Incidence, pattern and prognosis of brain metastases in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer

Sacituzumab Govitecan in patients with breast cancer brain metastases and recurrent glioblastoma: a phase 0 window-of-opportunity trial

Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG) is an antibody-drug conjugate that has demonstrated efficacy in patients with TROP-2 expressing epithelial cancers. In a xenograft model of intracranial breast cancer, SG inhibited tumor growth and increased mouse survival. We conducted a prospective window-of-opportunity trial (NCT03995706) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to examine the intra-tumoral concentrations and intracranial activity of SG in patients undergoing craniotomy for breast cancer with brain metastases (BCBM) or recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM). We enrolled 25 patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with BCBM and rGBM to receive a single intravenous dose of SG at 10 mg/kg given one day before resection and continued on days 1 and 8 of 21-day cycles following recovery. The PFS was 8 months and 2 months for BCBM and rGBM cohorts, respectively. The OS was 35.2 months and 9.5 months, respectively. Grade≥3 AE included neutropenia (28%), hypokalemia (8%), seizure (8%), thromboembolic event (8%), urinary tract infection (8%) and muscle weakness of the lower limb (8%). In post-surgical tissue, the median total SN-38 was 249.8 ng/g for BCBM and 104.5 ng/g for rGBM, thus fulfilling the primary endpoint. Biomarker analysis suggests delivery of payload by direct release at target site and that hypoxic changes do not drive indirect release. Secondary endpoint of OS was 35.2 months for the BCBM cohort and 9.5 months for rGBM. Non-planned exploratory endpoint of ORR was 38% for BCBM and 29%, respectively. Exploratory endpoint of Trop-2 expression was observed in 100% of BCBM and 78% of rGBM tumors. In conclusion, SG was found to be well tolerated with adequate penetration into intracranial tumors and promising preliminary activity within the CNS. Trial Registration: Trial (NCT03995706) enrolled at Clinical Trials.gov as Neuro/Sacituzumab Govitecan/Breast Brain Metastasis/Glioblastoma/Ph 0: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03995706?cond=NCT03995706 .

Palliative surgery versus non-surgery of the solitary metastatic lesion in De novo metastatic breast cancer: A SEER based study

This study aimed to evaluate whether palliative surgery for metastatic lesion could provide a survival benefit in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients with solitary metastasis. De novo MBC patients with solitary distant lesions were enrolled utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to form matched pairs of the surgery group and the non-surgery group. The breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes between the 2 groups were compared in the following 3 sample models: the entire cohort of MBC (7665 cases); subgroups of patients with different isolated metastatic organs; and subgroups of patients with different molecular subtypes for each isolated metastatic organ. Compared with the Non-surgery group, the surgery group showed better BCSS and OS before PSM (HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79-0.99, P = .04 and HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76-0.95, P = .006, respectively). After PSM, palliative surgery still provided an OS benefit in patients with brain metastasis and lung metastasis (HR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37-0.95, P = .01 and HR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.45-0.90, P = .02, respectively). Likewise, a better BCSS benefit was also found in the subset of patients with brain metastasis (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.38-1.00, P = .01). Further stratification analysis indicated that patients with the luminal A subtype with brain metastasis have a better BCSS (HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.16-0.79, P = .04) and OS (HR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.18-0.75, P = .03) after undergoing palliative surgery than nonsurgical treatment. Our study originality showed that palliative surgery for metastatic lesion could improve survival prognosis in patients with special single-organ metastasis and specific molecular subtypes. More clinical studies are needed to determine whether palliative surgery should be performed in MBC patients.

Prevention of Brain Metastases: A New Frontier

This review discusses the topic of prevention of brain metastases from the most frequent solid tumor types, i.e., lung cancer, breast cancer and melanoma. Within each tumor type, the risk of brain metastasis is related to disease status and molecular subtype (i.e., EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer, HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer, BRAF and NRAF-mutant melanoma). Prophylactic cranial irradiation is the standard of care in patients in small cell lung cancer responsive to chemotherapy but at the price of late neurocognitive decline. More recently, several molecular agents with the capability to target molecular alterations driving tumor growth have proven as effective in the prevention of secondary relapse into the brain in clinical trials. This is the case for EGFR-mutant or ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer inhibitors, tucatinib and trastuzumab-deruxtecan for HER2-positive breast cancer and BRAF inhibitors for melanoma. The need for screening with an MRI in asymptomatic patients at risk of brain metastases is emphasized.

Navigating breast cancer brain metastasis: Risk factors, prognostic indicators, and treatment perspectives

In this editorial, we comment on the article by Chen et al. We specifically focus on the risk factors, prognostic factors, and management of brain metastasis (BM) in breast cancer (BC). BC is the second most common cancer to have BM after lung cancer. Independent risk factors for BM in BC are: HER-2 positive BC, triple-negative BC, and germline BRCA mutation. Other factors associated with BM are lung metastasis, age less than 40 years, and African and American ancestry. Even though risk factors associated with BM in BC are elucidated, there is a lack of data on predictive models for BM in BC. Few studies have been made to formulate predictive models or nomograms to address this issue, where age, grade of tumor, HER-2 receptor status, and number of metastatic sites (1 vs > 1) were predictive of BM in metastatic BC. However, none have been used in clinical practice. National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends screening of BM in advanced BC only when the patient is symptomatic or suspicious of central nervous system symptoms; routine screening for BM in BC is not recommended in the guidelines. BM decreases the quality of life and will have a significant psychological impact. Further studies are required for designing validated nomograms or predictive models for BM in BC; these models can be used in the future to develop treatment approaches to prevent BM, which improves the quality of life and overall survival.

Overall Survival and Prognostic Factors in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A National Cancer Database Analysis

BACKGROUND

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive with poor median overall survival (OS) ranging from 8 to 13 months. There exists considerable heterogeneity in survival at the individual patient level. To better understand the survival heterogeneity and improve risk stratification, our study aims to identify the factors influencing survival, utilizing a large patient sample from the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

METHODS

Women diagnosed with metastatic TNBC from 2010 to 2020 in the NCDB were included. Demographic, clinicopathological, and treatment data and overall survival (OS) outcomes were collected. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate OS. The log-rank test was used to identify OS differences between groups for each variable in the univariate analysis. For the multivariate analysis, the Cox proportional hazard model with backward elimination was used to identify factors affecting OS. Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals are presented.

RESULTS

In this sample, 2273 women had a median overall survival of 13.6 months. Factors associated with statistically significantly worse OS included older age, higher comorbidity scores, specific histologies, higher number of metastatic sites, presence of liver or other site metastases in those with only one metastatic site (excluding brain metastases), presence of cranial and extra-cranial metastases, lack of chemotherapy, lack of immunotherapy, lack of surgery to distant sites, lack of radiation to distant sites, and receipt of palliative treatment to alleviate symptoms. In the multivariate analysis, comorbidity score, histology, number of metastatic sites, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy had a statistically significant effect on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Through NCDB analysis, we have identified prognostic factors for metastatic TNBC. These findings will help individualize prognostication at diagnosis, optimize treatment strategies, and facilitate patient stratification in future clinical trials.

Improved outcomes for triple negative breast cancer brain metastases patients after stereotactic radiosurgery and new systemic approaches

PURPOSE

Although ongoing studies are assessing the efficacy of new systemic therapies for patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the overwhelming majority have excluded patients with brain metastases (BM). Therefore, we aim to characterize systemic therapies and outcomes in a cohort of patients with TNBC and BM managed with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and delineate predictors of increased survival.

METHODS

We used our prospective patient registry to evaluate data from 2012 to 2023. We included patients who received SRS for TNBC-BM. A competing risk analysis was conducted to assess local and distant control.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients with 262 tumors were included. The median overall survival (OS) was 16 months (95% CI 13-19 months). Predictors of increased OS after initial SRS include Breast GPA score > 1 (p < 0.001) and use of immunotherapy such as pembrolizumab (p = 0.011). The median time on immunotherapy was 8 months (IQR 4.4, 11.2). The median time to new CNS lesions after the first SRS treatment was 17 months (95% CI 12-22). The cumulative rate for development of new CNS metastases after initial SRS at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years was 23%, 40%, and 70%, respectively. Thirty patients (70%) underwent multiple SRS treatments, with a median time of 5 months (95% CI 0.59-9.4 months) for the appearance of new CNS metastases after second SRS treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

TNBC patients with BM can achieve longer survival than might have been previously anticipated with median survival now surpassing one year. The use of immunotherapy is associated with increased median OS of 23 months.

Use of Natural Language Processing to Infer Sites of Metastatic Disease From Radiology Reports at Scale

PURPOSE

To evaluate natural language processing (NLP) methods to infer metastatic sites from radiology reports.

METHODS

A set of 4,522 computed tomography (CT) reports of 550 patients with 14 types of cancer was used to fine-tune four clinical large language models (LLMs) for multilabel classification of metastatic sites. We also developed an NLP information extraction (IE) system (on the basis of named entity recognition, assertion status detection, and relation extraction) for comparison. Model performances were measured by F1 scores on test and three external validation sets. The best model was used to facilitate analysis of metastatic frequencies in a cohort study of 6,555 patients with 53,838 CT reports.

RESULTS

The RadBERT, BioBERT, GatorTron-base, and GatorTron-medium LLMs achieved F1 scores of 0.84, 0.87, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively, on the test set. The IE system performed best, achieving an F1 score of 0.93. F1 scores of the IE system by individual cancer type ranged from 0.89 to 0.96. The IE system attained F1 scores of 0.89, 0.83, and 0.81, respectively, on external validation sets including additional cancer types, positron emission tomography-CT ,and magnetic resonance imaging scans, respectively. In our cohort study, we found that for colorectal cancer, liver-only metastases were higher in de novo stage IV versus recurrent patients (29.7% v 12.2%; P < .001). Conversely, lung-only metastases were more frequent in recurrent versus de novo stage IV patients (17.2% v 7.3%; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

We developed an IE system that accurately infers metastatic sites in multiple primary cancers from radiology reports. It has explainable methods and performs better than some clinical LLMs. The inferred metastatic phenotypes could enhance cancer research databases and clinical trial matching, and identify potential patients for oligometastatic interventions.

Reciprocal regulation of forkhead box C1 and L1 cell adhesion molecule contributes to triple-negative breast cancer progression

PURPOSE

The potential of targeting forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) as a therapeutic approach for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is promising. However, a comprehensive understanding of FOXC1 regulation, particularly upstream factors, remains elusive. Expression of the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), a transmembrane glycoprotein associated with brain metastasis, was observed to be positively associated with FOXC1 transcripts. Thus, this study aims to investigate their relationship in TNBC progression.

METHODS

Publicly available FOXC1 and L1CAM transcriptomic data were obtained, and their corresponding proteins were analyzed in four TNBC cell lines. In BT549 cells, FOXC1 and L1CAM were individually silenced, while L1CAM was overexpressed in BT549-shFOXC1, MDA-MB-231, and HCC1937 cells. CCK-8, transwell, and wound healing assays were performed in these cell lines, and immunohistochemical staining was conducted in tumor samples.

RESULTS

A positive correlation between L1CAM and FOXC1 transcripts was observed in publicly available datasets. In BT549 cells, knockdown of FOXC1 led to reduced L1CAM expression at both the transcriptional and protein levels, and conversely, silencing of L1CAM decreased FOXC1 protein levels, but interestingly, FOXC1 transcripts remained largely unaffected. Overexpressing L1CAM resulted in increased FOXC1 protein expression without significant changes in FOXC1 mRNA levels. This trend was also observed in BT549-shFOXC1, MDA-MB-231-L1CAM, and HCC1937-L1CAM cells. Notably, alterations in FOXC1 or L1CAM levels corresponded to changes in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities. Furthermore, a positive correlation between L1CAM and FOXC1 protein expression was detected in human TNBC tumors.

CONCLUSION

FOXC1 and L1CAM exhibit co-regulation at the protein level, with FOXC1 regulating at the transcriptional level and L1CAM regulating at the post-transcriptional level, and together they positively influence cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in TNBC.

Numb cheek syndrome in breast cancer: a case report

Background

Numb cheek syndrome, a rare corollary of numb chin syndrome, is due to infra-orbital neuropathy. It can occur in association with an underlying malignancy, which can cause neuropathy by direct malignant nerve infiltration or via a paraneoplastic mechanism. Although numb cheek syndrome has been reported in association with a variety of cancers, it has previously not been reported in association with breast cancer. We report a case of left breast cancer presenting with left numb cheek syndrome.

Case presentation

A 65-year-old woman presented to the Neurology clinic with a 7-month history of left cheek numbness and occasional cheek tenderness. Examination revealed slightly diminished pin-prick sensation in the left cheek and a vaguely palpable left breast lump. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain showed abnormal enhancement of the left maxillary nerve at the foramen rotundum, but cerebrospinal fluid analysis was normal. Mammography, ultrasound scans, and core biopsy of the left breast confirmed the diagnosis of invasive left breast carcinoma (estrogen and progesterone receptor negative, c-erb-B2 equivocal, fluorescence in-situ hybridization negative). There was no evidence of distant metastases on computed tomography and bone scintigraphy scans. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (4 cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, followed by 4 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin), and left breast wide excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a repeat magnetic resonance imaging scan performed 2 months after surgical resection showed resolution of the left maxillary nerve enhancement. The patient's left numb cheek symptoms improved over a course of 5 months after cancer resection but did not completely resolve.

Conclusions

Our case represents the first reported left numb cheek syndrome in association with breast cancer, due to maxillary neuropathy without any discrete mass or compressive cause. To avoid delays in diagnosing malignancy, physicians and surgeons should be aware that numb cheek syndrome can occur in association with an underlying malignancy, and that breast cancer should be counted amongst the possibilities.

Central nervous system metastases in breast cancer patients with germline BRCA pathogenic variants compared to non-carriers: a matched-pair analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a common cause for central nervous system (CNS) metastasis, resulting in a significant reduction in overall survival. Germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1/2 are the most common genetic risk factor for breast cancer, associated with poor prognostic factors. This study sought to explore the patterns and outcome of CNS metastases in breast cancer patients with germline PVs in BRCA1/2 genes.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of 75 breast cancer patients with known BRCA1/2 mutation status, who were diagnosed with CNS metastases in 2006-2021. Histopathology, characteristics of CNS disease, treatments, and survival were compared between BRCA1/2 carriers (n = 25) and non-carriers (n = 50), using propensity score matching (1:2 ratio) to control for the possible influence of tumor receptor status (ER, PR, HER2) and patient age. Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank test were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Patients with PVs in BRCA1/2 had more high-grade tumors (88% vs. 68%, P = 0.060), were younger at CNS disease diagnosis (median 46.69 vs. 55.02 years, P = 0.003) and had better ECOG performance status (ECOG PS 0 in 20% vs. 2%, P = 0.033), but without significant differences in systemic or CNS-directed treatment approaches. BRCA1/2 mutation was associated with a higher rate of temporal lobe involvement (52% vs. 26%, P = 0.026) and leptomeningeal spread (40% vs. 20%, P = 0.020). Survival after diagnosis of CNS disease was shorter (median 8.03 vs. 28.36 months, P < 0.0001), with no significant differences in time to development of CNS metastases or overall-survival.

CONCLUSION

Patients with CNS metastatic breast cancer and PVs in BRCA1/2 showed a higher rate of leptomeningeal and temporal lobe involvement, and a shorter survival with CNS disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study suggesting an exclusive impact of germline BRCA1/2 mutations in CNS metastatic breast cancer.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Brain Metastases

The treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has improved over the past decade, however prognosis continues to be mitigated by the fact that about 1 in 5 patients with MBC will develop brain metastases (BrM) during their metastatic disease course. 1 This number is even higher for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), with studies showing as high as 40% of patients developing BrM. 2, 3 Studies have shown that TNBC portends a worse survival after a diagnosis of BrM compared with non-TNBC subtypes. 4 Given the unique location and biologic properties of BrM, treatment options have historically been limited. Challenges to the treatment of TNBC BrM include a lack of targeted therapies and difficulties in delivery of drug to the brain past the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Herein, we will review the advances in local and systemic therapies to most effectively treat patients with TNBC BrM, including therapies on the horizon currently in clinical trials.

Unraveling Connective Tissue Growth Factor as a Therapeutic Target and Assessing Kahweol as a Potential Drug Candidate in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by aggressive behavior and limited treatment options, necessitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) as a prognostic marker and explored the potential therapeutic effects of kahweol, a coffee diterpene molecule, in TNBC treatment. Initially, through a survival analysis on breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we found that CTGF exhibited significant prognostic effects exclusively in TNBC patients. To gain mechanistic insights, we performed the functional annotation and gene set enrichment analyses, revealing the involvement of CTGF in migratory pathways relevant to TNBC treatment. Subsequently, in vitro experiments using MDA-MB 231 cells, a representative TNBC cell line, demonstrated that recombinant CTGF (rCTGF) administration enhanced cell motility, whereas CTGF knockdown using CTGF siRNA resulted in reduced motility. Notably, rCTGF restored kahweol-reduced cell motility, providing compelling evidence for the role of CTGF in mediating kahweol's effects. At the molecular level, kahweol downregulated the protein expression of CTGF as well as critical signaling molecules, such as p-ERK, p-P38, p-PI3K/AKT, and p-FAK, associated with cell motility. In summary, our findings propose CTGF as a potential prognostic marker for guiding TNBC treatment and suggest kahweol as a promising antitumor compound capable of regulating CTGF expression to suppress cell motility in TNBC. These insights hold promise for the development of targeted therapies and improved clinical outcomes for TNBC patients.

Hypoxia-mediated activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in triple-negative breast cancer: A review

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer (BC) that is highly aggressive and hypoxic compared with other subtypes. The role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) as a key hypoxic transcription factor in oncogenic processes has been extensively studied. Recently, it has been shown that HIF-1α regulates the complex biological processes of TNBC, such as glycolysis, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, BC stem cells enrichment, and immune escape, to promote TNBC survival and development through the activation of downstream target genes. This article discusses the expression of the HIF-1α transcription factor in TNBC and the Hypoxia-mediated activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in triple-negative BC. It offers a fresh approach to clinical research and treatment for TNBC.

Xianlinglianxiafang Inhibited the growth and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer via activating PPARγ/AMPK signaling pathway

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by high invasion and metastasis rates. Xian-Ling-Lian-Xia formula (XLLX) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription widely used in China for treating TNBC. Clinical studies have shown that XLLX significantly reduces the recurrence and metastasis rate of TNBC and improves disease-free survival. However, the potential molecular mechanisms of XLLX on TNBC are not clear yet. Here, we investigated the effects of XLLX on TNBC using a mouse model and tumor cell lines. The results showed that XLLX significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of TNBC cell lines MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 in vitro, induced apoptosis, and regulated the expression of proliferation, apoptosis, and EMT marker proteins in tumor cells. In in vivo experiments, XLLX treatment significantly reduced the progression of TNBC tumors and lung metastasis. Transcriptomics reveals that XLLX treatment significantly enriched differentially expressed genes in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways. The western blot results confirmed that XLLX significantly upregulated the protein expression of PPARγ and p-AMPK in TNBC cells, tumors, and lung tissues. It is noteworthy that GW9662 (a PPARγ inhibitor) and Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) partially reversed the anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis effects of XLLX in TNBC cells. Therefore, XLLX may effectively inhibit the growth and metastasis of TNBC by activating the PPARγ/AMPK signaling pathway.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in the treatment landscape of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

OBJECTIVE

Chemotherapy is the mainstay for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Over the years, the use of chemotherapy for these patients has demonstrated many adversities, including toxicity and resistance, which suggested the need to develop novel alternative therapeutic options, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). Herein, we provide an overview on PARPi, mechanisms of action and the role of biomarkers in PARPi sensitivity trials, clinical advances in PARPi therapy for TNBC patients based on the most recent studies and findings of clinical trials, and challenges that prevent PARP inhibitors from achieving high efficacy such as resistance and overlapping toxicities with other chemotherapies.

DATA SOURCES

Searching for relevant articles was done using PubMed and Cochrane Library databases by using the keywords including TNBC; chemotherapy; PARPi; BRCA; homologous recombination repair (HRR). Studies had to be published in full-text in English in order to be considered.

DATA SUMMARY

Although PARPi have been used in the treatment of local/metastatic breast malignancies that are HER2 negative and has a germline BRCA mutation, several questions are still to be answered in order to maximize the clinical benefit of PARP inhibitors in TNBC treatment, such as questions related to the optimal use in the neoadjuvant and metastatic settings as well as the best combinations with various chemotherapies.

CONCLUSIONS

PARPi are emerging treatment options for patients with gBRCA1/2 mutations. Determining patients that are most likely to benefit from PARPi and identifying the optimal treatment combinations with high efficacy and fewer side effects are currently ongoing.

Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals High Mutational Concordance between Primary and Matched Recurrent Triple-Negative Breast Cancers

PURPOSE

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a molecularly complex and heterogeneous breast cancer subtype with distinct biological features and clinical behavior. Although TNBC is associated with an increased risk of metastasis and recurrence, the molecular mechanisms underlying TNBC metastasis remain unclear. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis of primary TNBC and paired recurrent tumors to investigate the genetic profile of TNBC.

METHODS

Genomic DNA extracted from 35 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 26 TNBC patients was subjected to WES. Of these, 15 were primary tumors that did not have recurrence, and 11 were primary tumors that had recurrence (nine paired primary and recurrent tumors). Tumors were analyzed for single-nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions.

RESULTS

The tumor mutational burden (TMB) was 7.6 variants/megabase in primary tumors that recurred (n = 9); 8.2 variants/megabase in corresponding recurrent tumors (n = 9); and 7.3 variants/megabase in primary tumors that did not recur (n = 15). MUC3A was the most frequently mutated gene in all groups. Mutations in MAP3K1 and MUC16 were more common in our dataset. No alterations in PI3KCA were detected in our dataset.

CONCLUSIONS

We found similar mutational profiles between primary and paired recurrent tumors, suggesting that genomic features may be retained during local recurrence.

Stereotactic radiosurgery and local control of brain metastases from triple-negative breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective treatment for intracranial metastatic disease, but its role in triple-negative breast cancer requires further study. Herein, the authors report overall survival (OS) and local tumor control in a multiinstitutional cohort with triple-negative breast cancer metastases treated with SRS.

METHODS

Patients treated from 2010 to 2019 at 9 institutions were included in this retrospective study if they had biopsy-proven triple-negative breast cancer with intracranial metastatic lesions treated with SRS. Patients were excluded if they had undergone prior SRS, whole-brain radiation therapy, or resection of the metastatic lesions. A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine OS, local control, and treatment efficacy.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight patients with 315 treated lesions were assessed. Patients had a median Karnofsky Performance Status of 80 (IQR 70-90) and age of 57 years (IQR 48-67 years). Most treated patients had 5 or fewer intracranial lesions, with 34% of patients having a single lesion. Treated lesions were small, having a median volume owf 0.11 cm3 (IQR 0.03-0.60 cm3). Patients were treated with a median margin dose of 18 Gy (IQR 18-20 Gy) to the median 71% isodose line (IQR 50%-84%). Overall, patients had a 1-year OS of 43% and 2-year OS of 20%. Most patients (88%) were followed until death, by which time local tumor progression had occurred in only 7% of cases. Furthermore, 76% of the lesions demonstrated regression. Tumor volume was correlated with local tumor progression (p = 0.012). SRS was very well tolerated, and only 3 patients (5%) developed symptomatic radiation necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

SRS is a safe and efficacious treatment for well-selected patients with triple-negative breast cancer, especially for those with a favorable performance status and small- to moderate-volume metastatic lesions.

Effect of Melittin Complexes with Graphene and Graphene Oxide on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Tumors Grown on Chicken Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane

One of the components of bee venom is melittin (M), which has strong lysing properties on membranes. M has high toxicity to cancer cells, but it also affects healthy cells, making it necessary to use methods for targeted delivery to ensure treatment. This research is a continuation of previous studies using graphene nanomaterials as M carriers to breast cancer cells. The studies described below are conducted on a more organized biological structure than what is found in vitro cells, namely, cancerous tumors grown on a chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane. Caspase 3 and 8 levels are analyzed, and the level of oxidative stress markers and changes in protein expression for cytokines are examined. The results show that M complexes with nanomaterials reduce the level of oxidative stress more than M alone does, but the use of graphene (GN) as a carrier increases the level of DNA damage to a greater extent than the increase caused by M alone. An analysis of cytokine levels shows that the use of the M and GN complex increases the level of proteins responsible for inhibiting tumor progression to a greater extent than the increase occasioned by a complex with graphene oxide (GO). The results suggest that the use of GN as an M carrier may increase the toxic effect of M on structures located inside a cell.

Tumor lineage-specific immune response in brain metastatic disease: opportunities for targeted immunotherapy regimen?

Metastases in the brain are the most severe and devastating complication of cancer. The incidence of brain metastasis is increasing. Therefore, the need of finding specific druggable targets for brain metastasis is demanding. The aim of this study was to compare the brain (immune) response to brain metastases of the most common tumor lineages, viz., lung adenocarcinoma and breast cancer. Targeted gene expression profiles of 11 brain metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (BM-LUAD) were compared to 11 brain metastasis of breast cancer (BCBM) using NanoString nCounter PanCancer IO 360™ Panel. The most promising results were validated spatially using the novel GeoMx™ Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) Technology. Additionally, Immune cell profiles and expression of drug targets were validated by multiplex immunohistochemistry. We found a more active immune response in BM-LUAD as compared to BCBM. In the BM-LUAD, 138 genes were upregulated as compared to BCBM (adj. p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, in BCBM 28 genes were upregulated (adj. p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, genes related to CD45 + cells, T cells, and cytotoxic T cells showed to be expressed higher in BM-LUAD compared to BCBM (adj. p = 0.01, adj. p = 0.023, adj. p = 0.023, respectively). The spatial quantification of the immune cells using the GeoMx DSP technique revealed the significantly higher quantification of CD14 and CD163 in tumor regions of BM-LUAD as compared to BCBM. Importantly, the immune checkpoint VISTA and IDO1 were identified as highly expressed in the BM-LUAD. Multiplex immunohistochemistry confirmed the finding and showed that VISTA is expressed mainly in BM-LUAD tumor cells, CD3 + cells, and to fewer levels in some microglial cells in BM-LUAD. This is the first report on differences in the brain immune response between metastatic tumors of different lineages. We found a far more extensive infiltration of immune cells in BM-LUAD as compared to BCBM. In addition, we found higher expression of VISTA and IDO1 in BM-LUAD. Taken together, targeted immune therapy should be considered to treat patients with BM-LUAD.

Blood-brain barrier remodeling in an organ-on-a-chip device shows Dkk1 to be a regulator of early metastasis

Brain metastases are the most lethal progression event, in part because the biological processes underpinning brain metastases are poorly understood. There is a paucity of realistic models of metastasis, as current in vivo murine models are slow to manifest metastasis. We set out to delineate metabolic and secretory modulators of brain metastases by utilizing two models consisting of in vitro microfluidic devices: 1) a blood brain niche (BBN) chip that recapitulates the blood-brain-barrier and niche; and 2) a migration chip that assesses cell migration. We report secretory cues provided by the brain niche that attract metastatic cancer cells to colonize the brain niche region. Astrocytic Dkk-1 is increased in response to brain-seeking breast cancer cells and stimulates cancer cell migration. Brain-metastatic cancer cells under Dkk-1 stimulation increase gene expression of FGF-13 and PLCB1. Further, extracellular Dkk-1 modulates cancer cell migration upon entering the brain niche.

C1QBP Mediates Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Growth via Multiple Potential Signalling Pathways

Breast carcinoma is the most prevalent cancer in women globally, with complex genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie its development and progression. Several challenges such as metastasis and drug resistance limit the prognosis of breast cancer, and hence a constant search for better treatment regimes, including novel molecular therapeutic targets is necessary. Complement component 1, q subcomponent binding protein (C1QBP), a promising molecular target, has been implicated in breast carcinogenesis. In this study, the role of C1QBP in breast cancer progression, in particular cancer cell growth, was determined in triple negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Depletion of C1QBP decreased cell proliferation, whereas the opposite effect was observed when C1QBP was overexpressed in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, gene expression profiling and pathway analysis in C1QBP depleted cells revealed that C1QBP regulates several signaling pathways crucial for cell growth and survival. Taken together, these findings provide a deeper comprehension of the role of C1QBP in triple negative breast cancer, and could possibly pave the way for future advancement of C1QBP-targeted breast cancer therapy.

Treatment options for patients with human epidermal growth factor 2-positive breast cancer brain metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Many systemic treatment options are available for patients with human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer brain metastases. However, it is unclear which pharmacological treatment option is the most beneficial.

Methods

We searched databases, such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and conference abstracts according to keywords. We extracted progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) data, and overall response rate (ORR) from randomized controlled trials and single-arm studies of HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis treatment for meta-analysis and analyzed different drug-related adverse events (AEs).

Results

Three randomized controlled trials and seven single-arm clinical studies with 731 patients with HER2-positive brain metastases from breast cancer involving at least seven drugs were included. In randomized controlled trials, our results showed that trastuzumab deruxtecan significantly improved PFS and OS in patients and was superior to other drug regimens. In the single-arm study, the ORR was more pronounced for the trastuzumab deruxtecan and pyrotinib plus capecitabine regimens (ORR, 73.33%; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 44.90%-92.21%; ORR, 74.58%; 95% CI, 61.56%-85.02%, respectively). We found that the main AEs of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) were nausea and fatigue, while the main AE of small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs and large monoclonal antibodies was diarrhea.

Conclusions

Trastuzumab deruxtecan was shown to be the most significant in improving survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases in network meta-analysis, and in single-arm study, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan and pyrotinib plus capecitabine regimen had the highest ORR. The main AEs associated with ADC, large monoclonal antibodies, and TKI drugs were nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea, respectively.

Brain metastasis screening in the molecular age

The incidence of brain metastases (BM) amongst cancer patients has been increasing due to improvements in therapeutic options and an increase in overall survival. Molecular characterization of tumors has provided insights into the biology and oncogenic drivers of BM and molecular subtype-based screening. Though there are currently some screening and surveillance guidelines for BM, they remain limited. In this comprehensive review, we review and present epidemiological data on BM, their molecular characterization, and current screening guidelines. The molecular subtypes with the highest BM incidence are epithelial growth factor receptor-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), BRCA1, triple-negative (TN), and HER2+ breast cancers, and BRAF-mutated melanoma. Furthermore, BMs are more likely to present asymptomatically at diagnosis in oncogene-addicted NSCLC and BRAF-mutated melanoma. European screening standards recommend more frequent screening for oncogene-addicted NSCLC patients, and clinical trials are investigating screening for BM in hormone receptor+, HER2+, and TN breast cancers. However, more work is needed to determine optimal screening guidelines for other primary cancer molecular subtypes. With the advent of personalized medicine, molecular characterization of tumors has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment and prognostication. Incorporating molecular characterization into BM screening guidelines may allow physicians to better identify patients at high risk for BM development and improve patient outcomes.

Characterization of triple negative breast cancer gene expression profiles in Mexican patients

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of cancer that accounts for ~23% of breast tumors in Mexico. In an attempt to understand in an improved way the behavior of TNBC, throughout the years, gene expression in these tumors has been studied. Lehman et al identified 6 subtypes of gene expression in TNBC with distinct characteristics. In the present study, it was aimed to assess clinical, pathological and prognostic characteristics of TNBC in a Mexican-based cohort. A total of 55 patients diagnosed with TNBC at Mexico's National Institute of Cancer (INCan) were included. Tumor needle biopsy samples were obtained and subjected to microarray analysis. Patients were thus classified into one of the 6 TNBC molecular subtypes. The prognostic, clinical and pathological information of patients was obtained, and differences across molecular subtypes were sought. Out of the 55 included patients, the following subtypes were identified: 9 basal-like-1, 11 basal-like-2 (BSL2), 16 immunomodulatory (IM), 12 mesenchymal, 6 androgen receptor-like and 1 mesenchymal stem-like. Mean follow-up time was 47.1 months. The IM molecular subtype had the best overall survival (OS) (median OS was not reached). BSL2 had the worst OS (15 months). A complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was obtained more often in the IM subtype (P=0.032). No significant associations were found between any of the clinical or pathological characteristics and the TNBC molecular subtypes. The results obtained from the present study should be considered when seeking to implement a clinical-molecular model for TNBC patient care, particularly in Hispanic-based populations, as they have been frequently underrepresented in clinical studies assessing TNBC molecular subtypes.

Conversion of ER, PR, HER2 and Ki-67 and Prognosis in breast cancer metastases to the brain

Objective

This study aimed to analyze the expression levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and Ki-67 proliferation index in the brain metastatic lesions and primary lesions in Chinese patients with breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) and determine the correlation between their changes and patients' survival.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with BCBM. The clinical characteristic of these patients was collected. The differences in the expression levels of the ER, PR, HER-2, and Ki-67 index between the primary lesions and brain lesions were evaluated, and the association between the differences and survival was analyzed.

Results

The conversion rate of anyone receptor (ER, PR, or HER2) between the primary lesions and brain metastatic lesions was 45.0% (18/40), of which the ER inconsistency rate was 25.0%, the PR inconsistency rate was 22.5%, and the HER-2 inconsistency rate was 15.0%, and the receptor conversion resulted in a subtype conversion of 27.5% (11/40). The patients with HER-2 expression discordance between the primary lesions and the brain metastatic lesions had significantly longer survival times (58.9 vs. 26.4 months, P = 0.04) after diagnosis of brain metastases.

Conclusion

In this study, 45.0% of breast cancer patients developed biomarker-conversion between the primary lesions and brain metastatic lesions, and the differences in the expression levels of the ER, PR, and HER-2, the change in Ki-67 index between the primary lesions and brain lesions may predict patients' survival.

Leptomeningeal Metastases: New Opportunities in the Modern Era

Leptomeningeal metastases arise from cancer cell entry into the subarachnoid space, inflicting significant neurologic morbidity and mortality across a wide range of malignancies. The modern era of cancer therapeutics has seen an explosion of molecular-targeting agents and immune-mediated strategies for patients with breast, lung, and melanoma malignancies, with meaningful extracranial disease control and improvement in patient survival. However, the clinical efficacy of these agents in those with leptomeningeal metastases remains understudied, due to the relative rarity of this patient population, the investigational challenges associated with studying this dynamic disease state, and brisk disease pace. Nevertheless, retrospective studies, post hoc analyses, and small prospective trials in the last two decades provide a glimmer of hope for patients with leptomeningeal metastases, suggesting that several cancer-directed strategies are not only active in the intrathecal space but also improve survival against historical odds. The continued development of clinical trials devoted to patients with leptomeningeal metastases is critical to establish robust efficacy outcomes in this patient population, define drug pharmacokinetics in the intrathecal space, and uncover new avenues for treatment in the face of leptomeningeal therapeutic resistance.

Mitochondrial Protein Cox7b Is a Metabolic Sensor Driving Brain-Specific Metastasis of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Distant metastases are detrimental for cancer patients, but the increasingly early detection of tumors offers a chance for metastasis prevention. Importantly, cancers do not metastasize randomly: depending on the type of cancer, metastatic progenitor cells have a predilection for well-defined organs. This has been theorized by Stephen Paget, who proposed the “seed-and-soil hypothesis”, according to which metastatic colonization occurs only when the needs of a given metastatic progenitor cell (the seed) match with the resources provided by a given organ (the soil). Here, we propose to explore the seed-and-soil hypothesis in the context of cancer metabolism, thus hypothesizing that metastatic progenitor cells must be capable of detecting the availability of metabolic resources in order to home in a secondary organ. If true, it would imply the existence of metabolic sensors. Using human triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and two independent brain-seeking variants as models, we report that cyclooxygenase 7b (Cox7b), a structural component of Complex IV of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, belongs to a probably larger family of proteins responsible for breast cancer brain tropism in mice. For metastasis prevention therapy, this proof-of-principle study opens a quest for the identification of therapeutically targetable metabolic sensors that drive cancer organotropism.

Analysis of Rates of Brain Metastases and Association With Breast Cancer Subtypes in Ontario, Canada

IMPORTANCE

Approximately 1 in 7 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) will receive radiotherapy for brain metastases (BRM). Significant differences in cumulative incidence of BRM by breast cancer subtype may inform future BRM screening protocols.

OBJECTIVE

To describe cumulative incidence of BRM among patients with de novo MBC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this population-based cohort study, population health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, held at the ICES were used to identify patients diagnosed with de novo MBC between 2009 and 2018. Given that a code for BRM does not exist within ICES, we analyzed the incidence of radiotherapy for BRM. The median (IQR) follow-up was 19.3 (6.2-39.5) months. A total of 100 747 patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer between January 2009 and December 2018 were identified. Of these patients, 17 955 were excluded because they had previous or subsequent malignant neoplasms, 583 were excluded because they were younger than 18 years, 974 were excluded because there was an invalid Ontario Health Insurance Plan number or a date of death on or before the index date. Among 81 235 remaining patients, 3916 were identified as having de novo MBC.

EXPOSURES

Treatment with radiotherapy for breast cancer BRM.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Cumulative incidence of radiotherapy for BRM accounting for the competing risk of death, and time from MBC diagnosis to brain radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed for time-to-event end points. Logistic regression was used to account for confounding variables.

RESULTS

Among 3916 patients with MBC, 1215 (31.0%) had HR-positive/ERBB2 (formerly HER2)-negative cancer, 310 (7.9%) had ERBB2-positive/HR-positive cancer, 200 (5.1%) had ERBB2-positive/HR-negative cancer, 258 (6.6%) had TNBC, and the remaining 1933 patients (49.4%) had an unknown breast cancer subtype. The median (IQR) age at diagnosis was 63 (52-75). A total of 549 (14.0%) underwent stereotactic radiosurgery or whole brain radiotherapy for breast cancer BRM. Cumulative incidence of BRM was higher among patients with ERBB2-positive/HR-negative breast cancer (34.7%), ERBB2-positive/HR-positive breast cancer (28.1%), and triple-negative breast cancer (21.9%) compared to those with HR-positive/ERBB2-negative breast cancer (12.1%). The median (IQR) time from MBC diagnosis to brain radiotherapy ranged from 7.5 (2.3-17.4) months for patients with TNBC to 19.8 (12.2-35.1) months for those with ERBB2-positive/HR-positive breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Incidence and time to development of BRM vary significantly by breast cancer subtype. A better understanding of the biology of intracranial metastatic disease may help inform potential screening programs or preventative interventions.

Signaling Pathways and Natural Compounds in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, having a poor prognosis and rapid metastases. TNBC is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth receptor-2 (HER2) expressions and has a five-year survival rate. Compared to other breast cancer subtypes, TNBC patients only respond to conventional chemotherapies, and even then, with limited success. Shortages of chemotherapeutic medication can lead to resistance, pressured index therapy, non-selectivity, and severe adverse effects. Finding targeted treatments for TNBC is difficult owing to the various features of cancer. Hence, identifying the most effective molecular targets in TNBC pathogenesis is essential for predicting response to targeted therapies and preventing TNBC cell metastases. Nowadays, natural compounds have gained attention as TNBC treatments, and have offered new strategies for solving drug resistance. Here, we report a systematic review using the database from Pubmed, Science Direct, MDPI, BioScince, Springer, and Nature for articles screening from 2003 to 2022. This review analyzes relevant signaling pathways and the prospect of utilizing natural compounds as a therapeutic agent to improve TNBC treatments in the future.

Outcomes of non-metastatic triple negative breast cancers: Real-world data from a large Indian cohort

Background

Triple negative Breast tumor (TNBC) is an aggressive tumor with sparse data worldwide.

Methods

We analyzed non-metastatic TNBC from 2013 to 2019 for demographics, practice patterns, and survival by the Kaplan Meir method. Prognostic factors for OS and DFS were evaluated using Cox Proportional Hazard model estimator for univariate and multivariable analysis after checking for collinearity among the variables.

Results

There were 1297 patients with median age of 38 years; 41 (33.3%) among 123 tested were BRCA-positives. Among these 593 (45.7%) had stage III disease, 1279 (98.6%) were grade III, 165 (13.0%) had peri-nodal extension (PNE), 212 (16.0%) lympho-vascular invasion (LVI), and 21 (1.6%) were metaplastic; 1256 (96.8%) received chemotherapy including 820 (63.2%) neoadjuvant with 306 (40.0%) pCR. Grade ≥3 toxicities occurred in 155 (12.4%) including two deaths and 3 s-primaries. 1234 (95.2%) underwent surgery [722 (55.7%) breast conservations] and 1034 (79.7%) received radiotherapy.

At a median follow-up of 54 months, median disease-free (DFS) was 92.2 months and overall survival (OS) was not reached. 5-year estimated DFS and OS was 65.9% and 80.3%. There were 259 (20.0%) failures; predominantly distant (204, 15.7%) - lung (51%), liver (31.8%).

In multivariate analysis presence of LVI (HR-2.00, p-0.003), PNE (HR-2.09 p-0.003), older age (HR-1.03, p-0.002) and stage III disease (HR-4.89, p-0.027), were associated with poor OS.

Conclusion

Relatively large contemporary data of non-metastatic TNBC confirms aggressive biology and predominant advanced stage presentation which adversely affects outcomes. The data strongly indicate the unmet need for early detection to optimize care.

•

TNBC affects young women and majority are locally advanced at presentation.

•

Multimodal management achieves favorable survival with limited resources.

•

Most relapses are at distant visceral sites, outcomes dismal after relapse.

•

Challenges in implementing resource intensive interventions.

Triple-negative breast cancer prevalence in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype disproportionately affects women of African ancestry across the diaspora, but its frequency across Africa has not been widely studied. This study seeks to estimate the frequency of TNBC among African populations.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, African Journals Online and Web of Science were searched on 25 April 2021.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

We included studies that use breast cancer tissue samples from indigenous African women with sample size of eligible participants ≥40 and full receptor status for all three receptors (oestrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)) reported.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the modified assessment tool by Hoy et al. (2012) for prevalence studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and data were pooled using the inverse-variance method and logit transformation. Pooled frequencies were reported with 95% CIs calculated with the Clopper-Pearson method and heterogeneity quantified with I² statistic. GRADE assessed the certainty of the evidence.

RESULTS

1808 potentially eligible studies were identified of which 67 were included in the systematic review and 60 were included in the meta- analysis. Pooled TNBC frequency across African countries represented was estimated to be 27.0%; 95% CI: 24.0% to 30.2%, I²=94%. Pooled TNBC frequency was highest across West Africa, 45.7% (n=15, 95% CI: 38.8% to 52.8%, I²=91%) and lowest in Central Africa, 14.9% (n=1, 95% CI: 8.9 % to 24.1%). Estimates for TNBC were higher for studies that used Allred guidelines for ER/PR status compared with American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO)/College of American Pathologists(CAP) guidelines, and for studies that used older versions of ASCO/CAP guidelines for assessing HER2 status. Certainty of evidence was assessed to be very low using GRADE approach.

CONCLUSION

TNBC frequency was variable with the highest frequency reported in West Africa. Greater emphasis should be placed on establishing protocols for assessing receptor status due to the variability among studies.

The Clinical Frailty Scale as useful tool in patients with brain metastases

PURPOSE

The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) evaluates patients' level of frailty on a scale from 1 to 9 and is commonly used in geriatric medicine, intensive care and orthopedics. The aim of our study was to reveal whether the CFS allows a reliable prediction of overall survival (OS) in patients after surgical treatment of brain metastases (BM) compared to the Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS).

METHODS

Patients operated for BM were included. CFS and KPS were retrospectively assessed pre- and postoperatively and at follow-up 3-6 months after resection.

RESULTS

205 patients with a follow-up of 22.8 months (95% CI 18.4-27.1) were evaluated. CFS showed a median of 3 ("managing well"; IqR 2-4) at all 3 assessment-points. Median KPS was 80 preoperatively (IqR 80-90) and 90 postoperatively (IqR 80-100) as well as at follow-up after 3-6 months. CFS correlated with KPS both preoperatively (r = - 0.92; p < 0.001), postoperatively (r = - 0.85; p < 0.001) and at follow-up (r = - 0.93; p < 0.001). The CFS predicted the expected reduction of OS more reliably than the KPS at all 3 assessments. A one-point increase (worsening) of the preoperative CFS translated into a 30% additional hazard to decease (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.15-1.46; p < 0.001). A one-point increase in postoperative and at follow-up CFS represents a 39% (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.25-1.54; p < 0.001) and of 42% risk (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.27-1.59; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The CFS is a feasible, simple and reliable scoring system in patients undergoing resection of brain metastasis. The CFS 3-6 months after surgery specifies the expected OS more accurately than the KPS.

The double agents in liquid biopsy: promoter and informant biomarkers of early metastases in breast cancer

Breast cancer continues to be a major global problem with significant mortality associated with advanced stage and metastases at clinical presentation. However, several findings suggest that metastasis is indeed an early occurrence. The standard diagnostic techniques such as invasive core needle biopsy, serological protein marker assays, and non-invasive radiological imaging do not provide information about the presence and molecular profile of small fractions of early metastatic tumor cells which are prematurely dispersed in the circulatory system. These circulating tumor cells (CTCs) diverge from the primary tumors as clusters with a defined secretome comprised of circulating cell-free nucleic acids and small microRNAs (miRNAs). These circulatory biomarkers provide a blueprint of the mutational profile of the tumor burden and tumor associated alterations in the molecular signaling pathways involved in oncogenesis. Amidst the multitude of circulatory biomarkers, miRNAs serve as relatively stable and precise biomarkers in the blood for the early detection of CTCs, and promote step-wise disease progression by executing paracrine signaling that transforms the microenvironment to guide the metastatic CTCs to anchor at a conducive new organ. Random sampling of easily accessible patient blood or its serum/plasma derivatives and other bodily fluids collectively known as liquid biopsy (LB), forms an efficient alternative to tissue biopsies. In this review, we discuss in detail the divergence of early metastases as CTCs and the involvement of miRNAs as detectable blood-based diagnostic biomarkers that warrant a timely screening of cancer, serial monitoring of therapeutic response, and the dynamic molecular adaptations induced by miRNAs on CTCs in guiding primary and second-line systemic therapy.

TrMab-6 Exerts Antitumor Activity in Mouse Xenograft Models of Breast Cancers

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) has been reported to be overexpressed in many cancers, and is involved in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. We previously developed a highly sensitive anti-TROP2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (clone TrMab-6; mouse IgG_2b, kappa) using a Cell-Based Immunization and Screening method. TrMab-6 is useful for investigations using flow cytometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry and possesses antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) against TROP2-expressing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, such as MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468. This study investigated whether TrMab-6 possesses in vivo antitumor activities via ADCC/CDC activities using mouse xenograft models of TNBC cell lines. In vivo experiments on MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 xenografts revealed that TrMab-6 significantly reduced tumor growth compared with normal mouse IgG treatment. The findings of this study suggest that TrMab-6 is a promising treatment option for TROP2-expressing TNBC.

Central Nervous System Metastases from Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current Treatments and Future Prospective

It is estimated that approximately one-third of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) will develop brain metastases. The prognosis for patients with breast cancer brain metastasis has improved in the recent past, especially for hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER) positive subtypes. However, the overall survival rate for patients with triple-negative subtype remains poor. The development of newer treatment options, including antibody-drug conjugates such as Sacituzumab govitecan, is particularly encouraging. This article reviews the clinical outcomes, challenges, and current approach to the treatment of brain metastasis in TNBC. We have also briefly discussed newer treatment options and ongoing clinical trials. The development of brain metastasis significantly decreases the quality of life of patients with TNBC, and newer treatment strategies and therapeutics are the need of the hour for this disease subgroup.

Association of Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Expression with Breast Cancer Metastasis in Iran

BACKGROUND

Metastasis is an important factor in the survival estimate of patients with breast cancer. The present study aimed to examine the frequency of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in relation to the metastatic site, pattern, and tumor size in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients diagnosed with MBC at Motahari Clinic (Shiraz, Iran) during 2017-2019 were examined. Metastasis was confirmed using computed tomography, and a total of 276 patients were included in the study. Based on the expression of receptors, the patients were categorized into luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and TNBC groups. The frequency and percentage of receptors in relation to the metastatic site, size, and pattern were compared using the Chi square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The frequency of receptor positivity in the 276 selected medical records were of the subtype HER2-enriched (n=48), luminal A (n=43), luminal B (n=146), and TNBC (n=39). The most common metastatic sites were the bones (47.1%), lungs (34.4%), liver (27.9%), brain (20.3%), and other organs (12.7%). The first site of metastasis occurred in the bones (36.6%), lungs (17.4%), liver (15.6%), brain (10.5%), and other organs (7.6%). The frequency of receptor expression was different in relation to the first metastatic site (P=0.024). There was a statistically significant difference between the frequency of receptor expression in patients with bone (P=0.036), brain (P=0.031), and lung (P=0.020) metastases. The frequency of receptor expression was also significantly different in relation to the size of liver metastasis (P=0.009). Luminal A and B subtypes showed higher rates of bone metastasis as the first metastatic site.

CONCLUSION

The difference in the frequency of receptor expression in relation to the metastatic site and tumor size can be used as predictive and prognostic factors in patients with breast cancer.

Overexpression of GABRP Gene in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Interpretation

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease that characterized by aggressiveness features with increased metastasis and poor clinical prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this highly malignant phenotype are still poorly understood. It has been well documented that the dysregulation of neural genes is profoundly implicated in cancer development and metastasis. Objectives: In the present study, the expression level of GABA receptor π subunit (GABRP) as the most up-regulated gene in TNBC and a hub node in the co-expression network were investigated. Methods: In this study, the importance of GABRP as the most up-regulated gene in TNBC was discovered through integrative analysis of multiple microarray expression datasets, containing about 1000 samples. Furthermore, the co-expression network analysis was constructed based on the up-regulated genes. Quantitative Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate of the GABRP expression in 50 TNBC compared to 33 non-TNBC tumors. Results: According to the bioinformatics analysis, GABRP occupies a key position in the co-expression network which is mainly enriched in the nervous systems development. The qRT-PCR results indicated that up-regulation of GABRP was highly concordant with integrative analysis findings. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that GABRP can be a potential biomarker to distinguish TNBC from non-TNBC samples. Conclusions: Our study revealed that up-regulation of GABRP is among the most remarkable molecular signature in TNBC and may play a critical role in tumorigenesis. The results may provide a deeper insight into molecular mechanisms underlying the brain metastasis in TNBC tumors and propose the potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

Characterization of Treatments and Disease Course for Women with Breast Cancer Brain Metastases: 5-Year Retrospective Single Institution Experience

Purpose

Around 30% of patients with breast cancer will develop brain metastases (BM). We sought to characterize the disease course, treatments and outcome for our patient cohort.

Materials and Methods

We extracted clinicopathological data from electronic records from January 2015 to December 2020. Results were generated using SPSS statistics v27.

Results

We identified 98 patients. Median overall survival (OS) from BM diagnosis was 3 months [hormone receptor (HR)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–], 8 months [HR+/HER2+], 7 months [HR–/HER2+] and 2 months [triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)]. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) (n=48, 70%) was most frequently used followed by surgery (n=15, 22%) and stereotactic radiosurgery (n=6, 8%). In patients who received WBRT alone (n=40) the median OS post WBRT was 2.6 months.

Conclusion

After BM development, half of the patients had systemic therapy and 70% had local therapy, but only the HER2 subgroup had a prolonged OS likely reflecting central nervous system (CNS) activity of anti-HER2 drugs. TNBC patients had the worst prognosis. Although our cohort is small, OS was >1 year for 60% of HER2+ patients who received trastuzumab emtansine after BM development, which is encouraging for antibody drug conjugates and CNS activity. Patients who received WBRT had a higher burden of CNS disease and had an OS of less than 3 months.

Analysis of the pan-Asian subgroup of patients in the NALA Trial: a randomized phase III NALA Trial comparing neratinib+capecitabine (N+C) vs lapatinib+capecitabine (L+C) in patients with HER2+metastatic breast cancer (mBC) previously treated with two or more HER2-directed regimens

PURPOSE

Neratinib, an irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated systemic efficacy and intracranial activity in various stages of HER2+breast cancer. NALA was a phase III randomized trial that assessed the efficacy and safety of neratinib+capecitabine (N+C) against lapatinib+capecitabine (L+C) in HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients who had received ≥ 2 HER2-directed regimens. Descriptive analysis results of the Asian subgroup in the NALA study are reported herein.

METHODS

621 centrally assessed HER2+ mBC patients were enrolled, 202 of whom were Asian. Those with stable, asymptomatic brain metastases (BM) were eligible for study entry. Patients were randomized 1:1 to N (240 mg qd) + C (750 mg/m² bid, day 1-14) with loperamide prophylaxis or to L (1250 mg qd) + C (1000 mg/m² bid, day 1-14) in 21-day cycles. Co-primary endpoints were centrally assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included time to intervention for central nervous system (CNS) disease, objective response rate, duration of response (DoR), clinical benefit rate, and safety.

RESULTS

104 and 98 Asian patients were randomly assigned to receive N+C or L+C, respectively. Median PFS of N+C and L+C was 7.0 and 5.4 months (P = 0.0011), respectively. Overall cumulative incidence of intervention for CNS disease was lower with N+C (27.9 versus 33.8%; P = 0.039). Both median OS (23.8 versus 18.7 months; P = 0.185) and DoR (11.1 versus 4.2 months; P < 0.0001) were extended with N+C, compared to L+C. The incidences of grade 3/4 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and TEAEs leading to treatment discontinuation were mostly comparable between the two arms. Diarrhea and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia were the most frequent TEAEs in both arms, similar to the overall population in incidence and severity.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with the efficacy profile observed in the overall study population, Asian patients with HER2+ mBC, who had received ≥ 2 HER2-directed regimens, may also benefit from N+C. No new safety signals were noted.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT01808573.

Life after Cell Death-Survival and Survivorship Following Chemotherapy

Simple Summary

Treatment of aggressive cancers often relies on chemotherapy. This treatment has improved survival rates, but while effective at killing cancer cells, inevitably it also kills or alters the function of others. While many of the known effects are transient and resolve after treatment, as survival rates increase, so does our understanding of the long-term health costs that accompany cancer survivors. Here we provide an overview of common long-term morbidities known to be caused by conventional chemotherapy, including the risk of relapse, but more importantly, the cost of quality of life experienced, especially by those who have cancer in early life. We aim to highlight the importance of the development of targeted therapies to replace the use of conventional chemotherapy, but also that of treating the patients along with the disease to enable not only longer but also healthier life after cancer.

Abstract

To prevent cancer cells replacing and outnumbering their functional somatic counterparts, the most effective solution is their removal. Classical treatments rely on surgical excision, chemical or physical damage to the cancer cells by conventional interventions such as chemo- and radiotherapy, to eliminate or reduce tumour burden. Cancer treatment has in the last two decades seen the advent of increasingly sophisticated therapeutic regimens aimed at selectively targeting cancer cells whilst sparing the remaining cells from severe loss of viability or function. These include small molecule inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies and a myriad of compounds that affect metabolism, angiogenesis or immunotherapy. Our increased knowledge of specific cancer types, stratified diagnoses, genetic and molecular profiling, and more refined treatment practices have improved overall survival in a significant number of patients. Increased survival, however, has also increased the incidence of associated challenges of chemotherapy-induced morbidity, with some pathologies developing several years after termination of treatment. Long-term care of cancer survivors must therefore become a focus in itself, such that along with prolonging life expectancy, treatments allow for improved quality of life.

The incidence of brain metastases among patients with metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are living longer, but the development of brain metastases often limits their survival. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the incidence of brain metastases in this patient population.

METHODS

Articles published from January 2000 to January 2020 were compiled from four databases using search terms related to breast cancer, brain metastasis, and incidence. The overall and per patient-year incidence of brain metastases were extracted from studies including patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+), triple negative, and hormone receptor (HR)+/hormone receptor negative (HER2-) MBC; pooled overall estimates for incidence were calculated using random effects models.

RESULTS

937 articles were compiled, and 25 were included in the meta-analysis. Incidence of brain metastases in patients with HER2+ MBC, triple negative MBC, and HR+/HER2- MBC was reported in 17, 6, and 4 studies, respectively. The pooled cumulative incidence of brain metastases was 31% for the HER2+ subgroup (median follow-up: 30.7 months, IQR: 24.0-34.0), 32% for the triple negative subgroup (median follow-up: 32.8 months, IQR: 18.5-40.6), and 15% among patients with HR+/HER2- MBC (median follow-up: 33.0 months, IQR: 31.9-36.2). The corresponding incidences per patient-year were 0.13 (95% CI: 0.10-0.16) for the HER2+ subgroup, 0.13 (95%CI: 0.09-0.20) for the triple negative subgroup, and only 0.05 (95%CI: 0.03-0.08) for patients with HR+/HER2- MBC.

CONCLUSION

There is a high incidence of brain metastases among patients with HER2+ and triple negative MBC. The utility of a brain metastases screening program warrants investigation in these populations.

Neoplastic cerebral aneurysm from triple-negative breast cancer: A case report

Background:

We present a rare case of a ruptured neoplastic aneurysms (NCA) caused by metastatic spread of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in a female patient in her 60s. The patient had a medical history of TNBC and presented to the emergency department after experiencing 3 days of persistent headache.

Case Description:

Head computed tomography (CT) revealed a small volume subarachnoid hemorrhage and digital subtraction angiography revealed a 3.9 x 3.5 x 4.2 mm aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm involving the left middle cerebral artery. The aneurysm was successfully clipped and resected, and histopathological examination confirmed triple-negative invasive ductal breast carcinoma within the aneurysm. Six weeks after surgery, she underwent stereotactic radiosurgery and began treatment with chemotherapy. Four months later, the patient presented once again with acute severe headache, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple small lesions within the brain parenchyma, compatible with new metastatic deposits. The patient was subsequently treated with whole-brain radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Over the ensuing 4 months, CT revealed progression of malignancy in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy were terminated, and the patient unfortunately succumbed to her disease 6 months later.

Conclusion:

In patients with NCA with poor prognosis due to aggressive brain metastases, treatments that improve quality of life and survival time should be favored.

Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer: The New Era of Thinking

The heterogeneity of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is reflected in a bizarre response to therapy. Although it is chemotherapy sensitive, the failure is the usual pathway either in local or distance status. With progression in Gene Expression Profile (GEP) and other molecular techniques, TNBC is divided into sub-types with unique pathways. In the current review, we are trying to highlight based on the molecular classification of TNBC and the management based on every type.

Development of new brain metastases in triple negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Brain metastases are common in patients with breast cancer, and those with triple negative status have an even higher risk. Triple negative status is currently not considered when managing brain metastases.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with brain metastases have a higher burden of intracranial disease and whether WBRT has a survival benefit in this cohort of patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study with 85 patients meeting the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

25% of patients had TNBC. 95% of the patients in this study received SRS and 48% received WBRT. The average number of new brain metastases from time of initial brain imaging to radiation therapy was 0.67 ± 1.1 in the non-TNBC status patients and 2.6 ± 3.7 in the triple negative status patients (p = 0.001). A cox proportional hazards model showed that WBRT does not significantly affect overall survival in patients with TNBC (HR 1.48; 95% CI 0.47-4.67; p = 0.50).

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the highly aggressive intracranial nature of TNBC. The rate of new brain metastasis formation is higher in TNBC patients compared to non-TNBC patients. Furthermore, there is no survival benefit for WBRT in TNBC patients. These findings are relevant for clinicians planning brain radiation for TNBC patients as they may find more brain metastases at the time of brain radiation than they anticipated based on initial brain imaging.

Overview of recent advances in metastatic triple negative breast cancer

Metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has an aggressive phenotype with a predilection for visceral organs and brain. Best responses to chemotherapy are predominately in the first line. Recent studies have demonstrated improved progression free survival with the combination of atezolizumab/pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in programmed death-ligand 1 positive metastatic TNBC. However, a recent trial in a similar population showed no benefit for atezoli-zumab and paclitaxel which led to a Food and Drug Administration alert. Two phase III trials (OLYMPIAD and BROCADE3) demonstrated a benefit in progression free survival (PFS) but not overall survival in patients with BRCA-associated metastatic TNBC treated with Olaparib or Talazoparib respectively. For those treated with Talazoparib, the time to deterioration in health related-quality of life was also longer compared to chemotherapy. The BROCADE3 trial demonstrated that the combination of a platinum and veliparib increased PFS in first-line metastatic TNBC but at the cost of increased toxicity. There are no head-to-head comparisons of a poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) and platinums. There are unanswered questions regarding the role of PARPi maintenance after platinum therapy as is standard of care in BRCA-associated ovarian cancer. Other areas of therapeutic interest include targeting aberrations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway, protein kinase B, mammalian target of rapamycin or utilising antibody drug conjugates. This review focusses on recent and emerging therapeutic options in metastatic TNBC. We searched PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov and recent international meetings from American Society of Clinical Oncology, San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference and the European Society of Medical Oncology.

Tamoxifen suppresses brain metastasis of estrogen receptor-deficient breast cancer by skewing microglia polarization and enhancing their immune functions

Background

Brain metastasis of breast cancer exhibits exceedingly poor prognosis, and both triple negative (TN) and Her2⁺ subtypes have the highest incidence of brain metastasis. Although estrogen blockers are considered to be ineffective for their treatment, recent evidence indicates that estrogen blockade using tamoxifen showed certain efficacy. However, how estrogen affects brain metastasis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains elusive.

Methods

To examine the effect of estrogen on brain metastasis progression, nude mice were implanted with brain metastatic cells and treated with either estrogen supplement, tamoxifen, or ovariectomy for estrogen depletion. For clinical validation study, brain metastasis specimens from pre- and post-menopause breast cancer patients were examined for microglia polarization by immunohistochemistry. To examine the estrogen-induced M2 microglia polarization, microglia cells were treated with estrogen, and the M1/M2 microglia polarization was detected by qRT-PCR and FACS. The estrogen receptor-deficient brain metastatic cells, SkBrM and 231BrM, were treated with conditioned medium (CM) derived from microglia that were treated with estrogen in the presence or absence of tamoxifen. The effect of microglia-derived CM on tumor cells was examined by colony formation assay and sphere forming ability.

Results

We found that M2 microglia were abundantly infiltrated in brain metastasis of pre-menopausal breast cancer patients. A similar observation was made in vivo, when we treated mice systemically with estrogen. Blocking of estrogen signaling either by tamoxifen treatment or surgical resection of mice ovaries suppressed M2 microglial polarization and decreased the secretion of C-C motif chemokine ligand 5, resulting in suppression of brain metastasis. The estrogen modulation also suppressed stemness in TNBC cells in vitro. Importantly, estrogen enhanced the expression of signal regulatory protein α on microglia and restricted their phagocytic ability.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that estrogen promotes brain metastasis by skewing polarity of M2 microglia and inhibiting their phagocytic ability, while tamoxifen suppresses brain metastasis by blocking the M2 polarization of microglia and increasing their anti-tumor phagocytic ability. Our results also highlight a potential therapeutic utility of tamoxifen for treating brain metastasis of hormone receptor-deficient breast cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-021-01412-z.

Incidence, risk factors and survival of patients with brain metastases at initial metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in China

Purpose

To characterize the incidence, risk factors and survival of patients with brain metastases at initial diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in China.

Methods

The China National Cancer Center database was used to identify 2087 MBC patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2015. Clinicopathological features, treatment and survival information were extracted. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression were performed to determine factors predictive of brain metastases at MBC diagnosis and survival, respectively.

Results

Brain metastases occurred in ninety patients (4.3%) at MBC diagnosis, and in 27 patients (2.5%), 42 patients (7.2%) and 21 patients (5.2%) with hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR + HER2-), HER2-positive and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), respectively. HER2-positive subtype (OR = 2.38; 95% CI 1.40–4.04; p < 0.0001), TNBC subtype (OR = 1.89; 95% CI 1.02–3.51; p = 0.005), and metastases to all three sites of bone, liver and lungs (OR = 3.23; 95% CI 1.52–6.87; p = 0.002) were shown to increase the risk of BM at MBC diagnosis. Median survival after BM was 23.7 months. First-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) improved survival compared to trastuzumab-based regimen (44.9 vs 35.4 months, p = 0.09). Factors that independently decreased BM death risk were ECOG<2, brain metastases only and multidisciplinary treatment.

Conclusion

HER2-positive and TNBC subtypes have a higher incidence of BM at initial MBC diagnosis. Brain screening might be considered in patients with HER2-positive disease at MBC diagnosis, and further prospective randomized study is warranted.

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Large retrospective analysis focusing on patients with BM at initial MBC diagnosis.

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HER2-positive subtype presented with the highest incidence of BM at initial MBC diagnosis.

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Patients with brain metastases only and receiving multidisciplinary treatment have a superior OS.

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Brain screening might be considered in HER2-positive patients with BM at MBC diagnosis.

A risk stratification model for predicting brain metastasis and brain screening benefit in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) frequently experience brain metastasis. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors and construct a nomogram for predicting brain metastasis possibility and brain screening benefit in mTNBC patients.

METHODS

Patients with mTNBC treated at our institution between January 2011 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Fine and Gray's competing risks model was used to identify independent prognostic factors. By integrating these prognostic factors, a competing risk nomogram and risk stratification model were developed and evaluated with concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves.

RESULTS

A total of 472 patients were retrospectively analyzed, including 305 patients in the training set, 78 patients in the validation set I and 89 patients in the validation set II. Four clinicopathological factors were identified as independent prognostic factors in the nomogram: lung metastasis, number of metastatic organ sites, hilar/mediastinal lymph node metastasis and KI-67 index. The C-indexes and calibration plots showed that the nomogram exhibited a sufficient level of discrimination. A risk stratification was further generated to divide all the patients into three prognostic groups. The cumulative incidence of brain metastasis at 18 months was 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5%-9.7%) for patients in the low-risk group, while 14.3% (95% CI, 9.3%-20.4%) for patients with intermediate risk and 34.3% (95% CI, 26.8%-41.9%) for patients with high risk. Routine brain MRI screening improved overall survival in high-risk group (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46-0.98, P = .039), but not in low-risk group (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.57-1.49, P = .751) and intermediate-risk group (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.55-1.27, P = .386).

CONCLUSIONS

We have developed a robust tool that is able to predict subsequent brain metastasis in mTNBC patients. Our model will allow selection of patients at high risk for brain metastasis who might benefit from routine bran MRI screening.

Central nervous system metastases in breast cancer: the impact of age on patterns of development and outcome

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to explore differences in the pattern and outcome of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in breast cancer by age at diagnosis.

METHODS

A retrospective database of a tertiary cancer center yielded 174 consecutive patients with breast cancer who were diagnosed with CNS metastases in 2006-2019. Data on histopathology, characteristics of CNS involvement, treatments, and survival (at three time points during the disease course) were compared between patients aged ≤ 45 and > 45 years. Pearson Chi-square or Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank test were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Study population was divided according to age at diagnosis of breast cancer. 65 patients were ≤ 45 years old and 109 patients > 45 years old. The younger group was characterized by longer median overall survival (117.1 months vs 88 months, p = 0.017) and longer interval between breast cancer diagnosis to development of CNS metastases (97.4 months vs 75.9 months, p = 0.026). Median survival after development of CNS disease was not significantly different (18.7 months vs 11.1 months, p = 0.341), although it was significantly longer in younger patients within the subgroup of patients with triple-negative disease (22.5 vs 7.9 months, p = 0.033). There were no between-group differences in number, location, and clinical presentation of CNS metastases or in systemic and CNS-directed treatment approaches.

CONCLUSION

While the presentation of CNS involvement was similar between the different age groups, younger patients had significantly longer CNS-free interval and longer overall survival, and for the subgroups of triple-negative patients, younger age at breast cancer diagnosis was associated with longer survival after diagnosis of CNS disease.