Early contralateral shoulder-arm morbidity in breast cancer patients enrolled in a randomized trial of post-surgery radiation therapy

Risk Factors for Upper Extremity Impairment after Mastectomy: A Single Institution Retrospective Review

Background

Patients with breast cancer treated with mastectomy are more likely to develop upper extremity dysfunction compared with those treated with breast-conserving therapy. This study aimed to identify cancer and treatment characteristics that may be risk factors for development of upper extremity dysfunction in patients treated with mastectomy.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective chart review of patients at the University of Chicago who were treated with a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy from 2010 to 2020 and developed upper extremity dysfunction based on International Classification of Disease-10 codes. Patients were analyzed by side of body (left or right). Patient demographics and treatment characteristics were extracted from the electronic medical record.

Results

In total, 259 patients met criteria and were included in our study. A total of 396 upper extremities were recorded as experiencing dysfunction and were analyzed. Mean age was 60 years (range = 28-96), and mean body mass index was 28.4 (SD = 7.5). An estimated 54% of patients underwent breast reconstruction. After multivariable analysis, chronic upper extremity pain was found to be associated with ipsilateral radiotherapy (P < 0.001) and ipsilateral in situ cancer (0.041). Limited range of motion was found to be associated with ipsilateral invasive cancer (P = 0.01), any ipsilateral mastectomy surgery (P < 0.001), and ipsilateral radiotherapy (P = 0.03). Musculoskeletal dysfunction was found to be associated with no ipsilateral modified radical mastectomy (P = 0.033). No oncological or treatment characteristics were found to be associated with decreased strength or adhesive capsulitis. Furthermore, breast reconstruction (implant or autologous tissue based) was not associated with upper extremity dysfunction.

Conclusion

Breast cancer characteristics and treatment modalities may predispose patients treated with mastectomy to developing types of upper extremity dysfunction.

Age-Related Variations in Breast Cancer Complications: Insights from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinical Practice

Background Breast cancer patients often experience complications related to the disease or its treatment. With the rising average life expectancy, age is becoming less of a factor in treatment decisions for this condition. This study aims to evaluate differences in breast cancer complications among various age groups in patients referred to a hospital's physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) department. Methodology A retrospective study was conducted among all breast cancer patients evaluated in a PMR department between November 2019 and March 2021. Data were collected from patients' clinical files. SPSS® version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for data analysis. Results We assessed 85 patients with a mean age of 56 years, finding that shoulder pain was the primary referral reason, reported by 85.9% of patients, followed by lymphedema in 32% of cases. Patients aged 56-65 years exhibited greater deficits in shoulder mobility compared to those between 66 and 75 years old, as well as greater functional limitations compared to other age groups. Most patients reported symptoms post-surgery, with an average delay of 24 months in PMR consultation. Despite this, nearly all patients (89.3%) reported clinical improvement following interventions. Conclusions We found that individuals in the 56-65-year age group were more prone to develop functional and shoulder mobility limitations. Despite delayed consultation, the majority of patients experienced clinical improvement, highlighting the intervention effectiveness of PMR interventions. These findings suggest that age alone may not be a determining factor in the reported breast cancer sequelae, implying the influence of other contributing factors in patient management. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to the diverse burden of disease sequelae observed across different age groups and to devise tailored interventions.

Risk factors for long-term arm morbidities following breast cancer treatments: A systematic review

PURPOSE

To examine the risk factors for arm morbidity following breast cancer treatments, taking a broad view of all types of physical morbidity, including prolonged pain, lymphedema, decreased range of motion, and functional limitations.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines. Studies exploring the risk factors for prolonged arm morbidity following breast cancer surgery and treatments were included. The studies were assessed independently according to pre-eligibility criteria, following data extraction and methodological quality assessment.

RESULTS

1,242 articles were identified. After removing duplicates, the full texts of 1,153 articles were examined. Sixty-nine of these articles met the criteria and were included in the review. These 69 articles identified 29 risk factors for arm morbidity following treatments for breast cancer. The risk of bias was evaluated using NIH study quality assessment tools. The studies reviewed were published between 2001 and 2021 and included a total of 22,886 patients who were followed up for between three months and 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The main risk factors for long-term morbidity are removal of lymph nodes from the axilla, body mass index >30, having undergone a mastectomy, the stage of the disease, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, infection and trauma to the affected arm after surgery. An understanding of the risk factors for prolonged arm morbidity after surgery can help doctors and therapists in making personalized decisions about the need and timing of rehabilitation treatments.

Assessment of sensorimotor and strength related function of breast cancer patients during systemic drug therapy: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy is a well-known risk factor for sensorial and motor disturbances. Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) which predominantly affects sensory nerves might cause a diminished fine motor function. This prospective observational study aimed to assess the sensorimotor functions of breast cancer patients before, during, and after chemotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 56 breast cancer patients were evaluated at three different times as follows: T1 (before chemotherapy), T2 (middle chemotherapy), and T3 (completion of chemotherapy). Motor function was assessed with handgrip strength (HGS), peripheral muscle strength (PMS), and the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT). Semmes Weinstein Monofilament Test (SWMT) was performed to assess the sensory function. Fatigue was evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Module Cancer Related Fatigue (EORTC-QLQ-FA12), respectively.

RESULTS

HGS and MMDT were found significant (χ2: 11.279, p = 0.004 and χ2: 9.893, p = 0.007, respectively) whereas PMS was not found significant (F (2,110) = 1.914, p = 0.152). Pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni adjustments revealed that HGS was found significant between T1 and T3, while significant results were obtained between T1 and T2 as well as T2 and T3 in MMDT (p = 0.01 and p = 0.042). There were significant results in some reference points of SWMT, though they were not found after pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni adjustment (p > 0.05). Fatigue was found significantly increased from T1 through T3 (Median: 19.44 vs 27.77, z: -2.347, p = 0.019, Wilcoxon test).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that decreased handgrip strength and fine motor function, as well as increased fatigue, are evident during the chemotherapy. SWMT can be an optional assessment in the context of tracking changes in cutaneous sensation during chemotherapy due to its non-invasive, cheap, and easily repeatable features among cancer patients. To preserve functional capacity as well as independence in daily living, precautions and follow up assessments during the systemic therapy process should be integrated as early as possible to prevent future deteriorations in daily life for patients who undergo chemotherapy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04799080.

Shoulder arthroplasty after prior external beam radiation therapy: a matched cohort analysis

BACKGROUND

External beam radiation therapy (XRT) is a commonly used therapeutic modality for the treatment of various chest wall and axillary malignancies. Despite the known risk of local soft tissue dysfunction, and possibly compromised bone ingrowth for cementless implants, there remains limited data on the impact of prior XRT in a shoulder arthroplasty (SA) cohort. This study evaluated the outcomes of primary SA in patients with prior XRT compared to a matched cohort (MC).

METHODS

Over a 27-year time period (1993-2020), 80 primary SAs (7 hemiarthroplasties [HAs], 29 anatomic total shoulder arthroplasties [aTSAs], and 44 reverse shoulder arthroplasties [rTSAs]) with previous XRT to the upper chest or axillary region and a minimum of 2-year follow-up were included. This cohort was matched (1:2) according to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), implant, and year of surgery with patients who had undergone HA or TSA for osteoarthritis or RSA for cuff tear arthropathy. Clinical outcomes including pain, active shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength, complications, and reoperations inclusive of revision surgery were assessed.

RESULTS

The XRT cohort consisted of 71 (88.8%) women with a mean age of 70.9 (range, 43-87) years, BMI of 30.9 ± 7.6, and follow-up period of 6.6 years (range, 2.0-28.2). In these patients, SA led to substantial improvements in pain, ROM, and strength across the entire cohort. When compared to the MC, the XRT group demonstrated a lower final postoperative forward elevation (FE) (111° vs. 126°; P = .013) and less improvements in pain (5.3 vs. 6.2; P = .002), FE (34° vs. 54°; P = .002), and external rotation (13° vs. 24°; P < .001). There were 14 (17.5%) complications and 7 reoperations in the XRT group, with rotator cuff failure after HA or TSA (n = 4 of 36; 11.1%) as the most common complication and no instances of loose humeral components. The XRT group had a higher rate of complications (17.5% vs. 8.1%; P = .03) but not reoperations (8.8% vs. 3.1%; P = .059). When evaluated by implant, rTSA demonstrated the lowest rate of reoperations followed by aTSA and HA (2.3% vs. 10.3% vs. 42.9%; P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Primary SA is an effective treatment modality for the improvement of pain, motion, and strength in patients with a history of prior XRT. However, when compared to patients without prior XRT, less clinical improvement and a higher rate of postoperative complications were observed.

Cardiopulmonary-related patient-reported outcomes in a randomized clinical trial of radiation therapy for breast cancer

Background

Long-term prospective patient-reported outcomes (PRO) after breast cancer adjuvant radiotherapy is scarce. TomoBreast compared conventional radiotherapy (CR) with tomotherapy (TT), on the hypothesis that TT might reduce lung-heart toxicity.

Methods

Among 123 women consenting to participate, 64 were randomized to CR, 59 to TT. CR delivered 50 Gy in 25 fractions/5 weeks to breast/chest wall and regional nodes if node-positive, with a sequential boost (16 Gy/8 fractions/1.6 weeks) after lumpectomy. TT delivered 42 Gy/15 fractions/3 weeks to breast/chest wall and regional nodes if node-positive, 51 Gy simultaneous-integrated-boost in patients with lumpectomy. PRO were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire QLQ-C30. PRO scores were converted into a symptom-free scale, 100 indicating a fully symptom-free score, 0 indicating total loss of freedom from symptom. Changes of PRO over time were analyzed using the linear mixed-effect model. Survival analysis computed time to > 10% PRO-deterioration. A post-hoc cardiorespiratory outcome was defined as deterioration in any of dyspnea, fatigue, physical functioning, or pain.

Results

At 10.4 years median follow-up, patients returned on average 9 questionnaires/patient, providing a total of 1139 PRO records. Item completeness was 96.6%. Missingness did not differ between the randomization arms. The PRO at baseline were below the nominal 100% symptom-free score, notably the mean fatigue-free score was 64.8% vs. 69.6%, pain-free was 75.4% vs. 75.3%, and dyspnea-free was 84.8% vs. 88.5%, in the TT vs. CR arm, respectively, although the differences were not significant. By mixed-effect modeling on early ≤2 years assessment, all three scores deteriorated, significantly for fatigue, P ≤ 0.01, without effect of randomization arm. By modeling on late assessment beyond 2 years, TT versus CR was not significantly associated with changes of fatigue-free or pain-free scores but was associated with a significant 8.9% improvement of freedom from dyspnea, P = 0.035. By survival analysis of the time to PRO deterioration, TT improved 10-year survival free of cardiorespiratory deterioration from 66.9% with CR to 84.5% with TT, P = 0.029.

Conclusion

Modern radiation therapy can significantly improve long-term PRO.

Trial registration

Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.govNCT00459628, April 12, 2007 prospectively.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08916-z.

KDR inferred haplotype is associated with upper limb dysfunction in breast cancer survivors of mixed ancestry

Introduction: Shoulder pain and disability are well-documented sequelae of breast cancer treatment. Angiogenesis signaling may have a role in the development of shoulder pain or shoulder disability in breast cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to determine if polymorphisms in angiogenesis-related genes are associated with shoulder pain or disability following breast cancer treatment.

Participants and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 South African breast cancer survivors. The study aimed to evaluate associations between shoulder pain/disability and seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within five angiogenesis-associated genes: KDR (rs2305948 C>T; rs7667298 C>T), NOS3 (rs1549758 C>T), MMP2 (rs708269 A>T), THBS2 (rs9766678 A>G) and TIMP3 (rs5754312 T>A; rs715572 G>A). In addition, associations between shoulder pain/disability and inferred haplotypes for KDR and TIMP3 SNPs were evaluated. Participants were grouped into no–low and moderate–high shoulder pain/disability based on total pain/disability scores: ≤30 and >30, respectively using the shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI).

Results: No independent associations with shoulder pain/disability categories were found for all SNPs. However, 1 inferred haplotype (KDR “TT”) differed significantly (P=0.014) between the shoulder disability categories. After adjusting for participants’ age, the differences in KDR inferred haplotype frequencies between shoulder disability categories became non-significant (P=0.052).

Conclusion: Our findings provide a preliminary suggestion of a possible association between polymorphisms in genes involved in angiogenesis and the presence of moderate–high shoulder disability among South African breast cancer survivors. A larger prospective cohort study is currently being conducted by our group.

The potential role of angiogenesis in the development of shoulder pain, shoulder dysfunction, and lymphedema after breast cancer treatment

Shoulder morbidity is a well-documented sequela of breast cancer treatment, which includes various manifestations such as pain, reduced range of motion, and lymphedema, among others. The multifactorial nature of such morbidities has long been appreciated, and research on reliable risk predictors of development thereof still continues. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of different types of physical therapy to treat such shoulder problems, and the integration of such interventions into routine care for breast cancer survivors is a requirement in most high-income countries. Although patients at risk for developing shoulder problems would most likely benefit from posttreatment physical therapy, currently, there is no gold standard for identifying this patient group. This is particularly important in low- and middle-income countries where scarce monetary resources need to be directed specifically to those most in need. Modulators of the angiogenesis pathway have been implicated in noncancer shoulder conditions such as rotator cuff disease, adhesive capsulitis, and tendon injuries. The present review summarizes the role of angiogenesis in the development of shoulder morbidity among breast cancer survivors and sets forth the rationale for our belief that angiogenesis signaling may help explain a proportion of the reported clinical variability noted in the development of shoulder pain and dysfunction and upper-limb lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.

Quantifying radiation dose delivered to individual shoulder muscles during breast radiotherapy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for managing breast cancer, but patients may experience shoulder morbidity after completing radiotherapy. There is a knowledge gap regarding how the inclusion of the regional lymphatics in radiation treatment regimens influence the radiation dose delivered to the underlying shoulder musculature.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Five standardized radiation treatment regimens were developed from the computed tomography (CT) scans of 11 patients: tangent fields only (T), high tangent fields (HT), T+supraclavicular fossa and axillary apex with an anterior oblique beam (SCV), T+SCV+axillary nodes with an anterior oblique beam (SCV+AX), and T+SCV+AX with the nodal regions treated with a directly opposed beam configuration (DO). The muscle volumes for nine shoulder muscles anatomically located with the treatment regimens were segmented from the same CT scans. The effect of the nine muscles and five treatment regimens on the percentage of each muscle receiving at least 48Gy (V48Gy) was analyzed with two-way and one-way repeated measures ANOVAs.

RESULTS

A statistically significant interaction existed between the nine shoulder muscles and five treatment regimens (p<0.001) on the V48Gy dose. Subsequent one-way analyses found statistically significant main effects of treatment plan on the V48Gy dose for each muscle (p<0.001). The pectoralis major and minor had the greatest V48 doses across the five treatments regimens. The HT, SCV+AX and DO treatment regimens produced statistically significant increases in the V48 dose of the latissimus dorsi and teres major. The infraspinatus, subscapularis, supraspinatus, teres minor, and trapezius only observed statistically significant V48 doses when treated with a DO plan.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the muscles (pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, latissimus dorsi, and teres major) that may exhibit future morbidity after radiation, and indicate that nodal RT delivered with a DO beam arrangement delivers the highest muscle dose.

Fraction size in radiation therapy for breast conservation in early breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Shortening the duration of radiation therapy would benefit women with early breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery. It may also improve access to radiation therapy by improving efficiency in radiation oncology departments globally. This can only happen if the shorter treatment is as effective and safe as conventional radiation therapy. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2008 and updated in 2009.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of altered radiation fraction size for women with early breast cancer who have had breast conserving surgery.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Specialised Register (23 May 2015), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 4), MEDLINE (Jan 1996 to May 2015), EMBASE (Jan 1980 to May 2015), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal (June 2010 to May 2015) and ClinicalTrials.gov (16 April 2015), reference lists of articles and relevant conference proceedings. No language or publication constraints were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials of altered fraction size versus conventional fractionation for radiation therapy in women with early breast cancer who had undergone breast conserving surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors performed data extraction independently, with disagreements resolved by discussion. We sought missing data from trial authors.

MAIN RESULTS

We studied 8228 women in nine studies. Eight out of nine studies were at low or unclear risk of bias. Altered fraction size (delivering radiation therapy in larger amounts each day but over fewer days than with conventional fractionation) did not have a clinically meaningful effect on: local recurrence-free survival (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.94, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.15, 7095 women, four studies, high-quality evidence), cosmetic outcome (Risk ratio (RR) 0.90, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.01, 2103 women, four studies, high-quality evidence) or overall survival (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.03, 5685 women, three studies, high-quality evidence). Acute radiation skin toxicity (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.45, 357 women, two studies) was reduced with altered fraction size. Late radiation subcutaneous toxicity did not differ with altered fraction size (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.05, 5130 women, four studies, high-quality evidence). Breast cancer-specific survival (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.06, 5685 women, three studies, high quality evidence) and relapse-free survival (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.05, 5685 women, three studies, moderate-quality evidence) did not differ with altered fraction size. We found no data for mastectomy rate. Altered fraction size was associated with less patient-reported (P < 0.001) and physician-reported (P = 0.009) fatigue at six months (287 women, one study). We found no difference in the issue of altered fractionation for patient-reported outcomes of: physical well-being (P = 0.46), functional well-being (P = 0.38), emotional well-being (P = 0.58), social well-being (P = 0.32), breast cancer concerns (P = 0.94; 287 women, one study). We found no data with respect to costs.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found that using altered fraction size regimens (greater than 2 Gy per fraction) does not have a clinically meaningful effect on local recurrence, is associated with decreased acute toxicity and does not seem to affect breast appearance, late toxicity or patient-reported quality-of-life measures for selected women treated with breast conserving therapy. These are mostly women with node negative tumours smaller than 3 cm and negative pathological margins.

Clinical significance of NOB1 expression in breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

NIN/RPN Binding protein 1 homologue (NOBp1), encoded by NOB1 gene, was reported to play an essential role in the oncogenesis and prognosis of carcinomas. We conducted a study to reveal its expression and clinical significance in breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

METHODS

To explore the relationship between NOB1 expression and the clinical TNM (cTNM), 162 patients who undergone surgery were involved in the study. Compared to healthy tissues, abnormal localization and higher level of NOB1 in tumor cells was observed by Immunohistochemistry staining. Real-time PCR and western-blotting verified the up-regulation of NOB1 in carcinoma individuals.

RESULTS

A significant correlation between high level of NOB1 and the T stage, lymph node metastasis and cTNM was shown. Furthermore, patients with higher level of NOB1 predicted a declined overall survival (OS). Notably, multivariate analyses by Cox's proportional hazard model revealed that expression of NOB1 was an independent prognostic factor in breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our present study clarify that the aberrant expression of NOB1 in breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma is possibly involved with tumorigenesis and development, and the NOB1 protein could act as a potential biomarker for prognosis assessment of breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Related mechanism is worthy of further investigation.

Scapula alata in early breast cancer patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of post-surgery short-course image-guided radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Scapula alata (SA) is a known complication of breast surgery associated with palsy of the serratus anterior, but it is seldom mentioned. We evaluated the risk factors associated with SA and the relationship of SA with ipsilateral shoulder/arm morbidity in a series of patients enrolled in a trial of post-surgery radiotherapy (RT).

METHODS

The trial randomized women with completely resected stage I-II breast cancer to short-course image-guided RT, versus conventional RT. SA, arm volume and shoulder-arm mobility were measured prior to RT and at one to three months post-RT. Shoulder/arm morbidities were computed as a post-RT percentage change relative to pre-RT measurements.

RESULTS

Of 119 evaluable patients, 13 (= 10.9%) had pre-RT SA. Age younger than 50 years old, a body mass index less than 25 kg/m2, and axillary lymph node dissection were significant risk factors, with odds ratios of 4.8 (P = 0.009), 6.1 (P = 0.016), and 6.1 (P = 0.005), respectively. Randomization group was not significant. At one to three months' post-RT, mean arm volume increased by 4.1% (P = 0.036) and abduction decreased by 8.6% (P = 0.046) among SA patients, but not among non-SA patients. SA resolved in eight, persisted in five, and appeared in one patient.

CONCLUSION

The relationship of SA with lower body mass index suggests that SA might have been underestimated in overweight patients. Despite apparent resolution of SA in most patients, pre-RT SA portended an increased risk of shoulder/arm morbidity. We argue that SA warrants further investigation. Incidentally, the observation of SA occurring after RT in one patient represents the second case of post-RT SA reported in the literature.