Triple negativity and young age as prognostic factors in lymph node-negative invasive ductal carcinoma of 1 cm or less

Meta-analysis on axillary lymph node metastasis rate in ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion

OBJECTIVE

To address the question of axillary lymph node staging in ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion (DCIS-MI), we retrospectively evaluated axillary lymph nodes metastasis (ALNM) rate in a cohort of postsurgical DCIS-MI patients. By analyzing these data, we aimed to generate clinically relevant insights to inform treatment decision-making for this patient population.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Database, Wipe, and China Biomedical Literature Database to identify relevant publications in any language. All the analyses were performed using Stata 16.0 software.

RESULTS

Among the 28 studies involving 8279 patients, the pooled analysis revealed an ALNM rate of 8% (95% CI, 7% to 10%) in patients with DCIS-MI. Furthermore, the rates of axillary lymph node macrometastasis, micrometastasis, and ITC in patients with DCIS-MI were 2% (95% CI, 2% to 3%), 3% (95% CI, 2% to 4%), and 2% (95% CI, 1% to 3%), respectively. Moreover, 13 studies investigated the non-sentinel lymph node (Non-SLN) metastasis rate, encompassing a total of 1236 DCIS-MI cases. The pooled analysis identified a Non-SLN metastasis rate of 33% (95% CI, 14% to 55%) in patients with DCIS-MI.

CONCLUSION

The SLNB for patients with DCIS-MI is justifiable and could provide a novel therapeutic basis for systemic treatment decisions.

Long-term outcomes and effects of hypofractionated radiotherapy in microinvasive breast cancer: Analysis from a randomized trial

PURPOSE

The natural history of microinvasive (T1mi) breast cancer is uncertain. The objective was to evaluate long-term local and distant recurrence rates following breast conserving surgery (BCS) in a prospective cohort of patients with T1mi compared to T1a-2 disease who received whole breast irradiation (WBI) in the context of a randomized trial of hypofractionation.

METHODS

1234 patients with T1-2 N0 breast cancer were randomized to receive adjuvant WBI of 42.5Gy in 16 daily fractions, or 50Gy in 25 daily fractions after BCS. An analysis of patients with T1mi tumors compared with T1a-2 disease was performed. Kaplan-Meier estimates of local recurrence (LR), distant recurrence, and overall survival (OS) were compared using the log-rank test.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 12 years. T1mi was found in 3% (n = 38) of patients. The 10-year LR rate was 22.6% in T1mi vs. 6.9% in T1a-2 breast cancer [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.73; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.93, 7.19; p < 0.001]. The 10-year risk of distant recurrence was 5.1% for T1mi, and 12.1% for T1a-2 disease (HR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.19, 1.84; p = 0.36). Ten-year OS was 91.5% in T1mi and 84.4% in T1a-2 disease, (HR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.18, 1.30; p = 0.14). Rates of LR did not differ whether treated by hypofractionation or conventional fractionation (HR = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.35, 4.18; p = 0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of LR was considerably higher in patients with T1mi compared to T1a-2 tumors, but OS remained very good. Future research should evaluate the utility of wider local excision and boost radiation to optimize local control for microinvasive breast cancer.

Adjuvant treatment with trastuzumab of patients with HER2-positive, T1a-bN0M0 breast tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The benefit of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment in patients with HER2-positive breast tumors ≤ 10 mm without lymph node involvement (T1abN0) is insufficiently investigated. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine if adjuvant trastuzumab improves the prognosis in these patients. Databases were searched to identify interventional and observational studies evaluating the effect of trastuzumab on breast cancer specific survival (BCSS), disease free survival (DFS), distant recurrence free survival (DRFS), overall survival (OS) or recurrence free survival (RFS). Twelve studies examining the effect of trastuzumab and nine control studies without trastuzumab were identified (n = 6927). Median follow-up was 36-123 months. Significantly improved DFS (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.14, p < 0.0001) and OS (HR 0.17, p = 0.011) were found for patients receiving trastuzumab and chemotherapy compared to no trastuzumab/chemotherapy based on four and two studies. The prognosis was good even for patients without trastuzumab treatment: 5-year DFS 88.3% and 5-year OS 95.9%.

Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with ER-negative/HER2-negative, T1abN0 breast cancer: a nationwide study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chemotherapy on invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and overall survival (OS) in a nationwide cohort of patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, T1abN0 breast cancer.

METHODS

Patients with ER-negative/HER2-negative, T1abN0 breast cancer registered in the Danish Breast Cancer Group database between 2007 and 2016 were identified. The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on iDFS and OS was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 296 patients were included in the statistical analyses. Of these, 235 (79.4%) received chemotherapy and 61 patients (20.6%) did not. Patients treated with chemotherapy were significantly younger, had a significantly higher proportion of grade 3 tumors, T1b tumors, and tumors of ductal subtype. With 7.7 years of median follow-up, treatment with chemotherapy was associated with a significant improvement in OS in the adjusted analysis, Hazard Ratio 0.35 (95% Confidence Interval (0.15-0.81), p = 0.02), chemotherapy vs. no chemotherapy. In the unadjusted analyses, patients with both T1a and T1b tumors had significantly improved OS with chemotherapy. At 5 years, OS was 100% vs. 94.4% and 93.8% vs. 81.3% for patients with T1a and T1b tumors, respectively, chemotherapy vs. no chemotherapy. With 4.9 years of median follow-up, iDFS was not significantly improved with chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Patients with ER-negative/HER2-negative, T1abN0 breast cancer had significantly improved OS when treated with chemotherapy. This improvement was significant in patients with both T1a and T1b tumors, respectively. The effect was, however, limited in patients with T1a tumors.

Correlation of tumour subtype with long-term outcome in small breast carcinomas: a Swedish population-based retrospective cohort study

Purpose

To investigate if molecular subtype is associated with outcome in stage 1 breast cancer (BC).

Methods

Tissue samples from 445 women with node-negative BC ≤ 15 mm, treated in 1986–2004, were classified into surrogate molecular subtypes [Luminal A-like, Luminal B-like (HER2−), HER2-positive, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)]. Information on treatment, recurrences, and survival were gathered from medical records.

Results

Tumour subtype was not associated with overall survival (OS). Luminal B-like (HER2−) and TNBC were associated with higher incidence of distant metastasis at 20 years (Hazard ratio (HR) 2.26; 95% CI 1.08–4.75 and HR 3.24; 95% CI 1.17–9.00, respectively). Luminal B-like (HER2−) and TNBC patients also had worse breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), although not statistically significant (HR 1.53; 95% CI 0.70–3.33 and HR 1.89; 95% CI 0.60–5.93, respectively). HER2-positive BC was not associated with poor outcome despite no patient receiving HER2-targeted therapy, with most of these tumours being ER+.

Conclusions

Stage 1 TNBC or Luminal B-like (HER2−) tumours behave more aggressively. Women with HER2+/ER+ tumours do not have an increased risk of distant metastasis or death, absent targeted treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10549-022-06691-4.

Microinvasive breast cancer and the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy

Whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) should be performed in patients with microinvasive breast cancer (MIBC) has been a matter of debate over the last decade. MIBC has a favorable prognosis and while metastasis to the axilla is rare, it can impact treatment recommendations. In this study we evaluated clinical and histological features in both MIBC and background DCIS including ER, PR, and HER-2, number of foci of MIBC, the extent of the DCIS, nuclear grade, presence of comedo necrosis, as well as surgical procedures, adjuvant treatment and follow up to identify variables which predict disease free survival (DFS), as well as the factors which influence clinical decision making. Our study included 72 MIBC patients with a mean patient follow-up time of 55 months. Three patients with MIBC had recurrence, and two deceased, leaving five patients in total with poor long-term outcomes and a DFS rate of 93.1%. Performing mastectomy, high nuclear grade, and negativity for ER and HER-2 were found to be associated with the use of SLNB, although none of these variables were found to be associated with DFS. One positive lymph node case was discovered following SLNB in our study. This suggests the use of SLNB may provide diagnostic information to some patients, although these are the anomalies. When comparing patients who had undergone SLNB to those which had not there was no difference in DFS. Certainly, the use of SLNB in MIBC is quite the conundrum. It is important to acknowledge that surgical complications have been reported, and traditional metrics used for risk assessment in invasive breast cancer may not hold true in the setting of microinvasion.

A Novel Risk-Scoring System to Identify the Potential Population Benefiting From Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-Negative TNBC Patients With Tumor Size Less Than 1 cm

Background and Objectives

Whether chemotherapy is needed in node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with tumor size less than 1 cm is still controversial. In our research, we constructed a novel risk-scoring system to identify the potential TNBC patients benefiting from adjuvant chemotherapy in T1miN0M0, T1aN0M0, and T1bN0M0 stages.

Methods

Relevant data were extracted from the SEER database. We applied Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox hazards model for survival analysis and developed a nomogram of overall survival. The X-tile software was used for risk stratification. The information of TNBC patients treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University was used for the application of the model.

Results

A total of 4266 patients who met the criteria of our study were included. T stage, age, race, surgery, and radiotherapy state were used to create the nomogram of overall survival. According to the total risk score, the patients were divided into high-risk (score g 73), median-risk (38 ≤ score &lt; 73), and low-risk (score &lt;38) groups. Chemotherapy can prolong the overall survival of patients in the median-risk and high-risk groups, while patients in the low-risk group can be exempted from chemotherapy. In addition, we also used the risk-scoring system in real-world patients as application and verification.

Conclusion

We constructed a novel risk-scoring system that can be used as a chemotherapy decision-making tool for node-negative TNBC patients with tumor size less than 1 cm. Tumor size should not be the only criterion for chemotherapy treatment decision-making.

A Novel Seven Gene Signature-Based Prognostic Model to Predict Distant Metastasis of Lymph Node-Negative Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Background

The prognosis of lymph node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still worse than that of other subtypes despite adjuvant chemotherapy. Reliable prognostic biomarkers are required to identify lymph node-negative TNBC patients at a high risk of distant metastasis and optimize individual treatment.

Methods

We analyzed the RNA sequencing data of primary tumor tissue and the clinicopathological data of 202 lymph node-negative TNBC patients. The cohort was randomly divided into training and validation sets. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression were used to construct the prognostic model.

Results

A clinical prognostic model, seven-gene signature, and combined model were constructed using the training set and validated using the validation set. The seven-gene signature was established based on the genomic variables associated with distant metastasis after shrinkage correction. The difference in the risk of distant metastasis between the low- and high-risk groups was statistically significant using the seven-gene signature (training set: P < 0.001; validation set: P = 0.039). The combined model showed significance in the training set (P < 0.001) and trended toward significance in the validation set (P = 0.071). The seven-gene signature showed improved prognostic accuracy relative to the clinical signature in the training data (AUC value of 4-year ROC, 0.879 vs. 0.699, P = 0.046). Moreover, the composite clinical and gene signature also showed improved prognostic accuracy relative to the clinical signature (AUC value of 4-year ROC: 0.888 vs. 0.699, P = 0.029; AUC value of 5-year ROC: 0.882 vs. 0.693, P = 0.038). A nomogram model was constructed with the seven-gene signature, patient age, and tumor size.

Conclusions

The proposed signature may improve the risk stratification of lymph node-negative TNBC patients. High-risk lymph node-negative TNBC patients may benefit from treatment escalation.

De-escalation of Systemic Therapy for Early-Stage, Node-Negative Her2+ and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Purpose of Review

This review summarizes the most recent data on the management of small, node-negative Her2+ and triple-negative breast cancer.

Recent Findings

Both Her2+ and triple-negative breast cancers are characterized by high rates of recurrence and worse survival outcomes compared to hormone-positive cancers. De-escalation of systemic therapy in early-stage breast cancer is a recent national trend in clinical research. Recent prospective trials support the scaling back of cytotoxic agents and maximization of targeted therapy regimens. Similarly, large retrospective studies on small, node-negative triple-negative breast cancer report the omission of chemotherapy in women with T1a,N0 triple-negative cancers with favorable short term outcomes.

Summary

De-escalation of systemic therapy for Her2+ breast cancer is effective in the management of early-stage, node-negative disease. Future prospective studies on the omission of systemic therapy for triple-negative breast cancer are required to safely adopt into consensus guidelines.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for small, lymph node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer: A single-center study and a meta-analysis of the published literature

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with small, lymph node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) measuring >5 mm (T1b disease), but clinical evidence to support this recommendation is lacking. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with T1N0M0 (measuring ≤2 cm) TNBC with different tumor sizes.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients with pT1N0M0 TNBC who were diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center. For the meta-analysis, electronic medical databases were searched for all relevant studies regarding the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the target population.

RESULTS

Of the 351 enrolled patients, 309 (88%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 42 patients (12%) did not. The distribution by T classification was T1a in 19 patients (5.4%), T1b in 67 patients (19.1%), and T1c in 265 patients (75.5%). Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the patients with T1c disease, but not those with T1b and T1a disease. Meanwhile, there was no difference in RFS noted according to the chemotherapy regimen among patients with T1c disease. Seven eligible studies comprising 1525 patients with T1N0M0 (941 with T1a/bN0M0) were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrated that adjuvant chemotherapy significantly reduced the rate of disease recurrence for patients with T1a/b disease as a group, but the population driving that was only patients with T1b disease, not those with T1a disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the retrospective analysis demonstrated a survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy only for patients with T1cN0 TNBC, the meta-analysis showed it also is beneficial for individuals with T1bN0 TNBC. For patients with T1cN0M0 TNBC, less intensive chemotherapy regimens achieve an excellent survival outcome similar to that of intensive anthracycline and taxane combination chemotherapy.

Characteristics and clinical outcome of pT1a-b node-negative breast cancer

OBJECTIVE:

Tumor size, along with other clinicopathological characteristics, has a prognostic role in breast cancer. Recurrence risk tends to rise as tumor size increases. Early T-stage portends a good prognosis. We aimed to investigate the recurrence-free interval rates of T1abN0 group of early breast cancer.

METHODS:

Patients diagnosed with pT1a and T1b, lymph node metastasis-negative breast cancer were included in the study. Clinicopathologic characteristics including recurrence, distant metastasis, and final status of the patients were obtained retrospectively from the patient files.

RESULTS:

A total of 84 patients included. Twenty-six patients (31%) had T1a and 58 patients (69%) had T1b tumors. The 5-year distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) rate of T1ab tumors was 95.2%. The DRFS rate of T1a tumors was 96.2%, while the rate of T1b tumors was 94.8% (p=0.555). The 5-year RFS rate of T1ab tumors was 90.5%. The RFS rate of T1a tumors was 84.6%, whereas the rate of T1b tumors was 93.1% (p=0.359). The 5-year DRFS rate of hormone receptor positive group was 97%, Her-2 positive group was 81.8%, and triple negative group was 100% (p=0.041). The 5-year RFS rate of the hormone receptor positive group was 97%, Her-2 positive group was 72.7%, and triple negative group was 57.1% (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION:

The results of the study provided that both T1a and T1b tumors have a good and similar prognosis.

Molecular Subtype May Be More Associated With Prognosis and Chemotherapy Benefit Than Tumor Size in T1N0 Breast Cancer Patients: An Analysis of 2,168 Patients for Possible De-Escalation Treatment

Purpose

Breast cancer (BC) patients with T1N0 tumors have relatively favorable clinical outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether molecular subtypes can aide in prognostic prediction for such small, nodal-negative BC cases and guide decision-making about escalating or de-escalating treatments.

Patients and Methods

T1N0 BC patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2017 were included and classified into three subgroups according to receptor status: 1) hormonal receptor (HR)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)−; 2) HER2+; and 3) triple negative (TN) (HR−/HER2−). Patients’ characteristics and relapse events were reviewed. Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to assess the iDFS and BCSS. The effects of risk factors and adjuvant treatment benefits were evaluated by calculating hazard ratios (HRs) for invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) with Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

In total, 2,168 patients (1,435 HR+/HER2−, 427 HER2+, 306 TN) were enrolled. The 5-year iDFS rates were 93.6, 92.7, and 90.6% for HR+/HER2−, HER2+, and TN patients, respectively (P = 0.039). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that molecular subtype (P = 0.043), but not tumor size (P = 0.805), was independently associated with iDFS in T1N0 BC. TN patients [HRs = 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11–2.84, P = 0.018] had a higher recurrence risk than HR+/HER2− patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy benefit was not demonstrated in all T1N0 patients but interacted with molecular subtype status. TN (adjusted HRs = 2.31, 95% CI = 0.68–7.54) and HER2+ (adjusted HRs = 2.26, 95% CI = 0.95–5.63) patients receiving chemotherapy had superior iDFS rates. Regarding BCSS, molecular subtype tended to be related to outcome (P = 0.053) and associated with chemotherapy benefit (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Molecular subtype was more associated with disease outcome and chemotherapy benefit than tumor size in T1N0 BC patients, indicating that it may guide possible clinical de-escalating therapy in T1N0 BC.

The Survival Outcomes of T1aN0M0 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer With Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype with distinct heterogeneity, high invasiveness, and poorer prognosis. There is a controversy about adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) at the T1aN0M0 stage. This study was carried out to assess the survival benefit of ACT for these patients.

Methods: We identified 1,099 patients with T1aN0M0 TNBC who were diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine factors related to survival. One-to-one (1:1) propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to construct a matched sample consisting of pairs of ACT and non-ACT subjects. Breast cancer–specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) of the two groups were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier plots and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Stratified analysis according to different variables was also performed.

Results: No obvious differences in demographic or clinical characteristics were found between patients who had ACT and those without ACT therapy in terms of race, marital status, laterality, or radiation therapy. A higher proportion of patients who were older, had a higher histological grade tumor, and who received breast-conserving surgery had adjuvant chemotherapy. The ACT group did not exhibit better survival in BCSS or OS before PSM. After PSM, the ACT and non-ACT groups consisted of 255 patients, respectively, and Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate analysis both indicate that adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with better survival in terms of BCSS or OS. Furthermore, we did not observe any survival advantage in any subgroup irrespective of age, race, marital status, histological grade, surgery type, or radiotherapy status.

Conclusions: The study results indicate that there is no strong association between ACT and better survival in T1aN0M0 TNBC. It implies that the chemotherapy decision should be made cautiously and further research into therapeutic strategies are needed in T1aN0M0 TNBC patients.

Effect of younger age on survival outcomes in T1N0M0 breast cancer: A propensity score matching analysis

PURPOSE

We evaluated the effect of younger age on recurrence risk in Chinese women diagnosed with T1N0M0 breast cancer (BC), using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

METHODS

We included 365 women who were diagnosed with T1N0M0 BC between 2003 and 2016, and who received surgery at our center. They were classified as younger (≤40 years) and older (>40 years). We used PSM to balance clinicopathologic characteristics between the two age groups. Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, before and after PSM.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up period of 79 months, 54 patients developed recurrences. Before PSM, younger patients had worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) than older patients. Significantly worse RFS was seen in younger patients with HER2⁺ BC compared with their older counterparts. Younger patients had higher rates of locoregional recurrence rather than metastasis, especially in the first 5 years after diagnosis. After PSM, the two age groups still significantly differed in 5-year RFS.

CONCLUSION

Among PSM pairs with T1N0M0 BC, with equal baselines and treatment conditions, we found that patients who presented at younger ages had worse outcomes, independently of other pathological features. Younger patients with BC may require more individualized therapy to improve their prognosis.

Inverse correlation between Ki67 expression as a continuous variable and outcomes in luminal HER2-negative breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

Few studies to date have investigated the prognostic significance of Ki67 expression as a continuous variable in breast cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Ki67 expression as a dichotomous or continuous variable on outcomes in estrogen receptor (ER)+ and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)- breast cancer.

METHODS

Survival analysis was performed to estimate the likelihood of distant recurrence and death in retrospective data from 794 patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer. We assessed the relationship between outcomes and two Ki67 cutoffs, 14% and 20%, and the Ki67 labeling index as a continuous variable.

RESULTS

In univariate analysis, T stage, lymph node involvement, histological grade, progesterone receptor status, and Ki67 expression at the two cutoffs and as a continuous variable were identified as significant prognostic factors for distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and overall survival (OS). There were no statistical differences in DDFS and OS between women with Ki67 expression of <14% and 14-<20%. Multivariate analysis showed that Ki67 expression ≥20% was an independent prognostic indicator for DDFS. Regarding the risk of distant metastasis, the 20% cutoff was more reliable than 14%. We also found that Ki67 expression as a continuous variable was an independent prognostic factor for DDFS and OS in multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

High Ki67 expression is associated with a survival disadvantage in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer, indicating that these patients might have a higher risk of recurrence after primary treatment and might therefore benefit from individualized treatment.

The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in Korean patients with node negative T1c, triple negative breast cancer

Background

The present study investigated the prognostic role of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in patients with node negative, T1c triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) from a nationwide cohort. In addition, the prognostic effect between 3 different chemotherapy regimens were compared in node-negative T1c TNBC patients by subgroup analysis.

Methods

From the Korean breast cancer registry database, 1,151 T1c node negative TNBC patients were included in this study. Patients were categorized into four treatment groups according to chemotherapy regimen: (1) no chemotherapy, (2) adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide (AC), (3) adriamycin/epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide plus 5-FU (FAC/FEC), and (4) cyclophosphamide plus 5-FU plus methotrexate (CMF). Overall survival (OS) was evaluated between each patient group.

Results

Of the 1,151 T1c node negative TNBC patients, 1,006 received adjuvant chemotherapy, while 145 received no chemotherapy. Among the patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy the distribution of regimens was: 586 AC, 168 FAC/FEC (126 FAC, 42 FEC), and 252 CMF. The mean follow-up time of the full study cohort was 87.98 ± 33.56 months (range = 6–192 months). Patients in the no chemotherapy group showed significantly worse OS compared to each chemotherapy regimen group. However, when OS was compared between each chemotherapy regimen, no significant difference was found.

Conclusions

This study showed that adjuvant systemic chemotherapy improved OS in T1c node negative TNBC patients, regardless of chemotherapy between AC, FAC/FEC, and CMF regimens.

Impact of microinvasion on breast cancer mortality in women with ductal carcinoma in situ

BACKGROUND

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a neoplastic proliferation of epithelial cells which is confined within the basement membrane of the mammary ductal-lobular system. It is of interest to determine to what extent the potential to metastasize increases for DCIS patients when the basement membrane is breached (i.e. microinvasion is present).

METHODS

We retrieved the records of 525,395 women who had either first primary DCIS or small (≤ 2.0 cm) node-negative invasive breast cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries database (1990-2013). For each patient, we extracted information on year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, tumour size, tumour grade, oestrogen receptor status, use of radiotherapy, type of surgery, cause of death and follow-up time. We classified patients into four groups, according to the size of the invasive component of the primary tumour. We estimated the actuarial rate of breast cancer-specific mortality at ten and 20 years for women in each size category.

RESULTS

We identified 161,394 women with pure DCIS, 13,489 women with microinvasive carcinoma (≤ 0.1 cm of invasion), 153,856 women with invasive cancer 0.2-1.0 cm in size and 196,656 women with invasive cancer 1.1-2.0 cm in size. The 20-year actuarial breast cancer-specific mortality rate was 3.8% for women with pure DCIS, was 6.9% for women with microinvasive carcinoma, was 6.8% for women with invasive cancer 0.2-1.0 cm in size and was 12.1% for women with invasive cancer 1.1-2.0 cm in size. The adjusted hazard ratio for death associated with microinvasive carcinoma (vs. pure DCIS) was 2.00 (95% CI 1.76-2.26; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In terms of prognosis, microinvasive cancer more closely resembles small invasive cancer 0.2-1.0 cm) than pure DCIS. For invasive cancers under 1.0 cm, size has little impact on mortality.

Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast - Long term results from a twenty-year cohort

INTRODUCTION

Long-term survival is excellent in ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS); whether or not we are over-treating DCIS has been a major public concern. This study aims at reviewing the long-term survival outcome of DCIS and identifying adverse prognosticators for DCIS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients treated for DCIS between 1st January 1997 and 31st December 2016 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the adverse factors for surgical margin involvement and local recurrence RESULTS: 3042 female patients were treated for breast cancer over the 20-year study period, of which 203 (6.7%) had DCIS in final pathology. The median age of diagnosis was 53 year-old (Range 30-85). 57 (28.1%) were detected by screening mammogram, 101 had breast mass on presentation. 132 (65%) patients received mastectomy and the remaining received breast conserving surgery (BCS); Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 86 (42.4%) patients. 19 (9.4%) patients had positive resection margin, 18 were re-operated for clear resection margin. Multivariate analysis found that high grade DCIS is the only independent risk factors for margin involvement (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.02-6.42). After median follow-up of 106 months (6-223 months), the overall survival was 97%. 4 (2%) patients developed local recurrence. Multivariate analysis found that positive surgical margin is the only independent factor of local recurrence (HR 9.58, 95% CI 1.43-64.18).

CONCLUSION

High grade DCIS is associated with increased risk of surgical margin involvement which is in turn an independent factor of local recurrence.

Adjuvant chemotherapy in pT1ab node-negative triple-negative breast carcinomas: Results of a national multi-institutional retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are considered as associated with poor outcome, but prognosis of subcentimetric, node-negative disease remains controversial and evidence that adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) is effective in these small tumours remains limited.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our objective was to investigate the impact of CT on survival in pT1abN0M0 TNBC. Patients were retrospectively identified from a cohort of 22,475 patients who underwent primary surgery in 15 French centres between 1987 and 2013. As rare pathological types may display very particular prognoses in these tumours, we retained only the invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type according to the last World Health Organisation (WHO) classification which is the most common TNBC histological type. End-points were disease-free survival (DFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS). A propensity score for receiving CT was estimated using a logistic regression including age, tumour size, Scarff Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grade and lymphovascular invasion.

RESULTS

Of a total of 284 patients with pT1abN0M0 ductal TNBC, 144 (51%) received CT and 140 (49%) did not. Patients receiving CT had more adverse prognostic features, such as tumour size, high grade, young age, and lymphovascular invasion. CT was not associated with a significant benefit for DFS (Hazard ratio, HR = 0.77 [0.40-1.46]; p = 0.419, log-rank test) or MFS (HR = 1.00 [0.46-2.19]; p = 0.997), with 5-year DFS and MFS in the group with CT versus without of 90% [81-94%] versus 84% [74-90%], and 90% [81-95%] versus 90% [83%-95%], respectively. Results were consistent in all supportive analyses including multivariate Cox model and the use of the propensity score for adjustment and as a matching factor for case-control analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study did not identify a significant DFS or MFS advantage for CT in subcentimetric, node-negative ductal TNBC. Although current consensus guidelines recommend consideration of CT in all TNBC larger than 5 mm, clinicians should carefully discuss benefit/risk ratio with patients, given the unproven benefits.

Incidence, characteristics, and management of recently diagnosed, microscopically invasive breast cancer by receptor status: Iowa SEER 2000 to 2013

BACKGROUND

Recent incidence, treatment patterns, and outcomes for node negative microscopically invasive breast cancer (MIBC) have not been reported.

METHODS

State Health Registry of Iowa data identified women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), MIBC, and stage I breast cancer excluding MIBC (stage 1BC).

RESULTS

From 2000 to 2013, 1,706, 193, and 4,514 women were diagnosed with DCIS, MIBC, and stage 1BC, respectively. MIBC increased at an annual percentage change of 2.1 (P = .041). MIBC was more frequently human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive than stage 1BC (39.7% vs 9.6%, P < .001). Mastectomy was performed more frequently in MIBC than DCIS (40.9% vs 30.6%, P = .014) or stage 1BC (40.9% vs 33.8%, P = .119). Chemotherapy was given to 4.1% of women with MIBC. Survival for women with MIBC was intermediate between DCIS and stage 1BC.

CONCLUSIONS

Management of MIBC is an increasingly frequent clinical scenario. Women with MIBC receive more aggressive local and systemic therapy than women with DCIS.

The Demographic Features, Clinicopathological Characteristics and Cancer-specific Outcomes for Patients with Microinvasive Breast Cancer: A SEER Database Analysis

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of microinvasive breast cancer, we conducted an observational study of female diagnosed with DCIS or DCIS with microinvasion (DCISM) from 1990 to 2012 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. There were 87695 DCIS and 8863 DCISM identified. In DCISM group, patients appeared to be younger and more black patients were identified in comparison with DCIS group. Furthermore, DCISM was associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics like higher rates of oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) negativity, HER2 positivity, and lymph node metastasis. With a median follow-up of 91 months, patients with DCISM had worse cancer-specific survival (CSS) (hazard ratio [HR], 2.475; P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (HR, 1.263; P < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, microinvasion was an independent prognostic factor for worse CSS (HR, 1.919; P < 0.001) and OS (HR, 1.184; P < 0.001). The 10-year cancer-specific mortality rate was 1.49% in DCIS and 4.08% in DCISM (HR, 2.771; P < 0.001). The 20-year cancer-specific mortality rate was 4.00% in DCIS and 9.65% in DCISM (HR, 2.482; P < 0.001). Deepening understanding of the nature of microinvasive breast cancer will be valuable for clinical treatment recommendations.

Reproductive factors and hormone receptor status among very young (<35 years) breast cancer patients

The prognosis for breast cancer occurs in young women is usually poor. The impact of different reproductive factors on disease characteristics is still largely unknown. We analyzed 261 patients aged ≤35 years old who were treated at the Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. The relationships between certain reproductive factors (age at menarche, parity, number of children, breastfeeding, history of abortion, age at first full-term pregnancy and oral contraceptive (OC) use) and disease characteristics were evaluated. Compared with patients who experienced fewer full-term pregnancies (<2 times), the patients with more full-term pregnancies (≥2 times) exhibited higher percentage of ER-positive tumors (61.5%) (P = 0.015), and patients whose age of menarche was ≥15 years exhibited a greater chance of PR-positive tumors (64.8%) (P = 0.036) compared with those whose age of menarche was <15 years old. Additionally, patients who had taken OCs were more likely to present with late-stage tumors (II stage or later) (87.5%) (P = 0.002) than patients who had never taken OCs. Our study provides evidence that women with more full-term pregnancies and later age at menarche are more possible to exhibit hormone receptor-positive tumors. Additionally, patients who have taken OCs are more likely to present with advanced disease.

Outcome of pN0 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer with or without Lymph Node Irradiation: A Single Institution Experience

The optimal management of patients with pathologically node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (pN0 TNBC) remains unclear. We hypothesized that lymph node irradiation (LNI; internal mammary chain/periclavicular irradiation) had an impact on outcomes of pN0 TNBC. A cohort of 126 consecutive patients with pN0 TNBC treated between 2007 and 2010 at a single institute were included. All radiotherapy (breast/chest wall, ±LNI) was delivered adjuvantly, following completion of surgery ± chemotherapy. Tumors were reviewed and histologic features were described. Tissue microarrays were constructed and tumors were assessed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, cytokeratins 5/6, 14, epidermal growth factor receptor and androgen receptor. Patients were divided into two groups for statistical analysis: LNI (LNI+) or no LNI (LNI-). We focused on disease-free survival (DFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and overall survival (OS). Fifty-seven and 69 patients received or not LNI, respectively. Median age was 52 (range [25-76]) and 55 (range [29-79]) in LNI+ and LNI- group (p = 0.23). LNI was associated with larger tumors (p = 0.033), central/internal tumors (33 versus 4, p < 0.01) and more chemotherapy (86% versus 59.4% p < 0.01). The median follow-up was 53.5 months. The rate of first regional relapse (associated or not with distant relapse) was low in both groups. There was no difference in 4-year DFS (82.2% versus 89.9%; p = 0.266), MFS (87.0% versus 91.1%; p = 0.286) and OS (85.8% versus 89.9%; p = 0.322) between LNI+ and LNI- group, respectively. In univariate analysis, only clinical size (T >10 mm versus ≤10 mm), histologic size (pT >10 mm versus ≤10 mm) and grade 3 (versus grade 2) were found to be significantly associated with shorter DFS. Omission of LNI in patients with pN0 TNBC does not seem to result in poorer outcome. Further studies are needed to specifically evaluate LNI in pN0 TNBC with histologic grade 3 and/or (p)T >10 mm.

Prognostic value of different cut-off levels of Ki-67 in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 64,196 patients

A proliferative marker, expressed as the percentage of cells in a cell cycle, has been developed and used as a discriminant of more aggressive malignant phenotypes in early breast cancer (BC). The marker is usually expressed by the immunohistochemical staining of the cell cycle antigen Ki-67. It has not, however, yet been definitely evaluated, due to methodological concerns, which specific Ki-67 cut-off provide the strongest prognostic information in resected BC. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic value of different cut-off levels of Ki-67 in terms of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in early BC. The databases of PubMed, the ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINHAL were used to identify the relevant literature. Data from studies reporting a hazard ratio (HR) and a 95 % confidence interval (CI) calculated as a multivariate analysis were pooled in a meta-analysis, with metaregression used to test for trends in predefined subgroups. All the statistical tests were 2-sided. Forty-one studies encompassing 64,196 BC patients were included in the analysis. Overall, n = 25 studies were available for the OS analysis. The pooled HR for high versus low Ki-67 was 1.57 (95 % CI 1.33-1.87, P < 0.00001). Twenty-nine studies were available for the DFS analysis. The pooled HR for high versus low Ki-67 was 1.50 (95 % CI 1.34-1.69, P < 0.00001). When a cut-off of Ki-67 staining ≥ 25 % was used, the pooled HR for OS was 2.05 (95 % CI 1.66-2.53, P < 0.00001), which was significantly different to studies where the cut-offs chosen were <25 %. In ER+ tumors, the HR for high versus low Ki-67 was similar and significant (HR = 1.51, 95 % CI 1.25-1.81, P < 0.0001). We conclude that Ki-67 has an independent prognostic value in terms of OS in BC patients. The Ki-67 threshold with the greatest prognostic significance is as yet unknown, but a cut-off >25 % is associated with a greater risk of death compared with lower expression rates.

Endocrine sensitivity is decisive for patient outcome in small node-negative breast cancers (BC) (pT1a,b) - results from the Munich Cancer Registry

PURPOSE

In clinical routine, adjuvant systemic therapy in small node-negative (N0) BC is controversial, in particular in HER2-positive disease. We aimed to evaluate outcome of consecutive patients with small N0 BC in a population-based cancer registry and thus consequently substantiate indications for chemotherapy in those patient subgroups at increased relapse risk or poor survival.

METHODS

From 2002 to 2009 (median follow-up 6 years), 9707 primary breast cancer patients with N0 tumors <2 cm (pTis, pT1N0M0) were reported to the Munich Cancer Registry. Patients with pTis tumors (n = 1870) served as internal comparator. Time to progression, observed (OS) and relative survival rates (Kaplan-Meier estimates) are presented. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the influence of tumor size, age, HR-, and HER2-status.

RESULTS

10-year-OS for pTis was 94.0%. In HR-positive tumors it was 91.9% in pT1a, 90.6% in pT1b, and 86.8% in pT1c. In HR-negative tumors, rates were 91.7%, 86.8%, and 86.8%, respectively. In HER2-positive tumors it was 81.2%, 88.1%, and 86.7%, in HER2-negative 93.1%, 90.6%, and 86.0%, respectively. In the multivariate model, age, tumor size, and HR-status showed a significant impact on OS (HRneg. vs. HRpos.: hazard ratio 1.50 (95% CI; 1.12-1.99), while HER2-status was not an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

Prognosis of N0 tumors <1 cm is excellent, especially if they are HR-positive, even in HER2-positive cases. Weighing potential benefits vs. side-effects, there seems to be no need for chemotherapy in tumors <0.5 cm. In pT1b chemotherapy may be considered, if tumors are triple negative or HER2-positive and HR-negative. In pT1c guideline-based adjuvant therapy using all therapeutic options seems to be warranted.

Chemotherapy use and surgical treatment by receptor subtype in node-negative T1a and T1b female breast cancers, Iowa SEER Registry, 2010 to 2012

BACKGROUND

Patients with small node-negative breast tumors who are younger or who have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2(+)) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes are at increased risk of recurrence. Concurrently, systemic treatment recommendations have evolved. Less is known about how frequently cytotoxic chemotherapy is given to these patients. Mastectomy rates have also increased. This study reports the recent incidence of T1a,bN0M0 breast cancer and the characteristics associated with chemotherapy delivery and the surgery selected.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort is composed of invasive female breast cancers diagnosed with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage T1a,bN0M0 during 2010 to 2012 from the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Cancer Registry. Chemotherapy use and surgery were identified by the registry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine patient differences across subtype and factors associated with treatment.

RESULTS

The study included 1687 patients. This represented 27.6% of all AJCC stages I(a-c) to III breast cancer in 2010 to 2012, up from 18% in 1990 (P < .0001). Of 1456 patients with known subtype, 8.8% and 6.4% had HER2(+) and TNBC disease, respectively. Chemotherapy was given to 7.5% of women with T1aN0M0 and 12.7% of T1bN0M0 tumors. The likelihood of systemic treatment was associated with breast cancer subtype, tumor differentiation, and age in a multivariate model. The mastectomy rate was 31.8%.

CONCLUSION

Small node-negative breast cancers continue to grow significantly as a percentage of invasive breast cancer diagnoses. In 2010 to 2012 in Iowa, systemic chemotherapy correlated with risk factors associated with recurrence: age, subtype, and tumor differentiation. Relatively high rates of mastectomy were seen.

Clinical significance of HER2-positive and triple-negative status in small (≤ 1 cm) node-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Data regarding the clinical significance of HER2(+) and TN status in patients with small node-negative tumors are limited and conflicting. It remains unclear who, among those with small lesions, might benefit from more aggressive adjuvant therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified all node-negative breast cancer patients with tumor size ≤ 1 cm diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2008 using our institutional breast service database. Patients were classified according to their receptor status into 3 groups: (1) hormone receptor (HR)-positive (estrogen receptor [ER]- or progesterone receptor [PR]-positive, HER2(-)); (2) HER2(+) (immunohistochemistry 3(+) or fluorescence in situ hybridization amplification ≥ 2); and (3) TN (ER(-), PR(-), and HER2(-)). RFS was calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods.

RESULTS

Among 656 patients with tumors ≤ 1 cm, 494 (75%) of the patients were HR(+), 107 (16%) were HER2(+), and 55 (9%) were TN. Median age was 59 years (range, 27-92 years). Median follow-up was 3.5 years. The 5-year RFS rates were 98.2%, 97.1%, and 83.5% in patients with HR(+), HER2(+), and TN tumors, respectively (P < .001). In multivariate analysis, TN status was associated with worse RFS (hazard ratio, 6.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.02-14.86), and HER2(+) was not (hazard ratio, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.73-3.69).

CONCLUSION

TN, but not HER2(+) status, was associated with worse RFS in patients with T1abN0 tumors, and adjuvant chemotherapy might be considered in patients with TN breast cancer.

Analysis in early stage triple-negative breast cancer treated with mastectomy without adjuvant radiotherapy: patterns of failure and prognostic factors

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate and identify patterns of failure and prognostic factors for locoregional recurrence (LRR) that could justify postmastectomy radiotherapy after modified radical mastectomy in patients with early stage triple-negative breast cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2000 and July 2007, the authors retrospectively analyzed 390 patients who had triple-negative breast cancer with T1/T2 tumors and from zero to 3 positive lymph nodes (pathologic T1-T2N0-N1) who underwent modified radical mastectomy without postmastectomy radiotherapy at the author's institution. The 5-year cumulative incidence for events was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and subgroups were compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Overall, 86.4% of patients received chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 60.5 months, the 5-year cumulative rates of local recurrence, regional recurrence, LRR, and distant metastasis were 5.4%, 4.7%, 8%, and 13.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age <50 years, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, grade 3 tumor, and 3 involved lymph nodes were associated significantly with an increased risk of LRR. The 5-year LRR rate for patients who had 0 or 1 risk factor, 2 risk factors, and 3 or 4 risk factors was 4.2%, 25.2%, and 81% (P < .0001), respectively. The presence of lymphovascular invasion and having 3 involved lymph nodes were statistically significant predictors of regional recurrence, and the patients who had regional recurrence had a significantly greater risk of distant metastases compared with patients who had local recurrence (59.1% vs 20.9%; P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Several risk factors were identified in this study that correlated independently with a greater incidence of LRR in patients who had early stage triple-negative breast cancer. The current results indicated that postmastectomy radiotherapy should be considered for those patients who have 2 or more of these factors.

Adjuvant chemotherapy in T1a/bN0 HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancers: application and outcomes

We assessed practice patterns and the impact of systemic adjuvant therapy on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive or triple-negative, node-negative breast cancers up to 10 mm in size. Records of 161 patients identified among 1415 cases diagnosed in our institutions between 2000 and 2010 were assessed for factors associated with recommendation for chemotherapy and survival outcomes. Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended in 53% of patients, more commonly in patients with younger age, stage T1b, high grade, HER2+/ER- status and diagnosis after 2006. With a median follow-up of 54 months, the 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence was 5.3% and overall survival was 93.2%. Age less than 40 and presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were associated with higher risk of recurrence. In a univariate analysis administration of adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with a significantly better recurrence rate (P = 0.33).

Recurrence risk in small, node-negative, early breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective analysis

PURPOSE

Recurrences and deaths are known to occur, even if less frequently, in small, node-negative breast cancer patients, and decision on adjuvant treatments remains controversial. In the present analysis, we evaluate recurrence risk in patients with pT1 a, b, c, node-negative, breast cancer, accordingly with some prognostic biological factors.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 900 node-negative patients (pT1a, b, c) surgery treated between 2000 and 2009 in four Italian oncologic centers. We defined 3 different cohorts: ER positive (ER+); Her-2 positive (Her-2+); and triple negative (TN).

RESULTS

pT1a was seen in 7.6% of patients, 37.7 % pT1b, 54.8 % pT1c. Concerning the 3 different cohorts, 58.2 % were ER+; 10.8 % were Her-2+; 8.2 % were TN. Overall, chemotherapy was given to 3.0 %, 27.2 %, 69.8 % of pT1a, b, c, respectively, and to 22.7 %, 58.8 %, 68.9 % of ER+, Her-2+, TN subgroups. At a median follow-up of 67 months, 5-year DFS was 96.3 %, 89.2 %, 89.4 % in pT1a, b, c, respectively (100 %, 93.6 %, 89.8 % in ER+; 100 %, 78.7 %, 85.0 % in Her-2+; 100 %, 76.8 %, 85.2 % in TN) (p = ns). At multivariate analysis, histologic grade and Ki-67 resulted independent prognostic factors. Overall, 5-year OS was 98 %, without differences among pT1a, b, c, or among the 3 cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, 5-year DFS was very favorable in this series of small, node-negative breast cancers, but Her-2+ and TN cohorts have a higher recurrence rate than ER+ cohort (p < 0.0001); pT1c, but also pT1b, in Her-2+ and TN subgroups, have a worse outcome, and effective chemotherapy treatment should be considered in these unfavorable subgroups.

Clinical features and survival analysis of T1mic, a, bN0M0 breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinicopathological features and prognosis of T1mic, a, bN0M0 breast cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data and survival status of 4487 cases of operable breast cancer treated in our hospital from 2002 to 2005 were collected, including 372 cases with T1mic, a, bN0M0 breast cancers. These patients were divided into four subtypes: Luminal A, Luminal B, triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive. Disease-free survival and risk factors for recurrence were identified.

RESULTS

We identified 372 eligible patients. The median follow-up was 78 months (range: 5-106 months). Univariate analysis showed age, adjuvant endocrine therapy, hormonal receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 were prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that hormonal receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 were prognostic factors. In the hormonal receptor-positive group, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive patients (Luminal B) had a four times higher recurrence risk than human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (Luminal A) patients. However, there was no statistically significant difference between hormonal receptor-negative groups (triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive).

CONCLUSIONS

Hormonal receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 were independent factors of 5-year disease-free survival for patients with T1mic, a, bN0M0 breast cancer. The Luminal B group had a worse prognosis than the Luminal A group, but there was no statistically significant difference between triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive groups.

Role of HER2-neu as a prognostic factor for survival and relapse in pT1a-bN0M0 breast cancer: a systematic review of the literature with a pooled-analysis

High levels of human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) expression are associated with recurrence and death in breast cancer (BC) patients. We have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to evaluate the prognosis for HER2+ pT1a-bN0M0 BC patients. A search of PubMed and Embase was performed. Studies were included if they reported hazard ratios (HRs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for multivariate analyses of relapse or survival in pT1a-bN0M0, HER2+ BC patients treated with surgery and chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy, but not with trastuzumab. A total of 764 patients from seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the pooled analysis, HER2 had a detrimental effect on relapse-free (HR 4.68, 95% CI 3.05-7.18; p<0.00001) and distant relapse-free survival, with a HR of 5.6 (95% CI 2.65-11.85; p<0.00001). HER2+ status was also linked to increased risk of death (HR 3.4, 95% CI 0.86-13.41; p=0.08) and worst BC-specific survival (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.51-4.51; p=0.0006), but these data were presented in few studies. HER2+ pT1a-bN0M0 BC is associated with a dismal prognosis. In these patients, HER2 has to be taken into account when deciding on adjuvant therapy, and trastuzumab should be considered.

Favorable prognosis in patients with T1a/T1bN0 triple-negative breast cancers treated with multimodality therapy

BACKGROUND

The authors evaluated the clinical characteristics, natural history, and outcomes of patients who had ≤1 cm, lymph node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

METHODS

After excluding patients who had received neoadjuvant therapy, 1022 patients with TNBC who underwent definitive breast surgery during 1999 to 2006 were identified from an institutional database. In total, 194 who had lymph node-negative tumors that measured ≤1 cm comprised the study population. Clinical data were abstracted, and survival outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 73 months (range, 5-143 months). The median age at diagnosis was 55.5 years (range, 27-84 years). Tumor (T) classification was microscopic (T1mic) in 16 patients (8.2%), T1a in 49 patients (25.3%), and T1b in 129 patients (66.5%). Most tumors were poorly differentiated (n = 142; 73%), lacked lymphovascular invasion (n = 170; 87.6%), and were detected by screening (n = 134; 69%). In total, 129 patients (66.5%) underwent breast-conserving surgery, and 65 patients (33.5%) underwent mastectomy. One hundred thirteen patients (58%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 123 patients (63%) received whole-breast radiation. The patients who received chemotherapy had more adverse clinical and disease features (younger age, T1b tumor, poor tumor grade; all P < .05). Results from testing for the breast cancer (BRCA) susceptibility gene were available for 49 women: 19 women had BRCA1 mutations, 7 women had BRCA2 mutations, and 23 women had no mutations. For the entire group, the 5-year local recurrence-free survival rate was 95%, and the 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rate was 95%. There was no difference between patients with T1mic/T1a tumors and patients with T1b tumors in the distant recurrence rate (94.5% vs 95.5%, respectively; P = .81) or in the receipt of chemotherapy (95.9% vs 94.5%, respectively; P = .63).

CONCLUSIONS

Excellent 5-year locoregional and distant control rates were achievable in patients with TNBC who had tumors ≤1.0 cm, 58% of whom received chemotherapy. These results identified a group of patients with TNBC who had favorable outcomes after early detection and multimodality treatment.

Management of Small T1a/b N0 Breast Cancers

T1ab N0 breast cancer generally has excellent prognosis. Adverse prognostic factors include HER2+ disease, ER-negative disease, high-grade histology, T1b, and young age of patient. These patients are largely excluded from most trials, and to date, no prospective studies for this group yet reported. Treatment guidelines are vague and treatment inconsistent. As yet, in the HER2+ population, little experience with targeted therapy has been reported. Prospective trials are needed.

Age and survival estimates in patients who have node-negative T1ab breast cancer by breast cancer subtype

AIM

This article evaluates the risk of recurrence for patients who have small node-negative breast cancer by age and tumor subtype.

METHODS

One thousand twelve patients with a T1a,bN0 breast cancer diagnosed between 1990 and 2002 who did not receive chemotherapy or trastuzumab were included. Patients and tumor characteristics were compared using the χ(2) or Wilcoxon's rank sum tests. Survival outcomes were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank statistic. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine association of breast cancer subtypes and age at diagnosis with other covariates.

RESULTS

Median age was 51.5 years. There were 771 hormone receptor (HR)-positive, 98 HER2-positive, and 143 triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Six hundred ninety-three patients were > 50 years, and 33 patients were ≤ 35 years. For 5-year survival estimates, there were 118 deaths and overall survival was 94.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 93.2%, 96.1%). After adjusting for breast cancer subtype and other tumor characteristics, patients ≤ 35 had 2.51 (95% CI = 1.21-5.22) times greater risk of worse recurrence-free survival (RFS), and 2.60 (95% CI = 1.05-6.46) times greater risk of worse distant RFS (DRFS) compared to patients > 50 years old. Compared to patients with HR-positive disease, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer had 4.98 (95% CI = 2.91-8.53) times the risk of worse RFS and 4.70 (95% CI = 2.51-8.79) times greater risk of worse DRFS, and patients with TNBC had 2.71 (95% CI = 1.59-4.59) times greater risk of worse RFS and 2.08 (95% CI = 1.04-4.17) times greater risk of worse DRFS.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort, patients with T1a,bN0 breast cancer, young age and breast cancer subtype were significantly associated with RFS and DRFS.