovative strategy. Nevertheless, few studies have discussed the benefits of epi-drugs in non-cancerous cells. In this review, we give a brief overview of ongoing clinical trials involving combinatorial immunotherapy with epi-drugs in breast cancer and discuss the role of epi-drugs in the tumor microenvironment, including the results of recent research.

A case-control study of perfluoroalkyl substances and the risk of breast cancer in Taiwanese women

Breast cancer (BC) is a common cancer in women worldwide; however, the incidence of BC is increasing in younger women, possibly associated with the environment. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are one of endocrine disruptors that accumulate in environment and impact human health. This study aimed to investigate whether the PFAS and BC are associated. We enrolled 120 BCE patients and 119 controls at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and also collected bio-specimen and questionnaire from 2013 to 2015. All subjects' plasma PFAS levels were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method with electrospray ionization (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). A logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between PFAS and BC. In the ≤50 years age group, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 2.34 (95% CI = 1.02, 5.38) for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure per natural log unit increase. After stratifying the estrogen receptor (ER) status and age group, we obtained a positive association for PFHxS and PFOS concentrations with respect to the risk of ER positive tumors for ≤50 years age group. In conclusion, we found that PFAS were associated with the BC risk of ER positive tumors in young Taiwanese women. Further studies are needed to follow and explore whether these associations are causal.

Correlation between imaging features and molecular subtypes of breast cancer in young women (≤30 years old)

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the features of digital mammography (DM) plus digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of breast cancer in young women (≤30 years old) and the correlation with molecular subtypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of imaging features of consecutive young women aged ≤30 years who were treated and surgically confirmed with breast cancer between January 2013 and December 2019 in our institution. All patients were Chinese women. DM + DBT and US were available for 170 lesions, MRI for 41 lesions. The imaging features were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to find the predictive factors of the molecular subtypes.

RESULTS

The predictive factors of the luminal B(HER2-) subtype (n = 51) were the mass with microcalcifications, irregular shape, spiculated margins, and shadowing posterior features (all P < 0.01). The predictive factors of the luminal B(HER2+) subtype (n = 26) were the spiculated margins (DBT + DM), angular margins (US), shadowing posterior features, and high vascularity (all P < 0.05). The predictive factors of the luminal A subtype (n = 37) were the mass without microcalcifications, spiculated margins, shadowing posterior features, and low vascularity (all P < 0.05). The predictive factors of the triple-negative subtype (n = 31) were the mass without microcalcifications, oval/round shape, circumscribed margins, enhancement of posterior features, and rim enhancement (MRI) (all P < 0.005). The predictive factors of the human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-enriched subtype (n = 26) were the only microcalcifications, microlobulated margins, and combined posterior feature (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with the general population of breast cancer, this young female population presents a different molecular phenotype distribution. Some imaging features of breast cancer in young women ≤30 years old can be used to predict certain tumor molecular subtypes.

Contrasting Epidemiology and Clinicopathology of Female Breast Cancer in Asians vs the US Population

BACKGROUND

The incidence of breast cancer among younger East Asian women has been increasing rapidly over recent decades. This international collaborative study systemically compared the differences in age-specific incidences and pathological characteristics of breast cancer in East Asian women and women of predominantly European ancestry.

METHODS

We excerpted analytic data from six national cancer registries (979 675 cases) and eight hospitals (18 008 cases) in East Asian countries and/or regions and, for comparisons, from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database. Linear regression analyses of age-specific incidences of female breast cancer and logistic regression analyses of age-specific pathological characteristics of breast cancer were performed. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

Unlike female colorectal cancer, the age-specific incidences of breast cancer among East Asian women aged 59 years and younger increased disproportionally over recent decades relative to rates in US contemporaries. For years 2010-2014, the estimated age-specific probability of estrogen receptor positivity increased with age in American patients, whereas that of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) declined with age. No similar trends were evident in East Asian patients; their probability of estrogen receptor positivity at age 40-49 years was statistically significantly higher (odd ratio [OR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36 to 1.67, P < .001) and of TNBC was statistically significantly lower (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.88, P < .001), whereas the probability of ER positivity at age 50-59 years was statistically significantly lower (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.828 to 0.95, P < .001). Subgroup analyses of US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data showed similarly distinct patterns between East Asian American and white American patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrasting age-specific incidences and pathological characteristics of breast cancer between East Asian and American women, as well as between East Asian Americans and white Americans, suggests racial differences in the biology.

Disparity in Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Breast Cancer and Prognostic Impact: Asian Versus Western Populations

BACKGROUND

The clinicopathological features and prognosis of breast cancer in Asia are different from those in the Western countries. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells can influence the outcome of patients with breast cancer, but they have not been systemically evaluated in Asian patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

We compared the immune score, composition, and prognostic impact of infiltrating immune cells between Asian and Western patients with breast cancer by analyzing gene expression profiles from eight Gene Expression Omnibus data sets and The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. The Estimation of Stromal and Immune Cells in Malignant Tumours Using Expression Data (ESTIMATE) and Cell Type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of Known RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithms were used to determine the immune score and composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, respectively.

FINDINGS

This study included 462 Asian patients and 2,186 Western patients. Tumors of Asian patients had significantly higher immune score, particularly in the luminal B and HER2-enriched subtypes. High immune score was associated with favorable prognosis in both Asian and Western patients, and Asian race with a high ESTIMATE immune score provided additional power to predict longer disease-free survival. Activated CD4 T cells and M2 macrophages were the most strongly associated with survival in both Asian and Western patients.

INTERPRETATION

Our study highlights the difference in tumor immune microenvironments between Asian and Western patients. The higher ESTIMATE immune score, which represents more abundant tumor-infiltrating immune cells, in tumors of Asian patients partly explains their favorable prognosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The tumor microenvironment serves as an interface that affects the human body's reaction to cancer cells. Evidence has revealed that tumor-infiltrating immune cells were associated with patient prognosis. This study demonstrated the disparity of tumor microenvironments and their prognostic impact between Asian and Western patients with breast cancer. The differences in immune score partially explained the racial survival differences noted in recent studies. Integrated analysis of tumor cells, tumor microenvironment, and racial effect may significantly improve recurrence risk prediction for patients with stage I-III breast cancer. Because the effect of tumor microenvironment varies across different populations, a model of interaction between immune score and race/ethnicity is recommended in accessing the risk of patients with cancer.

Population-Based Cohort Study Reveals Distinct Associations Between Female Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer in Taiwan

PURPOSE

Associations between Asian lung cancer (LC) and breast cancer (BC) are unknown. This study evaluates associations between LC and BC in the Taiwan population.

METHODS

This study was based on the Taiwan National Health Insurance data and Taiwan Cancer Registry. The cohorts included women with newly diagnosed LC or BC between 2000 and 2011 and an age- and sex-stratified random sample as a noncancer comparison cohort during the same period. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine the risks. The National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) cohort, which comprised patients with confirmed pathology diagnoses of double BC/LC, was reviewed.

RESULTS

In 32,824 women with LC, there were increased risks for synchronous BC in patients younger than age 50 years (hazard ratio, 5.80; 95% CI, 1.83 to 18.73), age 50 to 59 years (HR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.02 to 5.54), and age 60 to 69 years (HR, 4.42; 95% CI, 1.91 to 10.2). In the 88,446 women with BC, there were increased risks for synchronous LC in patients age 40 to 59 years (HR, 5.86; 95% CI, 3.05 to 11.3) and older than 60 years (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.77). In the 128-patient NTUH double LC/BC cohort, 77 (60%) had both cancers diagnosed within 5 years of each other.

CONCLUSION

LC is associated with an increased risk for synchronous BC in Taiwan and vice versa. Radiotherapy might not be a major risk factor for LC in BC survivors. Etiology for double LC/BC deserves additional exploration and cross-racial genomic studies.

Insights Into Breast Cancer in the East vs the West: A Review

Importance

During the past few decades, the incidence of breast cancer (BC) has been increasing rapidly in East Asia, and BC is currently the most common cancer in several countries. The rising incidence is likely related to changing lifestyle and environmental factors in addition to the increase in early diagnosis with BC awareness and screening. The understanding and management of BC are generally based on research and data from the West. However, emerging differences in BC epidemiology and tumor and host biology in Asian populations may be clinically relevant.

Observations

A higher proportion of premenopausal BCs occur in Asia, although this factor is possibly an age-cohort effect. Although the relative frequencies of different immunohistochemical subtypes of BC may be similar between the East and West, the higher prevalence of luminal B subtypes with more frequent mutations in TP53 may be confounded by disparities in early detection. In addition, Asian BCs appear to harbor a more immune-active microenvironment than BCs in the West. The spectra of germline mutations in BC predisposition genes and single-nucleotide polymorphisms contributing to BC risk vary with ethnicity as well. Differences in tolerability of certain cytotoxic and targeted agents used in BC treatment may be associated with pharmacogenomic factors, whereas the lower body mass of the average woman in East Asia may contribute to higher toxicities from drugs administered at fixed doses. Phenotypic characteristics, such as lower breast volume, may influence the type of surgery performed in East Asian women. On the other hand, increased breast density may affect the sensitivity of mammography in detecting BCs, limiting the benefits of screening mammography.

Conclusions and Relevance

Breast cancer has become a major health problem in Asia. The inclusion of more women from Asia in clinical trials and epidemiologic and translational studies may help unravel the interethnic heterogeneity of BCs and elucidate the complex interplay between environmental and intrinsic factors in its pathogenesis. These insights may help to refine prevention, diagnosis, and management strategies for BC in the setting of ethnic diversity.

Cancers in Taiwan: Practical insight from epidemiology, treatments, biomarkers, and cost

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Taiwan, and the overall incidence rate has gradually increased. The four most common cancers in Taiwan are colorectal, lung, breast and liver cancers. With the rise in incidence, the clinical use and costs of all anticancer drugs have steadily increased. The costs of novel therapeutics, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapy were accounted almost two-third of all antineoplastic agents in Taiwan. Moving forward, it will be necessary to discuss the economic impacts to clinical use of new therapeutics, while continuing to monitor and improve the quality of cancer therapy. In this review, we describe the epidemiology, disease screening policies and medication treatment policies for colorectal, lung, breast and liver cancer. We focus on the recent developments in cancer therapeutics, discuss the use of biomarkers, and finally consider the costs and the recent advances of anticancer medications in Taiwan.

Impact of age on pathological complete response and locoregional recurrence in locally advanced breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard approach for downstaging of locally advanced breast cancer and can improve breast conservation rates. A pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC associated with favorable long-term outcomes has been described. There is still a high locoregional recurrence (LRR) rate after NAC and the influence of age on LRR after NAC is unclear. This study analyzed the relationship between age and LRR after NAC.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty-three patients with invasive breast cancer who received NAC followed by mastectomy or breast conserving surgery (BCS) were enrolled. Concurrent weekly epirubicin and docetaxel was the NAC regimen.

Results

Twenty-nine patients (11%) achieved a pCR after NAC. In univariate analysis, age <50 years, luminal B (HER2 positive) subtype, HER2 overexpression subtype, and triple-negative subtype were factors to predict a pCR. In multivariate analysis, age <50 years, luminal B (HER2 positive) type, HER2 overexpression, and triple-negative subtype were the independent factors to predict a pCR. No patients in the pCR group developed LRR compared with 31 patients in the non-pCR group. Eleven patients (6.9%) in the younger group (age <50 years) developed LRR compared with 20 patients (19.4%) in the older group (age ≥50 years). In multivariate analysis, younger age (<50 years) was the only independent prognostic factor for a LRR-free survival.

Conclusion

Younger age can predict a pCR and is an independent prognostic factor for LRR in locally advanced breast cancer patients after NAC as concurrent epirubicin and docetaxel.

Subtypes of Breast Cancer in Lao P.D.R.: A Study in a Limited-Resource Setting

Aim:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of the immunohistochemical subtypes of breast cancer among Lao women by using immunohistochemistry (according to the St. Gallen 2017 guidelines) and to study their correlation to clinicopathological features in order to help guide better treatment plans for patients.

Materials and methods:

Formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue blocks of 76 cases of primary invasive breast cancer were retrieved from the University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR, from 2013 to 2016. Patients’ information and previous histological reports were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was done using antibodies against estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) and Ki-67 (MIB-1).

Results:

The mean age of the patients was 49 years, and the major histologic type was invasive ductal carcinoma, NOS (90.7%). The proportion of each subtype was hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative, 44.7%; hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive, 3.9%; hormone receptor-negative and HER2-positive, 13.2%; and triple-negative, 38.2%. ER was positive in 40.8% of the cases, while PR was positive in 47.4%. More than half of the cases were poorly differentiated cancer (65.8%), followed by moderately differentiated (34.2%). Tumors presented with pT2 (60.5%), followed by pT3 (25.0%) and pT4 (7.9%).

Conclusion:

Breast cancer among Lao women is characterized by a large percentage of the triple-negative subtype that is less susceptible to hormonal treatments. The empirical treatment with tamoxifen should be reconsidered since it would be less effective to these patients. More importantly, basic pathology services should be the first requirement in Lao PDR in order to provide adequate care.

Prognostic Value of BCL2 in Women Patients with Invasive Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancers are heterogeneous, making it essential to recognize several biomarkers for cancer outcome predictions especially in young women where the classical prediction parameters are not suitable. The goal from this study is to evaluate the impact of B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), P53 and Ki-67 proteins expression on survival in young women patients with invasive ductal carcinoma. Patients and methods: Samples and clinical data from 238 patients were collected between 2003 and 2017. They were selected according to 2 criteria: age ≤40 years old and most of them are affected by an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. We evaluated BCL2, P53 and ki-67 expression by immunochemistry test, and then we assessed correlations of these biomarkers expression with patient’s clinicopathological characteristics and survival. Results: Triple negative breast cancer group showed a high frequency among our cohort but we emphasize an almost equitable distribution among all molecular groups. Contrary to other studies which reported that luminal A was correlated with better prognosis, our analysis demonstrated that luminal A is correlated with the Scarff, Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grading 2 or SBR grading 3. To better investigate the prognosis, we analyze three biomarkers known by their impact on physiopathology behavior on breast cancer BCL2, ki-67and P53. BCL2 is the more relevant one, it was correlated with molecular subtypes (p=0.0012) and SBR grading (p=0.0016). BCL2 seems to be the good prognostic biomarker related to survival (p=0.004) with a protective role among patients when endocrine therapy is not provided and Lymph Node (LN) involvement is positive (p=0.021, p=0.000 respectively). Conclusions: The classical prognostic parameters based mainly on the molecular classification in breast cancer seem insufficient in the case of young women. BCL2 protein expression analysis provides a better prognostic value. BCL2 should be clinically associated in current practice when young women specimens are diagnosticated.

Invasive breast cancers in adolescent and young adult women show more aggressive immunohistochemical and clinical features than those in women aged 40-44 years

BACKGROUND

Limited knowledge exists concerning the clinicopathological features of breast cancers (BCs) occurring in adolescent and young adult (AYA) women. We evaluated tumor characteristics in AYA women in comparison with those in middle-aged premenopausal women.

METHODS

From consecutive AYA patients (< 35-year-old) with invasive BC in a single institute, 82 patients first treated with surgery were examined. As the control group, 82 tumors from middle-aged premenopausal patients (40-44 years) were selected by matching pathological T and N factors. We compared habitual factors, immunohistochemical parameters, and patient outcome between the two groups.

RESULTS

Most of the study population (148 of 164, 90.2%) were in the early clinical stages (stage I or II). In the AYA group, the number of childbirths was smaller (p < 0.0001), while the volume of alcohol consumption was larger (p < 0.0001), and palpable primary tumors were more frequent (p < 0.01) than in the control group. The positivities of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and androgen receptor were lower (p < 0.001, p = 0.03, and p < 0.001, respectively), and the triple-negative (TN) BCs rates were higher (p < 0.01) in the AYA group. Distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) curves were different in the whole population (p = 0.02) and in hormone receptor-positive cases (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that BCs occurring in AYA women had more aggressive features than those of the older premenopausal women in terms of a high proportion of TN subtypes and a lower DRFS.

Comparison of Molecular Subtypes of Carcinoma of the Breast in Two Different Age Groups: A Single Institution Experience

Background

Hormonal analysis and molecular subtyping are used as an important predictive and prognostic factors in women with carcinoma of the breast. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the hormonal (estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)) and human epidermal growth factor (HER2) status among women with carcinoma breast belonging to two different age groups and classify them in molecular subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, triple negative, and HER2).

Materials and Methods

This was an analytical cross-sectional study performed at a tertiary care center in Northern India. Breast carcinoma cases treated over a period of two years were stratified into two groups (≤ 40 years: younger group, n = 27 and > 40 years: older group, n = 33). Their hormonal (ER, PR) and HER2 status were studied using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and classified according to the molecular classification of the breast carcinoma.

Results

A total of 60 cases of breast carcinoma were treated for hormonal and HER2 status during our study period and were classified into four subtypes. In the younger group (n = 27), luminal A (n = 16, 59.2%) was the most common molecular subtype, followed by triple negative (n = 6, 22.2%), HER2 (n = 4, 14.8%), and luminal B (n = 1, 3.7%). Similarly, in the older group luminal A (n = 20, 60.6%) ranked first, followed by triple negative (n = 10, 30.3%), HER2 (n = 2, 6.0%), and luminal B (n = 1, 3.0%).

Conclusion

Carcinoma of the breast in young women shows variation in the prevalence of molecular subtypes in different regions of the world. The results of our study are in accordance with the Asian literature, showing no significant difference in molecular subtyping of carcinoma breast in younger versus older women. More molecular research is needed to clearly understand the pathophysiology associated with carcinoma of the breast in young women.

Gene expression profiling in prognosis of distant recurrence in HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer patients

There had been several studies using gene-expression profiling in predicting distant recurrence in breast cancer. In this study, we developed an 18-gene classifier (18-GC) to predict distant recurrence of breast cancer and compared it with the 21-gene panel (Oncotype DX^®, ODx) in performance. Included were 224 breast cancer patients with positive hormonal receptor (HR+) and negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-). We compared the demographic, clinical, and survival information of the patients, and further compared the prediction of recurrence risk obtained by using the 18-GC with that by ODx. To have the best combined sensitivity and specificity, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the cutoff values for several breakpoint scores. For the new 18-GC, a breakpoint score of 21 was adopted to produce a combined highest sensitivity (95%) and specificity (39%) in detecting distant recurrence. At this breakpoint score, 164 of the 224 patients were classified by the 18-GC in the same risk level as by ODx, giving a concordance rate of 73%. Along with patient age and tumor stage, this 18-GC was found to be an independent significant prognostic factor of distant metastasis of breast cancer. We have thus created a new gene panel assay for prediction of distant recurrence in HR+ and HER2- breast cancer patients. With a high concordance rate with ODx, this new assay may serve as a good tool for individual breast cancer patients to make an informed decision on whether adjuvant chemotherapy should be performed post-surgery.

Adiposity, Inflammation, and Breast Cancer Pathogenesis in Asian Women

Obesity is associated with white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation in the breast, elevated levels of the estrogen biosynthetic enzyme, aromatase, and systemic changes that predispose to breast cancer development. We examined whether WAT inflammation and its associated systemic effects correlate with body fat levels in an Asian population where body mass index (BMI) is not an accurate assessment of obesity and cancer risk. We also investigated whether biologic differences could account for the greater proportion of premenopausal estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer in Asian versus Western countries. Breast WAT and fasting blood were prospectively collected from Taiwanese women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer treatment. Body composition was measured in a subgroup using bioelectrical impedance analysis. WAT inflammation was defined by the presence of crown-like structures of the breast, which are composed of dead or dying adipocytes surrounded by macrophages. Findings were compared with U.S. Caucasian women. In the Taiwanese cohort (n = 72), breast WAT inflammation was present in 31 (43%) women and was associated with elevated BMI (P < 0.01) and increased levels of body fat (P < 0.01), C-reactive protein (P = 0.02), triglycerides (P < 0.01), insulin resistance scores (P = 0.04), and lower HDL cholesterol (P < 0.01). ER+ tumors were associated with greater body fat versus other subtypes (P = 0.03). Compared with U.S. Caucasians (n = 267), Taiwanese women had larger breast adipocytes despite lower BMI after adjusting for BMI and menopausal status (P = 0.01). A subclinical inflammatory state associated with increased adiposity and metabolic dysfunction could contribute to breast cancer pathogenesis in Asian women. Cancer Prev Res; 11(4); 227-36. ©2017 AACR.

Establishment of two basal-like breast cancer cell lines with extremely low tumorigenicity from Taiwanese premenopausal women

The research of carcinogenetic mechanisms of breast cancer in different ethnic backgrounds is an interesting field, as clinical features of breast cancers vary among races. High premenopausal incidence is distinctive in East-Asian breast cancer. However, human cell lines derived from Asian primary breast tumor are rare. To provide alternative cell line models with a relevant genetic background, we aimed to establish breast cancer cell lines from Taiwanese patients of Han-Chinese ethnicity. Fresh tissue from mammary tumors were digested into organoids, plated and grown in basal serum-free medium of human mammary epithelial cells (HuMEC) with supplements. Cells were further enriched by positive selection with CD326 (epithelial cell adhesion molecule; EpCAM)-coated micro-magnetic beads. Two breast cancer cell lines derived from premenopausal women were successfully established by this method, and named Chang-Gung Breast Cancer 01 (CGBC 01) and 02 (CGBC 02). These two cell lines had a similar phenotype with weak expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and without amplification of receptor tyrosine protein kinase erbB-2 (HER2/neu). Genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) array showed multiple copy number alterations in both cell lines. Based on gene expression profiles, CGBC 01 and 02 were clustered into basal-like subtype with reference to the breast cancer cell line gene expression database. The tumorigenicity of both cell lines was extremely low in both anchorage-independence assay and transplantation into the mammary fat pads of nude mice. CGBC 01 and CGBC 02 are low tumorigenic breast cancer cell lines, established from Han-Chinese premenopausal breast cancer patients, which serve as in vitro models in studying the biological features of Asian breast cancer.

Differential microRNA expression in breast cancer with different onset age

Purpose

The lower breast cancer incidence in Asian populations compared with Western populations has been speculated to be caused by environmental and genetic variation. Early-onset breast cancer occupies a considerable proportion of breast cancers in Asian populations, but the reason for this is unclear. We aimed to examine miRNA expression profiles in different age-onset groups and pathological subtypes in Asian breast cancer.

Methods

At the first stage, 10 samples (tumor: n = 6, normal tissue: n = 4) were analyzed with an Agilent microRNA 470 probe microarray. Candidate miRNAs with expression levels that were significantly altered in breast cancer samples or selected from a literature review were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) of 145 breast cancer samples at the second stage of the process. Correlations between clinicopathological parameters of breast cancer patients from different age groups and candidate miRNA expression were elucidated.

Results

In the present study, the tumor subtypes were significantly different in each age group, and an onset age below 40 had poor disease-free and overall survival rates. For all breast cancer patients, miR-335 and miR-145 were down-regulated, and miR-21, miR-200a, miR-200c, and miR-141 were up-regulated. In very young patients (age < 35 y/o), the expression of 3 and 8 specific miRNAs were up- and down-regulated, respectively. In young patients (36–40 y/o), 3 and 3 specific miRNAs were up- and down-regulated, respectively. miR-532-5p was up-regulated in triple-negative breast cancer.

Conclusions

Differential miRNA expressions between normal and tumor tissues were observed in different age groups and tumor subtypes. Evolutionarily conserved miRNA clusters, which initiate malignancy transformation, were up-regulated in the breast cancers of very young patients. None of the significantly altered miRNAs were observed in postmenopausal patients.

Comparison of annual percentage change in breast cancer incidence rate between Taiwan and the United States-A smoothed Lexis diagram approach

Recent studies compared the age effects and birth cohort effects on female invasive breast cancer (FIBC) incidence in Asian populations with those in the US white population. They were based on age-period-cohort model extrapolation and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in the age-standardized incidence rates (ASR). It is of interest to examine these results based on cohort-specific annual percentage change in rate (APCR) by age and without age-period-cohort model extrapolation. FIBC data (1991-2010) were obtained from the Taiwan Cancer Registry and the U.S. SEER 9 registries. APCR based on smoothed Lexis diagrams were constructed to study the age, period, and cohort effects on FIBC incidence. The patterns of age-specific rates by birth cohort are similar between Taiwan and the US. Given any age-at-diagnosis group, cohort-specific rates increased overtime in Taiwan but not in the US; cohort-specific APCR by age decreased with birth year in both Taiwan and the US but was always positive and large in Taiwan. Given a diagnosis year, APCR decreased as birth year increased in Taiwan but not in the US. In Taiwan, the proportion of APCR attributable to cohort effect was substantial and that due to case ascertainment was becoming smaller. Although our study shows that incidence rates of FIBC have increased rapidly in Taiwan, thereby confirming previous results, the rate of increase over time is slowing. Continued monitoring of APCR and further investigation of the cause of the APCR decrease in Taiwan are warranted.

Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes Defined by ER/PR and HER2 Status: Association with Clinicopathologic Parameters in Ivorian Patients

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that represents a major public health problem. The immunohistochemical determination of breast cancer subtypes with regard to estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) status can contribute to improved selection of therapy and patientcare. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the molecular breast cancer subtypes and to assess their associations with classical clinicopathologic parameters for better therapeutic decisions in women with breast cancer in the Ivory Coast.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Formalin- fixed and paraffin-embedded blocks of patients diagnosed with primary breast carcinoma were subjected to immunohistochemical assay for the assessment of ER/RP and HER2 expression. The one-way analysis of variance evaluated the difference between breast cancer subtypes and mean age of patients. The Chi-square Test was used to compare standard clinicopathologic prognostic parameters with tumor subtypes.

RESULTS

Among 302 patients, 57% were premenopausal and 43% were postmenopausal. The invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified (IDC NOS) (82.8%) was the most frequent histological type, and the tumor grade 2 (56%) was predominant followed by grade 3 (20.9%). The proportion of positivity of ER, PR, and HER2 was 56%, 49%, and 15.6%, respectively. Half of patients of this study (51.6%) had luminal A breast tumor type followed by TN (32.1%). Other subtypes were luminal B (10.1% ) and non-luminal HER2+ (6.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study are in line with the literature and should assist in management of breast cancer in our country.

First report on molecular breast cancer subtypes and their clinico-pathological characteristics in Eastern Morocco: series of 2260 cases

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women in Eastern Morocco. In this paper, we provide the first report on molecular breast cancer subtypes in this region. This is the largest population-based study on breast cancer among Moroccan women.

METHODS

We analyzed 2260 breast cancer cases diagnosed at the Hassan II Regional Oncology Center between October 2005 and December 2012. Clinico-pathological and therapeutic features were studied. Molecular subtypes were determined and their associations with the clinico-pathological characteristics of the tumors were examined.

RESULTS

The mean age at diagnosis was 48.7 years ±11.4. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the predominant histological type (77.1%), followed by lobular invasive carcinoma (15.3%). The mean size of breast tumors was 3.5 cm ± 1.96, and 84% of our patients are diagnosed with tumors of more than 2 cm. Histological grade II tumors were the most frequent (70.4%), followed by advanced histological grade (18%). Lymph node positive tumors were observed in 64.8% of cases and 29.3% of patients had distant metastasis. Most tumors were hormone receptor-positive (73%) and 28.6% were HER2 positive. 86.1% of patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer were given hormone therapy, while 68.9% of patients with HER2+ breast cancer received targeted therapy with Herceptin. Luminal A was the commonest molecular subtype, followed by Luminal B, Triple Negative and HER2. The highest prevalence of premenopausal patients was observed in Triple Negative subtype (72.2%), followed by HER2 (64.1%), Luminal B (62.2%), and Luminal A (55.1%). Luminal B subtype had a poorer prognosis than Luminal A. Compared with Triple Negative, HER2 subtype tend to spread more aggressively and is associated with poorer prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike Western countries, breast cancer occurs at an earlier age and is diagnosed at a more advanced stage in Eastern Morocco. In this region, hormone receptor-positive tumors are predominant and so the majority of breast cancer patients should benefit from hormone therapy. HER2 subtype presents an aggressive tendency, suggesting the importance of anti-HER2 therapy. This study will contribute in developing appropriate screening and cancer management strategies in Eastern Morocco.

High mammographic breast density predicts locoregional recurrence after modified radical mastectomy for invasive breast cancer: a case-control study

Background

We aimed to evaluate the influence of mammographic breast density at diagnosis on the risk of cancer recurrence and survival outcomes in patients with invasive breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy.

Methods

This case-control study included 121 case-control pairs of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2004 and 2009, and who had undergone modified radical mastectomy and had mammographic breast density measured before or at diagnosis. Women with known locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis were matched by pathological disease stage, age, and year of diagnosis to women without recurrence. Locoregional recurrence was defined as recurrence in the ipsilateral chest wall, or axillary, internal mammary, or supraclavicular nodes. The median follow-up duration was 84.0 months for case patients and 92.9 months for control patients.

Results

Patients with heterogeneously dense (50–75% density) and extremely dense (>75% density) breasts had an increased risk of locoregional recurrence (hazard ratios 3.1 and 5.7, 95% confidence intervals 1.1–9.8 and 1.2–34.9, p = 0.043 and 0.048, respectively) than did women with less dense breasts. Positive margins after surgery also increased the risk of locoregional recurrence (hazard ratio 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3–8.3, p = 0.010). Multivariate analysis that included dense breasts (>50% density), positive margin, no adjuvant radiotherapy, and no adjuvant chemotherapy revealed that dense breasts were significant factors for predicting locoregional recurrence risk (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2–11.1, p = 0.025).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that dense breast tissue (>50% density) increased the risk of locoregional recurrence after modified radical mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer. Additional prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Trial registration

The study is retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02771665, on May 11, 2016.

Breast cancer in women aging 35 years old and younger: The Egyptian National Cancer Institute (NCI) experience

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to identify the epidemiological and clinicopathological features associated with young breast cancer (BC) patients and to discuss factors affecting tumor recurrence and DFS.

PATIENTS & METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted based on medical records from young females patients aged ≤35 years with pathologically confirmed primary breast cancer treated during 2008-2010 at NCI. Cases with non invasive cancer and non carcinoma histology are excluded.

RESULTS

Of the 5408 cases diagnosed with breast cancer, 554 were young. Four hundred & fifty eight patients representing 9.2% were within our inclusion criteria. Almost half of the patients (45.9%) presented with stage III. Axillary nodes involvement was in 63.9%, 83.3% were grade 2. More than one quarter of tumors was hormone receptors negative (28.8%) & Her2 was over-expressed in 30%. Mastectomy was offered in 72% while conservative breast surgery in 26%, 69.2% received chemotherapy either adjuvant, neoadjuvant or both, 82.5% received adjuvant radiotherapy, 68.6% received hormonal therapy. Metastatic disease developed in 51.3%, with 31% having more than one site of metastases. After a median follow up period of 66 months, the median DFS of patients was 60 months. The median DFS was significantly shorter among patients with positive lymph nodes (P < 0.0001), ER negative disease (P = 0.045) and stage III disease (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer in young women is aggressive from the time of diagnosis. Our results provide baseline data of young BC in the Middle East & North Africa region; thus, contributing to future epidemiological and hospital-based researches.

Correlation between cyclin D1 expression and standard clinicopathological variables in invasive breast cancer in Eastern India

Introduction:

Breast cancer is the leading oncogenic threat in South-East Asian women showing an inexplicable biological aggressiveness. High expression of cyclin D1, a key molecule in breast cancer pathogenesis, has been shown by previous studies in the Western world to be associated with favorable tumoral characteristics. Apart from determining the correlation between cyclin D1 expression and standard clinicopathological variables in invasive breast cancer in Eastern India, questions that we aimed to answer through this study included: Is there a significant regional difference in expression patterns of this protein? And if yes, can it possibly account for the epidemiological differences in breast cancer occurrence and biological behavior? Finally, is testing for overexpression of this protein in regions with limited resources beneficial?

Materials and Methods:

The present study was carried out on 110 previously untreated, female patients with primary breast carcinoma. Cyclin D1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry using specific anti-cyclin D1 monoclonal antibodies.

Results:

Overexpression of cyclin Dl was found in 78 of 110 cases (70.9%). High expression of cyclin D1 showed a significant negative correlation with tumor size (P = 0.023) and tumor grade (P = 0.045). Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positive cases showed a significantly positive correlation with cyclin D1 overexpression (P = 0.026 and 0.046, respectively). Interestingly, cyclin D1 positivity showed a strong correlation with the type of surgical procedure performed (P = 0.002).

Conclusion:

Cyclin D1 overexpression in breast cancer is associated with less aggressive tumoral characteristics. Furthermore, its potential epidemiological role and utility as a prognostic marker have been discussed.

TP53 Mutational Analysis Enhances the Prognostic Accuracy of IHC4 and PAM50 Assays

IHC4 and PAM50 assays have been shown to provide additional prognostic information for patients with early breast cancer. We evaluated whether incorporating TP53 mutation analysis can further enhance their prognostic accuracy. We examined TP53 mutation and the IHC4 score in tumors of 605 patients diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer at National Taiwan University Hospital (the NTUH cohort). We obtained information regarding TP53 mutation and PAM50 subtypes in 699 tumors from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) cohort. We found that TP53 mutation was significantly associated with high-risk IHC4 group and with luminal B, HER2-enriched, and basal-like subtypes. Despite the strong associations, TP53 mutation independently predicted shorter relapse-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.63, P = 0.007) in the NTUH cohort and shorter breast cancer-specific survival (HR = 2.35, P = <0.001) in the METABRIC cohort. TP53 mutational analysis added significant prognostic information in addition to the IHC4 score (∆ LR-χ(2) = 8.61, P = 0.002) in the NTUH cohort and the PAM50 subtypes (∆ LR-χ(2) = 18.9, P = <0.001) in the METABRIC cohort. We conclude that incorporating TP53 mutation analysis can enhance the prognostic accuracy of the IHC4 and PAM50 assays.