Overview of the pathological results and treatment characteristics in the first 1000 patients randomized in the SERC trial: axillary dissection versus no axillary dissection in patients with involved sentinel node

[Breast cancer radiation therapy: Current questions in 2023]

Radiation therapy is a corner stone of breast cancer treatment as it has been shown postoperatively that it improves local control and overall survival. In recent years, multidisciplinary therapeutic strategies have evolved considerably for early-stage breast cancer, both surgically and in terms of systemic treatments or radiation therapy. Each of these developments affects other treatment components and open up new questions allowing even more personalized treatments. Essentially normofractionated a few years ago, breast radiation therapy is today very largely moderately or even ultra hypofractionated. De-escalation of the surgery of the axilla has changed the indications for lymph node radiation therapy keeping similar efficacy with reduced toxicity. Indications for radiation therapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy remain based on pre-chemotherapy staging pending the results of ongoing randomized studies. The addition of a boost to the tumor bed significantly reduces the risk of local recurrence, but the magnitude of this benefit decreases with increasing age. The main risk factors for local recurrence are young age, the associated extended ductal in situ component, hormone receptor negative and high-grade status. The results of the simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) seem similar with normo- or moderately hypofractionated radiation therapy regimen.

The need to tailor the omission of axillary lymph node dissection to patients with good prognosis and sentinel node micro-metastases

BACKGROUND

Results of IBCSG-23-01-trial which included breast cancer patients with involved sentinel nodes (SN) by isolated-tumor-cells or micro-metastases supported the non-inferiority of completion axillary-lymph-node-dissection (cALND) omission. However, current data are considered insufficient to avoid cALND for all patients with SN-micro-metastases.

METHODS

To investigate the impact of cALND omission on disease-free-survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), we analyzed a cohort of 1421 patients <75 years old with SN-micro-metastases who underwent breast conservative surgery (BCS). We used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to obtain adjusted Kaplan-Meier estimators representing the experience in the analysis cohort, based on whether all or none had been subject to cALND omission.

RESULTS

Weighted log-rank tests comparing adjusted Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed significant differences in OS (p-value = 0.002) and borderline significant differences in DFS (p-value = 0.090) between cALND omission versus cALND. Cox's regression using stabilized IPTW evidenced an average increase in the risk of death associated with cALND omission (HR = 2.77, CI95% = 1.36-5.66). Subgroup analyses suggest that the rates of recurrence and death associated with cALND omission increase substantially after a large period of time in the half sample of women less likely to miss cALND.

CONCLUSIONS

Using IPTW to estimate the causal treatment effect of cALND in a large retrospective cohort, we concluded cALND omission is associated with an increased risk of recurrence and death in women of <75 years old treated by BCS in the absence of a large consensus in favor of omitting cALND. These results are particularly contributive for patients treated by BCS where cALND omission rates increase over time.

Mastectomy and Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Pre-Pectoral or Sub-Pectoral Implant: Assessing Clinical Practice, Post-Surgical Outcomes, Patient's Satisfaction and Cost

Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) rates increase during last years and implant-based reconstruction was the most commonly performed procedure. We examined data collected over 25 months to assess complication rate, duration of surgery, patient's satisfaction and cost, according to pre-pectoral or sub-pectoral implant-IBR. All patients who received an implant-IBR, from January 2020 to January 2022, were included. Results were compared between pre-pectoral and sub-pectoral implant-IBR in univariate and multivariate analysis. We performed 316 implant-IBR, 218 sub-pectoral and 98 (31%) pre-pectoral. Pre-pectoral implant-IBR was significantly associated with the year (2021: OR=12.08 and 2022: OR=76.6), the surgeons and type of mastectomy (SSM vs NSM: OR=0.377). Complications and complications Grade 2-3 rates were 12.9% and 10.1% for sub-pectoral implant-IBR respectively, without significant difference with pre-pectoral implant-IBR: 17.3% and 13.2%. Complications Grade 2-3 were significantly associated with age <50-years (OR=2.27), ASA-2 status (OR=3.63) and cup-size >C (OR=3.08), without difference between pre and sub-pectoral implant-IBR. Durations of surgery were significantly associated with cup-size C and >C (OR=1.72 and 2.80), with sentinel lymph-node biopsy and axillary dissection (OR=3.66 and 9.59) and with sub-pectoral implant-IBR (OR=2.088). Median hospitalization stay was 1 day, without difference between pre and sub-pectoral implant-IBR. Cost of surgery was significantly associated with cup-size > C (OR=2.216) and pre-pectoral implant-IBR (OR=8.02). Bad-medium satisfaction and IBR-failure were significantly associated with local recurrence (OR=8.820), post-mastectomy radiotherapy (OR=1.904) and sub-pectoral implant-IBR (OR=2.098).

Conclusion

Complications were not different between pre and sub-pectoral implant-IBR. Pre-pectoral implant-IBR seems a reliable and faster technique with better patient satisfaction but with higher cost.

Survival and recurrence with or without axillary dissection in patients with invasive breast cancer and sentinel node metastasis

To evaluate overall survival and locoregional recurrence between patients with invasive breast tumours and sentinel node metastasis undergoing sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) alone and those undergoing complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of patients with invasive breast carcinoma who underwent lumpectomy at a public university hospital in Brazil between 2008 and 2018. We evaluated the overall survival and the locoregional recurrence using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, respectively. Overall, 97 participants who underwent lumpectomy were enroled; 41 in the ALND group, and 56 in the SLND group, according to Z0011 criteria. Only 17% of the patients in the ALND group had an additional biopsy-proven axillary disease, and 83% were treated with complete dissection unnecessarily. The 5-year survival rates were 80.1% and 87.5% for SLND and ALND, respectively (p = 0.376). Locoregional recurrence was rare (1.7% and 7.3% in the SLND and ALND, respectively; p = 0.3075). Overall survival and locoregional recurrence were similar between the two groups. The de-escalation of ALND to SLND in women with metastasis in the sentinel lymph node treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy that meet the Z0011 criteria is feasible even in developing countries.

Axillary surgery in node-positive breast cancer

Long-term follow-up data from multicenter phase III non-inferiority trials confirmed the safety of omission of axillary dissection in selected patients with clinically node-negative, sentinel node-positive breast cancer. Several ongoing trials investigate extended eligibility of the Z0011 protocol in the adjuvant setting. De-escalation of axillary surgery in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer is currently limited to the neoadjuvant setting, where the sentinel procedure is used to determine nodal pathological complete response. Targeted axillary dissection lowers the false-negative rate of the sentinel procedure, which, however, is consistently associated with a very low risk of axillary recurrence in several recent single-center series. Axillary dissection remains standard care in patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy while the results of Alliance A011202 are pending. The TAXIS trial investigates the role of tailored axillary surgery in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer, a novel concept designed to selectively remove positive nodes in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant setting.

Axillary dissection versus axillary observation for low risk, clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

1. To systematically analyse studies comparing survival outcomes between axillary lymph-node dissection (ALND) and axilla observation (Obs), in women with low-risk, clinically node-negative breast cancer. 2. To consider results in the context of current axillary surgery de-escalation trials and studies.

Methods

9 eligible studies were identified, 6 RCTs and 3 non-randomized studies (4236 women in total). Outcomes assessed: overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The logged (ln) hazard ratio (HR) was calculated and used as the statistic of interest. Data was grouped by follow-up.

Results

Meta-analyses found no significant difference in OS at 5, 10 and 25-years follow-up (5-year ln HR = 0.08, 95% CI − 0.09, 0.25, 10-year ln HR =  0.33, 95% CI − 0.07, 0.72, 25-year ln HR = 0.00, 95% CI − 0.18, 0.19). ALND caused improvement in DFS at 5-years follow-up (ln HR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03, 0.29), this was not demonstrated at 10 and 25-years follow-up (10-year ln HR = 0.07, 95% CI − 0.09, 0.23, 25-year ln HR = − 0.03, 95% CI − 0.21, 0.16). Studies supporting ALND for DFS at 5-years follow-up had greater relative chemotherapy use in the ALND cohort.

Conclusion

ALND does not cause a significant improvement in OS in women with clinically node-negative breast cancer. ALND may improve DFS in the short term by tailoring a proportion of patients towards chemotherapy. Our evidence suggests that when the administration of systemic therapy is balanced between the two arms, axillary de-escalation studies will likely find no difference in OS or DFS.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12282-021-01273-6.

Lymph nodal radiotherapy in breast cancer: what are the unresolved issues?

Introduction: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the gold standard in invasive breast cancer. Axillary dissection (ALND) is controversial in some presentations.Areas covered: Key questions were formulated and explored focused on four different scenarios in adjuvant axillary radiation management in early and locally advanced breast cancer. Answers to these questions were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed from June 1946 to August 2020. Clinical trials, retrospective studies, international guidelines, meta-analysis, and reviews were explored.Expert opinion: Analysis according to biological disease characteristics is necessary to establish the impact of ALND avoidance in unexpectedly positive SLNB (pN1) in cN0 patients. A low-risk probability of axillary recurrence was observed if axillary radiotherapy (ART) or ALND were offered without impact on outcomes. Adjuvant RNI in pT1-3 pN1 treated with mastectomy or BCS should be proposed in unfavorable disease and risk factors. In ycN0 after NACT, SLNB can be offered in selected cases or ALND should be performed. After SLNB post-NACT (ypN1), ALND and adjuvant radiotherapy are mandatory.

Robotic Versus Conventional Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Immediate Breast Reconstruction

Background

Several studies reported the feasibility and safety of robotic-NSM (R-NSM). The aim of our prospective study was to compare R-NSM and conventional-NSM (C-NSM).

Methods

We analyzed patients who were operated on with and without robotic assistance (R-NSM or C-NSM) and who received immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) with implant or latissimus dorsi-flap (LDF). The main objective was complication rate and secondary aims were post-operative length of hospitalization (POLH), duration of surgery, and cost.

Results

We analyzed 87 R-NSM and 142 C-NSM with implant-IBR in 50 and 135 patients, with LDF-IBR in 37 and 7 patients, respectively. Higher durations of surgery and costs were observed for R-NSM, without a difference in POLH and interval time to adjuvant therapy between R-NSM and C-NSM. In the multivariate analysis, R-NSM was not associated with a higher breast complication rate (OR=0.608) and significant factors were breast cup-size, LDF combined with implant-IBR, tobacco and inversed-T incision. Grade 2-3 breast complications rate were 13% for R-NSM and 17.3% for C-NSM, significantly higher for LDF combined with implant-IBR, areolar/radial incisions and BMI>=30. A predictive score was calculated (AUC=0.754). In logistic regression, patient's satisfaction between C-NSM and R-NSM were not significantly different, with unfavorable results for BMI >=25 (OR=2.139), NSM for recurrence (OR=5.371) and primary breast cancer with radiotherapy (OR=4.533). A predictive score was calculated. In conclusion, our study confirms the comparable clinical outcome between C- NSM and R-NSM, in the price of longer surgery and higher cost for R-NSM. Predictive scores of breast complications and satisfaction were significantly associated with factors known in the pre-operative period.

Mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction: Results of a mono-centric 4-years cohort

Introduction

Oncological safety, quality of life and cosmetic outcomes seems to be similar between breast conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). We report our experience of IBR for consecutive mastectomies realized in a recent period of four years in order to determined immediate surgical results according to type of mastectomy and type of reconstruction, as mains objectives.

Methods

All mastectomies with IBR during years 2016–2019 were included. A retrospective analysis with prospective data collection was performed.

Results

We analyzed 748 IBR: 353 nipple-sparing mastectomies (NSM), 391 skin-sparing mastectomies (SSM) and 4 standard mastectomies, 551 with definitive implant or expanders and 196 with latissimus dorsi-flap (LDF). More NSM were performed during the 2 last years and more LDF were performed for high BMI, high breast cup-size, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy and local recurrence. We realized 111 robotic NSM and 125 robotic LDF. Longer duration of surgery was significantly associated with the robotic procedures.

The overall complications crude rate was 31.4% with 9.9% of re-operations and 5.8% of implant loss. Grade 2–3 complications were significantly associated with smoking. Breast complications occurred in 32.9% of mastectomies with principally skin or nipple-areola-complex suffering or necrosis, hematomas and infections. A predictive score was determined to evaluate risk of complications before surgery.

Conclusion

Mastectomy with IBR seems to be a safe technique with an acceptable complication rate which is increased by tobacco use, high breast cup-size and IBR-type.

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Mastectomy with immediate breast to determined immediate surgical results.

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More Nipple Sparing Mastectomy performed during the 2 last years.

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More Latissimus dorsi-flap performed for high BMI, high breast cup-size, after radiotherapy.

Residual lymph node tumour burden following removal of a single axillary sentinel lymph with macrometastatic disease in women with screen-detected invasive breast cancer

Background

Women with screen-detected invasive breast cancer who have macrometastatic disease on axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) are usually offered either surgical axillary node clearance (ANC) or axillary radiotherapy. These treatments can lead to significant complications for patients. The aim of this study was to identify a group of patients who may not require completion ANC.

Methods

Data from the NHS Breast Screening Programme between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2017 were interrogated to identify women with invasive breast carcinoma and a single sentinel lymph node (SLN) with macrometastatic disease who subsequently proceeded to completion ANC. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify patients with a single positive SLN who had no further lymph node metastasis on ANC.

Results

Of the 2401 women included in the cohort, the presence of non-sentinel node disease was significantly affected by: the number of nodes obtained at SLNB (odds ratio (OR) 0.49 for retrieval of more than 1 node), invasive size of tumour (OR 1.63 for size greater than 20 mm), surgical treatment (OR 1.34 for mastectomy), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 status (OR 0.71 for HER2 positivity), and patient age (OR 1.10 for age less than 50 years; OR 1.46 for age greater than 70 years). Patients aged less than 70 years, with tumour size smaller than 2 cm, more than one node retrieved on SLNB, and who had breast-conserving surgery had a lower chance of positive non-sentinel nodes on completion ANC compared with other patients.

Conclusion

This study, of a purely screen-detected breast cancer cohort, identified a subset of patients who may be spared completion ANC in the event of a single axillary SLN with macrometastasis.

External Validation of the SERC Trial Population: Comparison with the Multicenter French Cohort, the Swedish and SENOMIC Trial Populations for Breast Cancer Patients with Sentinel Node Micro-Metastasis

Simple Summary

After the results of many trials, it is now accepted to omit axillary dissection in selected patients with limited axillary involvement. However, the external validity of these trials is questionable. Our study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the real French population representativity in the SERC (Sentinelle Envahi et Randomisation du Curage) trial population for patients with breast cancer (BC) associated with sentinel node (SN) micro-metastasis and the differences between the studied population and the real French population. The secondary aim was to compare the French and the Swedish populations of patients with SN micro-metastasis. The findings of our study in addition to the previously demonstrated concordance between the SENOMIC (Sentinelle node Micrometastasis) trial and the Swedish National Breast Cancer Registry (NKBC) populations implied that the results of both the SERC and the SENOMIC trials can be applied to both the French and Swedish real populations.

Abstract

Many trials confirmed the safety of omitting axillary dissection in the selected patients treated for early breast cancer. The external validity of these trials is questionable. Our study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the French population representativity in the SERC trial and the differences between these two populations as well as comparing the French and the Swedish populations (the SENOMIC trial population and the Swedish National Breast Cancer Registry (NKBC) cohort) of patients with sentinel node (SN) micro-metastasis. A higher rate of smaller tumors and grade 1 tumors was observed in the French cohort when compared to the SERC population. Our findings conclude that both French populations show similar characteristics. Positive non-sentinel node (NSN) rates at completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were 10.28 % and 11.3 % in the SERC trial and French cohort, respectively (p = 0.5). The rate of grade 1 tumors was lower in the SENOMIC trial (16.2%) and in the NKBC cohort (17.4%) compared to the SERC trial population (27.3%) and the French cohort (34.4%). Our findings in addition to the previously demonstrated concordance between the SENOMIC trial and the NKBC populations imply that the results of both the SERC and the SENOMIC trials can be applied to both French and Swedish real populations.

Comparing Observation, Axillary Radiotherapy, and Completion Axillary Lymph Node Dissection for Management of Axilla in Breast Cancer in Patients with Positive Sentinel Nodes: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated observation or axillary radiotherapy (ART) in place of completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND) for management of positive sentinel nodes (SNs) in clinically node-negative women with breast cancer. The optimal treatment strategy for this population is not known.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, and EBM Reviews-NHS Economic Evaluation Database were searched from inception until July 2019. A systematic review and narrative summary was performed of RCTs comparing observation or ART versus cALND in clinically node-negative female breast cancer patients with positive SNs. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs was used to assess risk of bias. Outcomes of interest included overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), axillary recurrence, and axillary surgery-related morbidity.

RESULTS

Three trials compared observation with cALND, and two trials compared ART with cALND. No studies blinded participants or personnel, and there was heterogeneity in inclusion criteria, study design, and follow-up. Neither observation nor ART resulted in statistically inferior 5- or 8-year OS or DFS compared with cALND. There was also no statistically significant increase in axillary recurrences associated with either approach. Four trials reported morbidity outcomes, and all showed cALND was associated with significantly more lymphedema, paresthesia, and shoulder dysfunction compared with observation or ART.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with clinically node-negative breast cancer and positive SNs can safely be managed without cALND.