Pathological response and clinical outcomes in operable triple-negative breast cancer with cisplatin added to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved outcomes for patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients with residual disease are at increased risk of relapse and death from breast cancer. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cisplatin added to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced TNBC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All TNBC treated with neoadjuvant cisplatin 60mg/m2 once in 3 weeks with weekly paclitaxel for 12 weeks, following 8 weeks of dose-dense epirubicin 90mg/m2 or doxorubicin 60mg/m2 with cyclophosphamide 600mg/m2 were analyzed retrospectively. The data related to pathological complete response, adherence to planned therapy, disease-free survival and overall survival were collected.

RESULTS

Eighty-three patients were included, of whom 80% had stage III disease. Pathological complete response in both breast (T0/Tis) and axilla (N0) was observed in 48.1% of patients. Miller Payne grade 5 pathological response in the breast was seen in 61% of patients. Good partial responses (Miller Payne grades 3,4) were observed in 32.5% of patients. The remaining 6.5% were poor responders. Seventy-seven patients underwent surgery. The disease-free survival at 1 and 3 years for those who had a pathological complete response was 96.7% and 77.6%, respectively, and 92.3% and 62.7% for those who did not, respectively. The predominant adverse events were hematological, with anemia being the most common one.

CONCLUSION

The addition of cisplatin to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with anthracycline and taxane in TNBC was tolerable and produced a high rate of pathological complete response. Cisplatin added to standard chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced TNBC could improve clinical outcomes.

Presurgical Screening of Fine Needle Aspirates from Thyroid Nodules for BRAF Mutations: A Prospective Single Center Experience

OBJECTIVE

Analysis of BRAF V600E mutation in thyroid fine needle aspirates (FNA) is an important adjunct to cytology, particularly among FNA placed in the "indeterminate category." However, such a prospective evaluation of FNA obtained from patients with thyroid nodules has been lacking from India.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

FNA from 277 patients were prospectively evaluated for BRAF mutations by Sanger's sequencing. A subset of 30 samples was also analyzed by pyrosequencing using the PyroMark BRAF mutation kit.

RESULTS

Overall, 27.2% of FNA samples were positive for mutations including 19 (35.8%) of the 53 histologically confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 2 of the 25 follicular variants of PTC, and 1 anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Only 1 (2.7%) of the 37 samples in the atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of unknown significance category was BRAF positive. The sensitivity of cytology improved marginally from 67.1% to 68.3% when evaluated with BRAF. Further, a comparison of the clinicopathological characteristics of BRAF positive and negative PTCs showed a significant association (P = 0.05) between lymph node metastasis and BRAF positivity.

CONCLUSION

BRAF positivity was lower than that reported from East Asia with the test being useful in confirming malignancies among the suspicious of malignancy and malignant categories.

Endoscopic ultrasonography--a sensitive tool in the preoperative localization of insulinoma

OBJECTIVE

A number of imaging modalities have been used in the preoperative localization of insulinomas. Computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly employed modality. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows the transducer to be placed in close proximity to the pancreas, thereby yielding higher quality images, which facilitates accurate localization, minimally invasive surgery, and a lower occurrence of residual tumors, all of which contribute to a better clinical outcome.

METHODS

We analyzed the hospital records of all adult patients (age >18 years) diagnosed with insulinoma between October 2004 and September 2010. The diagnosis was based on the clinical practice guidelines of the American Endocrine Society. We compared the sensitivities of EUS and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in lesion.

RESULTS

Eighteen patients were seen over a period of 6 years, and all underwent EUS. MDCT scans were carried out in 17 patients. EUS had greater sensitivity (89%) in localizing insulinomas compared to CT (69%). In this series, the lesions that were missed on CT but picked up on EUS were smaller (<12 mm, P<.001). Lesions that were near mesenteric vessels and those located in the head of the pancreas were more likely to be missed on CT.

CONCLUSIONS

EUS has a greater sensitivity in identifying and localizing insulinomas. As availability increases, EUS should be part of a preoperative insulinoma workup.

Factors predicting local recurrence in phyllodes tumor of the breast

e19562

Background: Phyllodes tumor of the breast (PT) has local recurrences resulting in higher morbidity and disfiguring reoperations. Aim to find factors predicting local recurrences in PT. Methods: Retrospective data analyzed with SPSS v.17 (Pearson Chi square test, Logistic regression test for multivariate analysis) done on patients with PT managed during 2000-2010. Results: In total 141 patients with PT, mean age was 40.44 years (+0.98) and mean tumor size 11.07 cm (+0.57). Preoperatively cytology done in 96 % and was suggestive of PT in 59%; core biopsy done in 58 % and was suggestive of PT in 93% Imaging done in 65%. The mean duration of lump- 2.2 years (+0.23). Thirty two patients (23%) presented with recurrence post lumpectomy done elsewhere. Adjuvant radiotherapy was given in 28% patients. In multivariate analysis, high stromal cellularity ( p 0.002), surgery type (p= 0.000) and recurrent status (p=0.05) at first time presentation showed statistically significant p values for odd’s ratios. Conclusions: Tumor size, margins, surgery type, histological features of high stromal hypercellularity, necrosis with high mitotic rates predicted recurrence in PT. Core biopsy is more accurate than fine needle biopsy in diagnosis and recommended in suspected cases to permit the correct initial surgery. [Table: see text]

Medullary thyroid carcinoma: long-term outcomes of surgical treatment

BACKGROUND

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 5 to 10% of all thyroid cancers but is responsible for a disproportionate number of deaths.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review to describe clinical outcomes in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma, screening a subset of patients for somatic mutations in the RET and p18 genes and performing genotype-phenotype correlation in a tertiary-care referral hospital from 1967 to 2009.

RESULTS

We studied a total of 94 patients identified from a prospectively maintained thyroid cancer database. Data gathered included patient demographics, serum calcitonin, clinical outcomes, histopathology, genetic analysis, and status at final follow-up. A subset cohort (n = 50) was screened for somatic mutations in the RET gene and the three exons of the p18 gene. The subset cohort was composed of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (HMTC) (n = 19, index patients = 10, screen detected = 9) and sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (SMTC) (n = 31). There were no mutations in the p18 gene in the subset cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 67 SMTC and 27 (28.7%) HMTC cases identified. SMTC were older at initial presentation (52 vs. 34, P = 0.003), had higher preoperative serum calcitonin levels (7968 vs. 1346 ng/L, P = 0.008), and had lymph node recurrence (P = 0.001) compared to HMTC. The tumors were smaller in HMTC (P = 0.038). Overall 10-year survival in SMTC versus HMTC was 69 versus 93% (P = 0.12). On multivariate analysis, vascular invasion (hazard ratio 6.4, P = 0.019) was an adverse predictor for disease-free survival. HMTC in the era of RET analysis presents with a smaller primary tumor, lower preoperative serum calcitonin levels, and lower rates of lymph node metastasis. Mutations in the p18 gene were not a major factor in medullary thyroid carcinoma tumorigenesis.

The effect of butyrate on the healing of colonic anastomoses in rats

BACKGROUND

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) formed by the fermentation of complex carbohydrates by the bacteria in the colon, is the main source of nutrition for colonocytes. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of butyrate on the healing of colonic anastomosis in a rat model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats were fed a fibre-free diet for 2 days. They then underwent laparotomy, transection, and anastomosis of both left and right colon, with a defunctioning caecostomy. The animals were then randomly assigned to receive butyrate or saline enemas from the third postoperative day and underwent another laparotomy on the seventh postoperative day when the bursting pressures of both anastomoses were measured.

RESULTS

Out of the 40 rats, 23 were available for the final data analysis. The mechanical strength of the anastomosis was measured by the bursting wall tension (BWT), which was calculated from the bursting pressure and the anastomotic circumference. The anastomoses in the butyrate arm showed a significantly higher BWT for both the right (48.9 s 64.71 dyne10(-3)/cm, p value .04) and the left (51.44 vs 72.38 dyne 10(-3)/cm, p value .01).

CONCLUSION

This experiment suggests that butyrate has a significant role in increasing the mechanical strength of colonic anastomoses in rats.

Endovascular management of an unusual cause of pancoast syndrome

Vascular conditions presenting with Pancoast syndrome are rare. A case of vertebral artery pseudoaneurysm presenting with Pancoast syndrome is reported. The aneurysm was successfully treated by proximal coil embolization.