Clinical study on the relationship between hepatitis B virus infection and risk of breast cancer: a large sized case-control and single center study in southwest of China

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Markers among the Women with Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer represents a formidable peril to the female populace on a worldwide level. The association between breast cancer and various factors, including viral infections, has been extensively investigated. Recently, the link between HBV infection and breast cancer patients has garnered attention. The present research aims to assess the prevalence of HBV markers among women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ahvaz city, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serum specimens were procured from 90 patients who had been clinically diagnosed with breast cancer. The age of the patients ranged from 29 to 80 years, with a mean age of 49.42±10.7. Histological examination of biopsy specimens revealed that 75 (83.33%) were ductal, 11 (8.88%) lobular, 2 (2.22%) mucinous, 1 (1.11%) medullary, and 1 (1.11%) was metastatic. The serum samples were subjected to initial HBsAg and anti-HBc testing via ELISA. Samples that tested seropositive (HBsAg + anti-HBc) were subsequently analyzed for the S region of HBV through nested PCR and DNA sequencing. Finally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed for positive HBV DNA tests.

RESULTS

Among the 5/90 (5.55%) cancer patients, it was found that 3 (3.33%) cases of ductal carcinoma and one (1.11%) lobular carcinoma displayed positivity for HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc, HBV PCR). Notably, one (1.11%) patient with ductal carcinoma solely demonstrated anti-HBc positivity. The phylogenetic tree analysis of the S region revealed that all HBV strains identified were categorized as genotype D.

CONCLUSION

The statistical analysis did not reveal any significant findings (p= 0.315) in the distribution of cancer types across different age groups. Among patients diagnosed with breast cancer, a notable prevalence of 5.5% was observed in HBV markers. The dominant HBV genotype among breast cancer patients was identified as genotype D.

Hepatitis B virus infection: An insight into the clinical connection and molecular interaction between hepatitis B virus and host extrahepatic cancer risk

The evidence for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence is well established. The hepatocyte epithelium carcinogenesis caused by HBV has been investigated and reviewed in depth. Nevertheless, recent findings from preclinical and observational studies suggested that chronic HBV infection is equally important in extrahepatic cancer occurrence and survival, specifically gastrointestinal system-derived cancers. Immune microenvironment changes (immune-suppressive cytokine infiltration), epigenetic modification (N6-methyladenosine), molecular signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt and Wnt), and serum biomarkers such as hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein are potential underlying mechanisms in chronic HBV infection-induced extrahepatic cancers. This narrative review aimed to comprehensively summarize the most recent advances in evaluating the association between chronic HBV infection and extrahepatic cancer risk and explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms in the carcinogenesis induction of extrahepatic cancers in chronic HBV conditions.

Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) evaluation of synchronous renal cell carcinoma and other solid malignancies

Background

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMNs) became more prevalent as the population aged and medical technology progressed. The purpose of this research was to review the findings of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in synchronous renal cell carcinoma and other solid tumors.

Results

31 individuals with synchronous renal cell carcinoma and additional solid cancers were included in this retrospective analysis. CT scanning was carried out using 64 MDCT scanners. All sixty-two malignancies were undergoing pathological assessment. Out of 685 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 31 individuals were identified with another primary solid cancer that occurred concurrently. All of our instances were pathologically verified. In all 31 individuals, clear renal cell carcinoma was found. The most frequent extra-renal malignancies were hepatocellular carcinoma (10/31), followed by breast carcinoma (4/31), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4/31), bronchogenic carcinoma (3/31), colonic carcinoma (3/31), prostatic carcinoma (2/31), urinary bladder carcinoma (1/31), periampullary carcinoma (1/31), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (1/31) and skin squamous cell carcinoma (1/31) as well as malignant hemangioendothelioma (1/31).

Conclusion

MDCT scanning was an accurate imaging method for diagnosing synchronous renal cell carcinoma and other solid tumors. Even in the face of numerous cancers, the goal of therapy in cancer patients must always be curative. During the pretreatment examination, the potential of synchronous double malignancies with renal cell carcinoma should be explored.

Multi-detector computed tomography evaluation of synchronous hepatocellular carcinoma and other solid malignancies

Aim of the study

To review the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in synchronous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other solid malignancies.

Material and methods

A total of 74 cases were included in this retrospective analysis, all of them confirmed with a diagnosis of synchronous HCC and other solid malignancies. They were 41 women and 33 men (mean age, 63.36 years). The whole body and triphasic abdominal CT scanning utilized 128 MDCT scanners in all 74 patients. The pathological diagnoses of all 148 malignancies were confirmed in all 74 cases.

Results

Out of 3480 patients with HCC, 74 patients (2.1%) were diagnosed with another synchronous primary solid malignancy. The pathology of all 148 cancers was verified, and each one was correctly characterized, assessed, and staged. Hepatocellular carcinoma was detected in all 74 patients. The most frequent extra-hepatic primary malignant sites were breast (18/74, 24.3%), followed by kidney (15/74, 20.3%), lymphoma (9/74, 12.2%), uterus (7/74, 9.5%), ovary (5/74, 6.8%), colon (5/74, 6.8%), prostate (5/74, 6.8%), urinary bladder (3/74, 4.1%), thyroid (2/74, 2.7%), gall bladder (1/74, 1.4%), stomach (1/74, 1.4%), pancreas (1/74, 1.4%), esophagus (1/74, 1.4%) and lung (1/74, 1.4%).

Conclusions

The possibility of synchronous double malignancies with HCC should always be considered during pretreatment evaluation. Using an MDCT scanner, researchers were able to assess this occurrence accurately. An increased number of such findings may lead to an improved therapeutic method for these patients.

Association between breast cancer and hepatitis C: A joint study of hospitalized patients and nationwide cohorts

Whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with breast cancer risk remains elusive, and we aimed to elucidate it. A nationwide population-based cohort study of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (TNHIRD) was conducted. Additionally, breast cancer risk factors, and HCV core expression were surveyed in breast cancer patients of a tertiary care center. Three TNHIRD cohorts (1:4:4, propensity score-matched, 2003-2012), including HCV-treated (3646 HCV-infected females with interferon-based therapy ≥6 months), HCV-untreated (n = 14,584) and HCV-uninfected (n = 14,584) cohorts, were enrolled. The HCV-untreated cohort had the highest 9-year breast cancer cumulative incidence (2.017%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.382%-2.846%), while the HCV-treated (1.073%; 0.414%-2.356%), and HCV-uninfected (1.453%; 0.785%-2.486%) cohorts showed no difference. Untreated HCV infection (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.701; 95% CI: 1.205%-2.400), urban residency (1.658, 1.183-2.323), and baseline cardiovascular events (1.920; 1.005-3.668) were associated with incident breast cancers. The interaction analysis showed that particularly among patients <49 years, HCV infection was associated with breast cancer development (2.193; 1.097-4.384). Of 12,170 hospitalized breast cancer patients, 4.90% were HCV Ab-positive. HCV Ab-positive patients were older (60.92+/-10.82 vs 53.91+/-11.38 years, P < 0.0001) and had a higher body mass index (25.39+/-5.1 vs 24.5+/-4.3 kg/m², P = 0.007), rates of diabetes (30.60 vs 19.98%, P < 0.0001), hypertension (46.9 vs 30.39%, P < 0.0001), dyslipidemia (25.52 vs 20.28%, P = 0.031), and hyperuricemia (11.38 vs 5.52%, P < 0.0001) than their counterparts. No HCV core-positive cells were demonstrated in breast cancer tissues. Conclusions: Untreated HCV infection, urbanization, and cardiovascular events were potential risk factors for breast cancer. The HCV-associated risk was most prominent among patients <49 years, might not be associated with in situ HCV core-related oncogenesis but with metabolic alterations, and was reversed by anti-HCV therapy.

A nomogram based on clinicopathological features and serological indicators predicting breast pathologic complete response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

A single tumor marker is not enough to predict the breast pathologic complete response (bpCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. We aimed to establish a nomogram based on multiple clinicopathological features and routine serological indicators to predict bpCR after NAC in breast cancer patients. Data on clinical factors and laboratory indices of 130 breast cancer patients who underwent NAC and surgery in First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from July 2017 to July 2019 were collected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified 11 independent indicators: body mass index, carbohydrate antigen 125, total protein, blood urea nitrogen, cystatin C, serum potassium, serum phosphorus, platelet distribution width, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, and hepatitis B surface antibodies. The nomogram was established based on these indicators. The 1000 bootstrap resampling internal verification calibration curve and the GiViTI calibration belt showed that the model was well calibrated. The Brier score of 0.095 indicated that the nomogram had a high accuracy. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.941 (95% confidence interval: 0.900-0.982) showed good discrimination of the model. In conclusion, this nomogram showed high accuracy and specificity and did not increase the economic burden of patients, thereby having a high clinical application value.