Risk of Second Primary Cancers Among Long-Term Survivors of Breast Cancer

Survival Analysis of Secondary Primary Lung Cancer After Breast Cancer Patients: Insights From a Retrospective Single-Center Study of Clinical Outcomes and Prognostic Indicators

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) and lung cancer are the two most common malignancies among women in China. As breast cancer diagnostic and therapeutic technologies continue to advance, the lifespan of patients with breast cancer has been extended, and the number of breast cancer patients with second primary lung cancer (SPLC) has increased. Furthermore, among women with SPLC, breast cancer stands as the most prevalent initial malignancy, and SPLC remains the predominant cause of mortality within this demographic. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer with SPLC patients and to investigate postoperative survival and prognostic factors. This retrospective study analyzed 150 patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer in BC at one cancer center in China from January 2000 to December 2020.

METHODS

We assessed demographic data, cancer characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the significance of survival differences among selected variables was verified using the log-rank test. A univariate Cox regression analysis was used for estimating hazard ratios. A multivariate Cox regression analysis with a backward elimination method was used to estimate hazard ratios and to identify independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

There were 29 cases (19.3%) of death. The median follow-up time for this cohort was 96.3 months. The median OS was calculated at 60.0 months, with survival rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year marked at 89.7%, 65.5%, 44.8%, and 10.3%. The median time from BC surgical treatment to the occurrence of SPLC was observed at 4.5 months. A peak period of SPLC occurs in the first year after BC surgery. The median follow-up time from SPLC surgical treatment to death or the end of follow-up was 73.5 months. The median survival time from SPLC surgical treatment to death by any cause was 39.2 months, with survival rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-year marked at 86.2%, 51.7%, and 31.0%, and survival rates were 0% at the 9th year. The average age at BC diagnosis was 53.8 ± 10.4 years (range 25-81). 41.3% of patients had other chronic diseases. The average menarche age was 14.7 ± 1.5 years (range 11-20). 64.7% of patients had menopause. Independent prognostic factors for the BC with SPLC by multivariate analysis were the status of menopause and T-stage of SPLC.

CONCLUSIONS

Further analysis revealed that patients who were menopausal and had a poor T stage of SPLC had a higher mortality rate. Based on these findings, future studies should focus on the menstrual status, hormone levels, and pathological stage of SPLC in BC patients.

Risk of second primary cancer in young breast cancer survivors: an important yet overlooked issue

Currently, female breast cancer (BC) represents the highest incidence of cancer globally. This trend has raised significant attention regarding breast cancer young women (BCYW). With advancements in treatment technology, BCYW survivors are living longer; however, the risk of developing or succumbing to a second primary cancer (SPC) has greatly increased. In addition, several factors, including age, menstrual cycle, hormonal changes, obesity, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, interact to influence the development of SPC in BCYW and make its treatment more difficult. This study investigates the relationship between BCYW and SPC, focusing on morbidity trends, pathological genomics, recurrence rates, survival times, treatment modalities, and physiological fertility. Most BCYW involve BRCA pathogenic variants or fall under triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing subtypes, increasing the risk of SPC. While there are regional variations in survival time following the diagnosis of an SPC, the long-term survival outcomes remain unfavorable. In addition, the choice of treatment for BCYW survivors has a prolonged cumulative toxic effect. The combination of endocrine therapy and chemotherapy is effective in treating BC, but it simultaneously increases the risk of developing an SPC, specifically endometrial cancer. Furthermore, radiotherapy is associated with a heightened risk of contralateral BC and lung cancer. We aim to address existing gaps in the literature and to enhance awareness of the risks associated with SPC in BCYW, thereby offering valuable insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The association between breast cancer and lung cancer: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

With increasing life spans, breast cancer (BC) survivors may face the possibility of developing second primary cancer (SPC), which can considerably shorten survival. Lung cancer (LC) is a common SPC among BC survivors. This study explored the association between these two cancers through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. A bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was conducted with BC genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) included 228,951 individuals and the GWAS summary statistics from the Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung (TRICL) of LC included 112,781 individuals. The IVW method and MR-RAPS method showed a causal effect of overall BC on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) (IVW: OR = 1.060, 95% CI = 1.008-1.116, P = 0.024; MR-RAPS: OR = 1.059, 95% CI = 1.005-1.116, P = 0.033), which indicated that patients with BC had an increased risk of LUAD. However, there is no strong evidence for a causal effect of LUAD on BC. Our study revealed a causal effect of BC on second primary LUAD, suggesting that we should intensify screening for second primary LC in BC survivors. Early intervention and treatment for patients with second primary LC are needed to reduce mortality in BC survivors.

Incidence and pattern of second primary cancer in patients diagnosed with primary cancer

The long survival of patients with primary cancer increases the chance of such patients developing second primary cancer (SPC). The development of SPC in cancer survivors exerts a large psychological, social and economic burden on patients and their families. The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of cancer survivors developing SPC. The study included patients who had been diagnosed with a first primary cancer in five organs (stomach, colorectum, lung, breast and thyroid), which are the five most common sites of cancer in patients from Korea, at the regional cancer center in Jeonbuk National University Hospital between January 2007 and December 2009. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of SPC according to sex and site was calculated from 5,209 patients who were followed up to September 2017. General incidence was acquired from the National Cancer Registry of Republic of Korea. SPC occurred in 6.2% (323/5,209) of patients, and the incidence of SPC among the five major types of cancer was in the order of breast (8.8%, 46/524), colorectum (8.6%, 86/1,003), gastric (6.6%, 89/1,358), thyroid (4.7%, 67/1,437) and lung cancer (3.9%, 35/887). When all SPC sites were included, the SIRs of SPC in patients with colorectal cancer and breast cancer were >1.0 (1.21 and 1.66, respectively). Breast cancer and thyroid cancer exhibited a high site relationship (P<0.05), and colorectal cancer had a high site relationship with gastric cancer (P<0.05). The present study analyzed the incidence and pattern of SPC in patients with cancer who were diagnosed with primary carcinoma in five organs. The results of the study may be useful for effective follow-up and early detection of SPC in patients with cancer.

Research progress on the structure, function, and use of angiogenin in malignant tumours

Angiogenin (ANG) is a specialised secreted ribonuclease, also known as RNase5, that is widely expressed in vertebrates. ANG dysregulation is closely associated with the development of breast, nasopharyngeal, and lung cancers. In recent years, studies have found that ANG not only induces neovascularisation by activating endothelial cells, but also plays a regulatory role in the plasticity of cancer cells. Cellular plasticity plays pivotal roles in cancer initiation, progression, migration, therapeutic resistance, and relapse. Therefore, it is a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and therapy. This review summarises the current knowledge regarding the roles and clinical applications of ANG in cancer development and progression.

Second primary cancers among females with a first primary breast cancer: a population-based study in Northern Portugal

PURPOSE

To estimate the incidence rate of second primary cancers (SPCs) and the cumulative incidence of metachronous [diagnosed > 2 months after a first primary cancer (FPC)] SPCs in patients with a breast FPC, and to compare the incidence of SPC [overall, synchronous (≤ 2 months of the FPC) and metachronous] with that expected in the general female population.

METHODS

A cohort of patients with a breast FPC from the North Region Cancer Registry of Portugal, diagnosed in 2000-2010 (n = 15,981), was followed to 31 December 2015 for synchronous and metachronous SPCs. Cumulative incidence of metachronous SPCs considering death as a competing event, and incidence rates and standardized incidence ratios of SPCs were estimated.

RESULTS

The diagnosis of an SPC occurred in 1229 (7.7%) of patients with a breast FPC. SPCs occurred mainly in the breast, followed by digestive organs, lung, thyroid, and female genital organs. Globally, patients with a breast FPC had a higher incidence for all types of cancer compared to the general female population, and in particular for cancers of the breast, stomach, colon, lung, lymphoma, uterus, and ovary. The 10-year cumulative incidence of metachronous SPCs following a breast FPC was 6.6% and the corresponding 10-year cumulative mortality was 26.2%.

CONCLUSION

In Portugal, patients with a breast FPC have a higher incidence of cancer compared to the general female population, highlighting important aspects of care, surveillance, and counselling among this growing number of patients.

Investigating the tissue specificity and prognostic impact of cis-regulatory cancer risk variants

The tissue-specific incidence of cancers and their genetic basis are poorly understood. Although prior studies have shown global correlation across tissues for cancer risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), any shared functional regulation of gene expression on a per SNP basis has not been well characterized. We set to quantify cis-mediated gene regulation and tissue sharing for SNPs associated with eight common cancers. We identify significant tissue sharing for individual SNPs and global enrichment for breast, colorectal, and Hodgkin lymphoma cancer risk SNPs in multiple tissues. In addition, we observe increasing tissue sharing for cancer risk SNPs overlapping with super-enhancers for breast cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma providing further evidence of tissue specificity. Finally, for genes under cis-regulation by breast cancer SNPs, we identify a phenotype characterized by low expression of tumor suppressors and negative regulators of the WNT pathway associated with worse freedom from progression and overall survival in patients who eventually develop breast cancer. Our results introduce a paradigm for functionally annotating individual cancer risk SNPs and will inform the design of future translational studies aimed to personalize assessment of inherited cancer risk across tissues.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Synchronous and Metachronous Bilateral Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in breast cancer treatment and survival. However, studies characterizing these disparities among patients developing bilateral breast cancers (BBC) are lacking. The purpose of this study is to understand the association between race and ethnicity, sociodemographic factors, clinical variables, treatment, and mortality in patients with BBC--synchronous bilateral breast cancer (sBBC) or metachronous bilateral breast cancer (mBBC).

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with mBBC or sBBC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program between 2010 and 2016 were examined. sBBC was defined as contralateral breast cancer <1 year after the initial cancer diagnosis, and mBBC was contralateral cancer ≥1 year. Univariable analysis examined sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment variables. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models evaluated disease-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 11,493 patients that met inclusion criteria, 9575 (83.3%) had sBBC, and 1918 (16.7%) had mBBC. There were significant racial and ethnic differences in stage, tumor subtype, surgical management, and chemotherapy within sBBC and mBBC groups. On adjusted multivariate analysis of all BBC patients, Black race (HR 1.42; 95%CI 1.11-1.80; p<0.005; Ref White) was associated with a higher disease-specific mortality. Conversely, patients with mBBC had a 25% relative risk reduction in disease-specific mortality (HR 0.75; 95%CI 0.61-0.92; p<0.01) compared to sBBC. Subset analysis suggested Black Race modified the effect of sBBC on mortality (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with BBC, there are racial and ethnic disparities in clinical characteristics, treatment, and mortality. Future studies should focus on strategies to reduce these disparities.

Predicting second breast cancer among women with primary breast cancer using machine learning algorithms, a population-based observational study

Breast cancer survivors often experience recurrence or a second primary cancer. We developed an automated approach to predict the occurrence of any second breast cancer (SBC) using patient-level data and explored the generalizability of the models with an external validation data source. Breast cancer patients from the cancer registry of Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen, Schwyz (N = 3213; training dataset) and the cancer registry of Ticino (N = 1073; external validation dataset), diagnosed between 2010 and 2018, were used for model training and validation, respectively. Machine learning (ML) methods, namely a feed-forward neural network (ANN), logistic regression, and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) were employed for classification. The best-performing model was selected based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Key characteristics contributing to a high SBC risk were identified. SBC was diagnosed in 6% of all cases. The most important features for SBC prediction were age at incidence, year of birth, stage, and extent of the pathological primary tumor. The ANN model had the highest area under the ROC curve with 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.750.82) in the training data and 0.70 (95% CI 0.61-0.79) in the external validation data. Investigating the generalizability of different ML algorithms, we found that the ANN generalized better than the other models on the external validation data. This research is a first step towards the development of an automated tool that could assist clinicians in the identification of women at high risk of developing an SBC and potentially preventing it.

Clinical and sociodemographic risk factors associated with the development of second primary cancers among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Advancement in breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and treatment have increased the number of long-term survivors. Consequently, primary BC survivors are at a greater risk of developing second primary cancers (SPCs). The risk factors for SPCs among BC survivors including sociodemographic characteristics, cancer treatment, comorbidities, and concurrent medications have not been comprehensively examined. The purpose of this study is to assess the incidence and clinicopathologic factors associated with risk of SPCs in BC survivors.

METHODS

We analyzed 171, 311 women with early-stage primary BC diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2015 from the Medicare-linked Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER-Medicare) database. SPC was defined as any diagnosis of malignancy occurring within the study period and at least 6 months after primary BC diagnosis. Univariate analyses compared baseline characteristics between those who developed a SPC and those who did not. We evaluated the cause-specific hazard of developing a SPC in the presence of death as a competing risk.

RESULTS

Of the study cohort, 21,510 (13%) of BC survivors developed a SPC and BC was the most common SPC type (28%). The median time to SPC was 44 months. Women who were white, older, and with fewer comorbidities were more likely to develop a SPC. While statins [hazard ratio (HR) 1.066 (1.023-1.110)] and anti-hypertensives [HR 1.569 (1.512-1.627)] increased the hazard of developing a SPC, aromatase inhibitor therapy [HR 0.620 (0.573-0.671)] and bisphosphonates [HR 0.905 (0.857-0.956)] were associated with a decreased hazard of developing any SPC, including non-breast SPCs.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that specific clinical factors including type of cancer treatment, medications, and comorbidities are associated with increased risk of developing SPCs among older BC survivors. These results can increase patient and clinician awareness, target cancer screening among BC survivors, as well as developing risk-adapted management strategies.

Development and validation of nomograms to predict the survival probability and occurrence of a second primary malignancy of male breast cancer patients: a population-based analysis

Background

Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, which has restricted prospective research among MBC patients. With effective treatments, the prognosis of MBC patients has improved and developing a second primary malignancy (SPM) has become a life-threatening event for MBC survivors. However, few studies have focused on the prognosis of MBC patients and looked into the SPM issue in MBC survivors.

Method

We reviewed MBC patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2016 from the latest Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Plus database. Competing risk models and nomograms were conducted for predicting the risk of cancer-specific death and SPM occurrence. C-indexes, calibration curves, ROC curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were applied for validation.

Result

A total of 1,843 MBC patients with complete information were finally enrolled and 60 (3.26%) had developed an SPM. Prostate cancer (40%) was the most common SPM. The median OS of all the enrolled patients was 102.41 months, while the median latency from the initial MBC diagnosis to the subsequent diagnosis of SPM was 67.2 months. The patients who suffered from an SPM shared a longer OS than those patients with only one MBC (p = 0.027). The patients were randomly divided into the development cohort and the validation cohort (at a ratio of 7:3). The Fine and Gray competing risk model was used to identify the risk factors. Two nomograms were constructed and validated to predict the 5-year, 8-year, and 10-year survival probability of MBC patients, both of which had good performance in the C-index, ROC curves, calibration plots, and DCA curves, showing the ideal discrimination capability and predictive value clinically. Furthermore, we, for the first time, constructed a nomogram based on the competing risk model to predict the 5-year, 8-year, and 10-year probability of developing an SPM in MBC survivors, which also showed good discrimination, calibration, and clinical effectiveness.

Conclusion

We, for the first time, included treatment information and clinical parameters to construct a nomogram to predict not only the survival probability of MBC patients but also the probability of developing an SPM in MBC survivors, which were helpful in individual risk estimation, patient follow-up, and counseling in MBC patients.

[Risk Factors and Pathogenic Mechanism for Secondary Primary Lung Cancer in Breast Cancer Patients: A Review]

Breast cancer and lung cancer are the two most common malignancies in China. With the continuous improvement of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment technology, the survival time of breast cancer patients has been prolonged, and the number of breast cancer patients with second primary lung cancer (SPLC) has increased. In addition, breast cancer is the most common primary cancer in female patients with SPLC, and SPLC is the main cause of death in this population. More and more physicians pay attention to this clinical phenomenon. This paper summarized the risk and risk factors of SPLC in breast cancer patients, and elaborated its pathogenesis, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical management of breast cancer patients and achieve accurate early intervention as soon as possible.
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Relationship between metastasis and second primary cancers in women with breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer (BC) survivors have an increased risk of developing second primary cancers (SPCs); however, it is still unclear if metastasis is a risk factor for developing SPCs. Usually, long-term cancer survivors face an increased risk of developing SPCs; however, less attention has been paid to SPCs in patients with metastatic cancer as the survival outcomes of the patients are greatly reduced.

Methods

A total of 17,077 American women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2018 were identified from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and were included in the study. The clinical characteristics, standardized incidence ratio (SIR), standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and patterns of SPCs in BC patients with no metastasis, regional lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis were investigated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the prognosis of BC patients after developing SPCs with different metastatic status. XGBoost, a high-precision machine learning algorithm, was used to create a prediction model to estimate the prognosis of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients with SPCs.

Results

The results reveal that the SIR (1.01; 95% CI, 0.99–1.03, p>0.05) of SPCs in non-metastasis breast cancer (NMBC) patients was similar to the general population. Further, patients with regional lymph node metastasis showed an 8% increased risk of SPCs (SIR=1.08, 95%CI, 1.05–1.11, p<0.05), and patients with distant metastasis had a 26% increased risk of SPCs (SIR=1.26, 95%CI, 1.16–1.37, p<0.05). The SIR of SPCs in all patients below the age of 40 was the highest, which decreased with age. Patients with poorly differentiated cancers, large tumor size, and late N stage had an increased risk of SPCs. However, an increase in SIR of SPCs was observed in distant MBC patients, even at the early T1 (SIR=1.60, 95% CI, 1.22–1.98, p<0.05) and N1 (SIR=1.27, 95% CI, 1.10–1.44, p<0.05) stage. An increase in the SIR of SPCs was observed in patients with triple-negative BC, and the SIR of SPC increased with metastasis development in BC patients with luminal A subtype. The peak of SPCs risk occurrence was earlier in MBC patients (4-6 months and 10 months) compared to NMBC patients (12 months). The effect of metastasis on the prognosis of SPCs patients was dependent on the type of SPCs. Meanwhile, the XGBoost model was created to predict the 3-year (AUC=0.873) and 5-year survival (AUC=0.918) of SPCs in MBC patients.

Conclusions

Our study provides novel insight into the impact of metastasis on SPCs in BC patients. Metastasis could promote the second primary tumorigenesis which further increased cancer-related deaths. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the occurrence of SPCs in MBC patients.

Estimation of secondary cancer projected risk after partial breast irradiation at the 1.5 T MR-linac

PURPOSE

For patients treated with partial breast irradiation (PBI), potential long-term treatment-related toxicities are important. The 1.5 T magnetic resonance guided linear accelerator (MRL) offers excellent tumor bed visualization and a daily treatment plan adaption possibility, but MRL-specific electron stream and return effects may cause increased dose deposition at air-tissue interfaces. In this study, we aimed to investigate the projected risk of radiation-induced secondary malignancies (RISM) in patients treated with PBI at the 1.5 T MRL.

METHODS

Projected excess absolute risk values (EARs) for the contralateral breast, lungs, thyroid and esophagus were estimated for 11 patients treated with PBI at the MRL and compared to 11 patients treated with PBI and 11 patients treated with whole breast irradiation (WBI) at the conventional linac (CTL). All patients received 40.05 Gy in 15 fractions. For patients treated at the CTL, additional dose due to daily cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was simulated. The t‑test with Bonferroni correction was used for comparison.

RESULTS

The highest projected risk for a radiation-induced secondary cancer was found for the ipsilateral lung, without significant differences between the groups. A lower contralateral breast EAR was found for MRL-PBI (EAR = 0.89) compared to CTL-PBI (EAR = 1.41, p = 0.01), whereas a lower thyroid EAR for CTL-PBI (EAR = 0.17) compared to MRL-PBI (EAR = 0.33, p = 0.03) and CTL-WBI (EAR = 0.46, p = 0.002) was observed. Nevertheless, when adding the CBCT dose no difference between thyroid EAR for CTL-PBI compared to MRL-PBI was detected.

CONCLUSION

Better breast tissue visualization and the possibility for daily plan adaption make PBI at the 1.5 T MRL particularly attractive. Our simulations suggest that this treatment can be performed without additional projected risk of RISM.

Primary Lung Cancer After Treatment for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Due to advances in the diagnosis and treatment technologies for breast cancer, patients with breast cancer are living longer than before, resulting in an increased risk of developing subsequent malignancies, among which lung cancer is the most common. This review presents the current evidence about the risk, influencing factors and prognostic factors of developing primary lung cancer after treatment for breast cancer. The aim is to help clinicians improve their understanding, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer after breast cancer.

Prognostic nomogram to predict the distant metastasis after intensity-modulated radiation therapy for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) significantly differs among individuals with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This analysis was carried out to find prognostic risk factors of DMFS and create a nomogram to predict DMFS for NPC patients who received Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).During March 2008 to January 2010, 437 patients with confirmed NPC from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were recruited into this study. We developed a nomogram for predicting DMFS according to Cox regression analysis. Nomogram performance was assessed by concordance index (C-index), bootstrap validation method, and operating characteristics curves (ROC), respectively.Four independent prognostic factors for distant metastasis were identified, including age, chemotherapy, N-stage and residual tumor. C-index of the nomogram for prediction of DMFS was 0.807 (95% confidence interval, 0.726 to 0.738), which was confirmed using bootstrap validation, indicating satisfactory predictive accuracy. The calibration curves also showed adequate agreement in predicting the 3 and 5-year DMFS. The 3 and 5-year area under the curve (AUC) of ROC for nomogram and TMN stage were 0.828 and 0.612, 0.809, and 0.571, respectively. Classifying risk subgroups based on optimal cut-off value contributes to the effective discrimination of distant metastasis.The nomogram developed for this study is useful for oncologists to accurately predict DMFS and facilitates individualized treatment for patients with NPC.

Occurrence of Second Primary Malignancies in Patients With Primary Optic Nerve Gliomas: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Analysis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Advanced understanding of screening and therapeutic modalities acts as provision for increased survival in patients diagnosed with optic nerve gliomas. Secondary primary malignancies (SPMs) in patients diagnosed with primary optic nerve glioma (OPG) are currently an uncharacterized frontier. This US national database analysis highlights the incidences of SPMs in patients diagnosed with primary OPG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and excess absolute risk (EAR) for SPMs were calculated using the SEER-specific multiple outcome analysis. 95% SIR confidence intervals were calculated with statistical significance achieved at p<0.05.

RESULTS

SPMs originating from soft tissues (including the heart) (SIR=33.23, CI=6.85-97.11; EAR=5.07), breast (SIR=4.99, CI=1.36-12.77; EAR=5.57), female breast (SIR=5.03, CI=1.37-12.89; EAR=5.58), brain (SIR=105.38, CI=65.23-161.08; EAR=36.23), cranial nerves (SIR=103.29, CI=12.51-373.12; EAR=3.45), non-lymphocytic leukemia (SIR=15.05, CI=1.82-54.37; EAR=3.25), myeloid and monocytic leukemia (SIR=16.26, CI=1.97-58.75; EAR=3.27), and Kaposi's sarcoma (SIR=79.88, CI=2.02-445.08; EAR=1.72) demonstrated significantly increased SIR. Overall, the values for cumulative SPM (SIR=6.04, CI=4.33-8.19; EAR=59.60) highlight the overall significance in incidence of SPM in patients diagnosed with OPG.

CONCLUSION

Clinical decision-making should reconcile enhanced propensities for development of SPM.

The Pattern of Second Primary Tumours in Postmenopausal Women with Prior Breast Cancer in Western Romania: A Retrospective, Single-Institution Study

With improved survival, more patients with prior breast cancer are at risk of having a second primary cancer diagnosed. The pattern and impact of second primary cancers following breast cancer is important for overall breast cancer therapeutic management. Our study is a first analysis of the trend of second primary tumours over time in terms of incidence, sites with significantly elevated risks and correlation with stage, molecular subtype and therapeutic strategies conducted in Eastern Europe in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Patients and methods: Our study population included 28 patients with prior breast cancer (BC) and second primary tumours, which were diagnosed and treated in our Institution between 2004 and 2017. The criteria for selection were based on the completeness of the documentation of the first treatment for breast cancer, stage of disease, molecular subtype, the site of origin of the second tumours and the survival data. Results: An increased risk of second primary cancer was associated with the 51–60 years age group (53.6%), with the greater prevalence in patients living in urban environments (82.1%). The use of chemotherapy increased the risk of the occurrence of gynecological second malignancies (75%). Our study is a first analysis of the trend of second primary tumours over time in terms of identifying sites with significantly elevated risks and correlation with therapeutic strategies conducted in Eastern Europe in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Conclusions: Our study is a first analysis of the trend of second primary tumours over time in terms of correlation with luminal subtype and stage at diagnosis of primary cancer sites with significantly elevated risks and correlation with therapeutic strategies in postmenopausal women with breast cancer conducted in Eastern Europe. The reported time from primary to second primary malignancy onset, with a significantly higher rate for postmenopausal breast cancer patients, was less than one year (50%). With the advances and wider availability of genetic testing (e.g., gene panels), patients diagnosed with multiple primaries should be increasingly investigated for an underlying cancer predisposition. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer may benefit from increased surveillance and advice to avoid second malignancies.

Cisplatin Reduces the Frequencies of Radiotherapy-Induced Micronuclei in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Patients with Gynaecological Cancer: Possible Implications for the Risk of Second Malignant Neoplasms

Gynaecologic cancers are common among women and treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, where the last two methods induce DNA damage in non-targeted cells like peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). Damaged normal cells can transform leading to second malignant neoplasms (SMN) but the level of risk and impact of risk modifiers is not well defined. We investigated how radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy induce DNA damage in PBL of cervix and endometrial cancer patients during therapy. Blood samples were collected from nine endometrial cancer patients (treatment with radiotherapy + chemotherapy-RC) and nine cervical cancer patients (treatment with radiotherapy alone-R) before radiotherapy, 3 weeks after onset of radiotherapy and at the end of radiotherapy. Half of each blood sample was irradiated ex vivo with 2 Gy of gamma radiation in order to check how therapy influenced the sensitivity of PBL to radiation. Analysed endpoints were micronucleus (MN) frequencies, apoptosis frequencies and cell proliferation index. The results were characterised by strong individual variation, especially the MN frequencies and proliferation index. On average, despite higher total dose and larger fields, therapy alone induced the same level of MN in PBL of RC patients as compared to R. This result was accompanied by a higher level of apoptosis and stronger inhibition of cell proliferation in RC patients. The ex vivo dose induced fewer MN, more apoptosis and more strongly inhibited proliferation of PBL of RC as compared to R patients. These results are interpreted as evidence for a sensitizing effect of chemotherapy on radiation cytotoxicity. The possible implications for the risk of second malignant neoplasms are discussed.

Second Primary Malignancies in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Population-Based Analysis

Background

Second primary malignancy (SPM) is becoming a threat for the health of cancer survivors. However, data on the features and results of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with SPMs are scarce. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of HCC patients with SPMs and to screen HCC patients who are at a high risk of developing SPMs.

Method

HCC patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2014 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were retrospectively analyzed. Eligible patients were divided into the only one primary malignancy and SPM groups. The Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazards model was used to explore the risk factors of developing SPMs, and a competing-risk model was established to predict the probability of developing SPMs for HCC patients after initial diagnosis. The calibration curves, concordance index (C-index), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram.

Results

A total of 40,314 HCC patients were identified, 1,593 (3.95%) of whom developed SPMs 2 months after the initial diagnosis with a maximum follow-up time of approximately 18 years. The 3-, 5-, and 10-year cumulative incidence of SPMs were 2.35%, 3.12%, and 4.51%, respectively. Age at initial diagnosis, extent of disease, tumor size, and treatment were identified as the independent risk factors of developing SPMs and integrated into the competing-risk nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.677 (95% confidence interval 0.676-0.678), and the calibration curves showed an excellent agreement between the nomogram prediction and the actual observations. Furthermore, DCA indicated that the nomogram had good net benefits in clinical scenarios.

Conclusions

HCC survivors remain at a high risk of developing SPMs. The development of SPMs was associated with the clinical features and treatment strategies. A competing-risk nomogram was constructed to help surgeons identify the patients who are at a high risk of developing SPMs and contribute to the further management of SPMs.

Risk and Influencing Factors for Subsequent Primary Lung Cancer After Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Two Meta-Analyses Based on Four Million Cases

INTRODUCTION

To compare the risk of developing lung cancer between patients with breast cancer and the general population and explore the risk factors for the development of primary lung cancer after treatment for breast cancer.

METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched from the establishment date to October 11, 2020. Two separate meta-analyses were performed: one focused on studies reporting the risk of subsequent lung cancer after breast cancer and one focused on studies exploring the risk factors for subsequent lung cancer in patients with breast cancer. The standardized incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were combined to compare the risk of developing lung cancer between patients with breast cancer and the general population. The relative risks (RRs) or ORs with 95% confidence intervals were combined to assess the association of clinicopathological parameters with the risk of developing lung cancer after breast cancer. All statistical analyses were conducted by STATA 12.0.

RESULTS

A total of 15 studies involving 1,161,979 patients were eventually included in the first meta-analysis, and the pooled results indicated that female patients with breast cancer revealed a significantly higher risk of developing subsequent lung cancer (standardized incidence ratio = 1.25, p < 0.001). In addition, a total of 22 articles involving 3,090,620 patients were included in the second meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that smoking (OR = 9.73, p < 0.001) and radiotherapy (RR = 1.40, p < 0.001) were risk factors for developing subsequent lung cancer in patients with breast cancer, and chemotherapy (RR = 0.69, p = 0.002), positive estrogen receptor status (RR = 0.93, p = 0.014) and positive progesterone receptor status (RR = 0.86, p < 0.001) were protective factors. Meanwhile, subgroup analysis based on the relative position of the breast and lung cancers (ipsilateral versus contralateral) was conducted, which indicated that radiotherapy only increased the risk of ipsilateral lung cancer in patients with breast cancer (RR = 1.27, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with breast cancer are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population, and the risk of developing primary lung cancer after breast cancer is affected by smoking, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, estrogen receptor status and progesterone receptor status.

Locally Advanced Breast Cancer (LABC): Real-World Outcome of Patients From Cancer Institute, Chennai

PURPOSE

There are sparse data on the outcome of patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). This report is on the prognostic factors and long-term outcome from Cancer Institute, Chennai.

METHODS

This is an analysis of untreated patients with LABC (stages IIIA-C) who were treated from January 2006 to December 2013.

RESULTS

Of the 4,577 patients with breast cancer who were treated, 2,137 patients (47%) with LABC were included for analysis. The median follow-up was 75 months (range, 1-170 months), and 2.3% (n = 49) were lost to follow-up at 5 years. The initial treatment was neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (NACR) (77%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (15%), or others (8%). Patients with triple-negative breast cancer had a pathologic complete response (PCR) of 41%. The 10-year overall survival was for stage IIIA (65.1%), stage IIIB (41.2%), and stage IIIC (26.7%). Recurrence of cancer was observed in 27% of patients (local 13% and distant 87%). Multivariate analysis showed that patients with a tumor size > 10 cm (hazard ratio [HR], 2.19; 95% CI, 1.62 to 2.98; P = .001), hormone receptor negativity (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.72; P = .001), treatment modality (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.73; P = .001), lack of PCR (HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.85 to 3.02; P = .001), and the presence of lymphovascular invasion (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.60 to 2.44; P = .001) had decreased overall survival.

CONCLUSION

NACR was feasible in inoperable LABC and gave satisfactory long-term survival. PCR was significantly higher in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The tumor size > 10 cm was significantly associated with inferior survival. However, this report acknowledges the limitations inherent in experience of management of LABC from a single center.

Risks of subsequent primary cancers among breast cancer survivors according to hormone receptor status

BACKGROUND

This study was aimed at examining the risks of subsequent primary cancers (SPCs) among breast cancer survivors by hormone receptor (HR) status and age at diagnosis.

METHODS

Data from 12 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries were used to identify 431,222 breast cancer survivors (at least 1 year) diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 84 years from 1992 to 2015. Risks of SPCs were measured as the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and the excess absolute risk (EAR) per 10,000 person-years. Poisson regression was used to test the difference in SIRs by HR status.

RESULTS

In comparison with the general population, the risk of new cancer diagnoses among survivors was 20% higher for those with HR-positive cancers (SIR, 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.21; EAR, 23.3/10,000 person-years) and 44% higher for those with HR-negative cancers (SIR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.41-1.47; EAR, 45.2/10,000 person-years), with the risk difference between HR statuses statistically significant. The higher risk after HR-negative cancer was driven by acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and breast, ovarian, peritoneal, and lung cancers. By age at diagnosis, the total EAR per 10,000 person-years ranged from 15.8 (95% CI, 14.1-17.5; SIR, 1.11) among late-onset (age, 50-84 years) HR-positive survivors to 69.4 (95% CI, 65.1-73.7; SIR, 2.24) among early-onset (age, 20-49 years) HR-negative survivors, with subsequent breast cancer representing 73% to 80% of the total EAR. After breast cancer, the greatest EARs were for ovarian cancer among early-onset HR-negative survivors, lung cancer among early- and late-onset HR-negative survivors, and uterine corpus cancer among late-onset HR-positive survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

Risks of SPCs after breast cancer differ substantially by subtype and age. This suggests that more targeted approaches for cancer prevention and early-detection strategies are needed in survivorship care planning.

Combining Angiogenesis Inhibitors with Radiation: Advances and Challenges in Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy is a widely employed modality that is used to destroy cancer cells, but it also tends to induce changes in the tumor microenvironment and promote angiogenesis. Radiation, when used as a sole means of therapeutic approach to treat cancer, tends to trigger the angiogenic pathways, leading to the upregulation of several angiogenic growth factors such as VEGF, bFGF, PDGF and angiogenin. This uncontrolled angiogenesis leads to certain angiogenic disorders like vascular outgrowth and an increase in tumor progression that can pose a serious threat to patients.

OBJECTIVE

This review emphasizes on various components of the tumor microenvironment, angiogenic growth factors and biological effects of radiation on tumors in provoking the relapse. It also describes the angiogenic mechanisms that trigger the tumor relapse after radiation therapy and how angiogenesis inhibitors can help in overcoming this phenomenon. It gives an overview of various angiogenesis inhibitors in pre-clinical as well as in clinical trials.

CONCLUSION

The review focuses on the beneficial effects of the combinatorial therapeutic approach of anti-angiogenesis therapy and radiation in tumor management.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment of a first cancer is associated with a decreased incidence of second primary cancer

Background

Second primary cancers (SPCs) are diagnosed in over 5% of patients after a first primary cancer (FPC). We explore here the impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) given for an FPC on the risk of SPC in different age groups, cancer types and treatments.

Patients and methods

The files of the 46 829 patients diagnosed with an FPC in the Centre Léon Bérard from 2013 to 2018 were analyzed. Structured data were extracted and electronic patient records were screened using a natural language processing tool, with validation using manual screening of 2818 files of patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the incidence of SPC according to patient characteristics and treatment were conducted.

Results

Among the 46 829 patients, 1830 (3.9%) had a diagnosis of SPC with a median interval of 11.1 months (range 0-78 months); 18 128 (38.7%) received cytotoxic chemotherapy (CC) and 1163 (2.5%) received ICIs for the treatment of the FPC in this period. SPCs were observed in 7/1163 (0.6%) patients who had received ICIs for their FPC versus 437/16 997 (2.6%) patients receiving CC and no ICIs for the FPC versus 1386/28 669 (4.8%) for patients receiving neither CC nor ICIs for the FPC. This reduction was observed at all ages and for all histotypes analyzed. Treatment with ICIs and/or CC for the FPC are associated with a reduced risk of SPC in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Immunotherapy with ICIs alone and in combination with CC was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of SPC for all ages and cancer types.

•

From 2013 to 2018, 3.9% of the 46 829 patients diagnosed with a first cancer presented with an SPC.

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Treatment of the first cancer with ICIs was associated with a major reduction of SPC.

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CC given for an FPC was also associated with a lower magnitude of reduction of SPC.

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There were no SPC in cancer patients treated with ICIs in the localized phase of their first cancer.

Differential Second Primary Malignancy Occurrence After Breast Cancer According to HER2 Status: A Population-Based Study

PURPOSE

Our study aims to analyze the association between HER2 status of breast cancer (BC) and second primary malignancy (SPM) occurrence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on BC patients registered between 2010 and 2018 in the NCI SEER database, we utilized standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and Poisson regression to quantify SPM occurrence compared with the general population. Then, adjusted for competing death risk, cumulative incidence function and Gray's test were adopted to estimate the probability of SPM. Subsequent proportional subdistribution hazards regression was executed to identify the HER2 status impact on SPM risk. Finally, survival analysis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 409,796 first BC patients were included and 18,283 were identified with at least one SPM. The SIR of SPM after HER2+ BC was significantly lower than HER2- BC (1.03 vs 1.13; RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88-0.96; p<0.001). The predominantly declining SPM risk was only observed for second BC (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.96; p=0.003) and lung cancer (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.95; p=0.007). Furthermore, competing risk analysis verified the protective effect of HER2 positivity status on SPM occurrence. The 5-year cumulative incidence of SPM following HER2+ and HER2- BC were 4.09% and 5.16%, respectively (p<0.001). In addition, among patients suffering from SPM, HER2 positivity status contributed to better overall survival.

CONCLUSION

It is demonstrated that HER2+ BC patients had lower SPM incidence, which was remarkable for second BC and lung cancer.

Risk factors and prediction of second primary cancer in primary female non-metastatic breast cancer survivors

This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of second primary cancer among female breast cancer (BC) survivors, with emphasis on the prediction of the individual risk conditioned on the patient's characteristics. We identified 208,474 BC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2010 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Subdistribution proportional hazard model and competing-risk nomogram were used to explore the risk factors of second primary BC and non-BC, and to predict the 5- and 10-year probabilities of second primary BC. Model performance was evaluated via calibration curves and decision curve analysis. The overall 3-, 5-, and 10-year cumulative incidences for second primary BC were 0.9%, 1.6% and 4.4%, and for second primary non-BC were 2.3%, 3.9%, and 7.8%, respectively. Age over 70 years at diagnosis, black race, tumor size over 2 cm, negative hormone receptor, mixed histology, localized tumor, lumpectomy alone, and surgeries plus radiotherapy were significantly associated with increased risk of second BC. The risk of second non-BC was only related to age, race and tumor size. The proposed risk model as well as its nomogram was clinically beneficial to identify patients at high risk of developing second primary breast cancer.

Risk of Second Primary Malignancies in Colon Cancer Patients Treated With Colectomy

Background: Second primary malignancy (SPM) attracts a growing attention. However, the clinical features of colon cancer (CC) survivors with SPMs are not clear and could help guide clinicians to develop a better surveillance strategy.

Methods: We reviewed 56,930 CC survivors treated with colectomy from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 1998–2011. Competing risk models and nomograms were conducted for predicting the risk of occurring SPMs. The clinical utility of the models was measured by decision curve analysis (DCA) using net benefit approaches.

Results: Five thousand thirteen (17.1%) of male patients developed SPMs and sites of SPMs included prostate (32.2%), lung and bronchus (11.6%), urinary bladder and kidney (10.8%), colon (10.0%), and melanoma of the skin (3.9%), while 3,592 (13.0%) of female patients occurred SPMs and sites of SPMs involved breast (25.8%), lung and bronchus (13.6%), colon (11.6%), uterus (8.2%), urinary bladder, and kidney (5.6%). Survivors with a second carcinoma of lung and bronchus showed the worst prognosis. Older age increased the risk of SPMs in both male (Subdistribution hazard ratio =2.85 [95% confidence interval = 2.53–3.21]) and female (1.80 [1.59–2.04]) survivors, especially for the risk of a second prostate carcinoma in male (5.33 [4.03–7.03]). Compared with white race, black male survivors remained at higher risk to develop the second prostate carcinoma (1.98 [1.74–2.26]). Competing-risk nomograms for CC survivors were established to help clinicians predict the probabilities of overall SPMs and prostate carcinoma. Validation of nomograms showed good discrimination and accuracy, and DCAs revealed the clinical effectiveness.

Conclusions: We profiled the clinical characteristics of a large population-based cohort of CC survivors with SPMs. These features may improve future follow-up management, especially for the surveillance of second prostate cancer in men and second breast cancer in women.

A 15-year follow-up study on long-term adherence to health behaviour recommendations in women diagnosed with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Whilst a cancer diagnosis may prompt health behaviour change, there is limited evidence regarding whether such changes are maintained in the long-term. We aimed to investigate the impact of cancer diagnosis on health behaviour changes over the long-term survivorship period among breast cancer survivors (BCSs).

METHODS

The sample comprised 153 BCSs and 4778 cancer-free women, aged 49-55 years in 2001 (our baseline), from the 1946-1951 birth cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Health behaviours (physical activity, smoking, alcohol, diet and Body Mass Index), recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR), were assessed in five survivorship periods: ≤ 3 years, 3 to ≤ 6 years, 6 to ≤ 9 years, 9 to ≤ 12 years, and 12 to 15 years since diagnosis. A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used for dietary assessment. Pre-diagnosis (baseline) health behaviours of BCSs and cancer-free women were compared (using Generalized Linear Models (GLM)). Multilevel (mixed effect) models were used for longitudinal data in BCSs.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in health behaviours between BCSs (prior to diagnosis) and cancer-free women. Following diagnosis, BCSs were significantly more physically active (≥ 600 MET min/week; 50.8% to 63.3%; p = 0.02) and consumed more fruit (≥ 2 serves/day; 57.4% to 66.4%; p = 0.01) in the recent survivorship period, but were less likely to be classified in the healthy weight range (p < 0.01). The proportion of non-drinkers and non-smokers slightly increased over the survivorship period. Whole-vegetable intake did not significantly change; however, the intake of non-starchy vegetables significantly increased from pre-diagnosis (LS mean = 89.1 g/day) to post-diagnosis, 6 to ≤ 9 years (LS mean = 137.1 g/day), and 9 to ≤ 12 years (LS mean = 120.8 g/day). There were no significant changes in the total intake of fibre, carotenoids, calcium, fat, saturated fat, vitamin C, or vitamin E observed, except for increased total energy intake (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

Before diagnosis, BCSs had similar adherence to health behaviours compared to cancer-free women. Initial positive changes to health behaviours were observed post BC diagnosis, except healthy body weight, but maintenance of such changes over the long-term was poor. BCSs may benefit from additional advice and support to make healthy lifestyle choices throughout survivorship.