Does the Presence of Circulating Tumor Cells in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Patients Predict the Site of First Metastasis—Results from the Adjuvant SUCCESS A Trial

Simple Summary

Due to recent advances in breast cancer detection and treatment strategies, the number of breast cancer survivors has increased over the past decades. However, breast cancer follow-up guidelines have not changed for years. The presence of CTCs detected during follow-up has been shown to indicate poor prognosis in high-risk breast cancer patients. Here, we evaluated if the presence of CTCs also indicates the site of metastatic disease by analyzing CTC status and metastatic location in 206 patients with distant recurrence from the large adjuvant breast cancer trial SUCCESS A. Patients who were CTC-positive both before and after chemotherapy were more likely to show bone-only first distant disease (37.5% vs. 21.0%) and first distant disease at multiple sites (31.3% vs. 12.6%) than patients without CTCs. These data indicate that CTCs might serve as a liquid biopsy surveillance-marker enabling risk-stratification for deciding on further adjuvant add-on-treatment.

Abstract

The prognostic relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer is well established. However, little is known about the association of CTCs and site of first metastasis. In the SUCCESS A trial, 373 out of 3754 randomized high-risk breast cancer patients developed metastatic disease. CTC status was assessed by the FDA-approved CellSearch^®-System (Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Bologna, Italy) in 206 of these patients before chemotherapy and additionally in 159 patients after chemotherapy. CTCs were detected in 70 (34.0%) of 206 patients before (median 2 CTCs, 1–827) and in 44 (27.7%) of 159 patients after chemotherapy (median 1 CTC, 1–124); 16 (10.1%) of 159 patients were CTC-positive at both timepoints. The site of first distant disease was bone-only, visceral-only, and other-site-only in 44 (21.4%), 60 (29.1%), and 74 (35.9%) patients, respectively, while 28 (13.6%) patients had multiple sites of first metastatic disease. Patients with CTCs at both timepoints more often showed bone-only first distant disease (37.5% vs. 21.0%) and first distant disease at multiple sites (31.3% vs. 12.6%) than patients without CTCs before and/or after chemotherapy (p = 0.027). In conclusion, the presence of CTCs before and after chemotherapy is associated with multiple-site or bone-only first-distant disease and may trigger intensified follow-up and perhaps further treatment.

Abstract 3403: Multiomic, plasma-only circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay identifies breast cancer patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) and predicts distant recurrence

Background: Detection of MRD after curative intent treatment may identify patients at high risk for recurrence. Most ctDNA-based MRD assays require a priori knowledge of genomic alterations from tumor tissue to achieve acceptable sensitivity and specificity. However, tissue availability may be limited in some patients with breast cancer, particularly following neoadjuvant therapy. Here we report results of a pilot study evaluating a plasma-only multiomic ctDNA MRD assay and its association with breast cancer recurrence.

Methods: 47 plasma samples from 38 patients with early-stage breast cancer were collected through the BRandO BiO Registry at 12- or 36-months post-diagnosis and/or at the time of clinical recurrence. BRandO BiO is a multi-center regional registry with longitudinal biobanking from patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer at 20 affiliated network hospitals in Germany. The presence of ctDNA was evaluated using the Guardant Reveal multi-cancer assay, a next generation sequencing panel covering ~500 genes and ~4Mb of epigenomic regions that undergo differential methylation in multiple solid tumor types. The presence/absence of ctDNA is determined by a custom bioinformatics classifier that identifies tumor-derived somatic variants and methylation profiles specific to individual cancer types without the need for tumor tissue or peripheral blood mononuclear cell analysis. Samples were analyzed blinded to recurrence status.Results: 20 patients were confirmed to have clinical recurrence (7 local, 13 distant). ctDNA was detected at or prior to distant recurrence in 11/13 (85%) patients and in 1/7 (14%) patients with local recurrence. Five patients with distant recurrence had a sample available that was collected prior to distant recurrence; ctDNA was detected in 4/5 with a 3.8-18.6 month lead time. Among 15 ctDNA+ samples, 5 were positive for both methylation and somatic variant calls, 1 by somatic variants only, and 9 by methylation only. Somatic mutations were identified in AKT, RB1, KRAS, PIK3CA, ERBB2, MAP3K1, GATA3, and ESR1. The ESR1 mutation occurred in a patient with endocrine therapy resistance, confirming the ability of the assay to identify acquired treatment resistance mutations. ctDNA was not detected in samples from the 14 patients who had no confirmed clinical recurrence (100% specificity).

Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of MRD detection in breast cancer using a plasma-only multiomic ctDNA-based approach. The Guardant Reveal assay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity to detect distant breast cancer recurrence. Larger studies in this population are ongoing to further validate the clinical performance of the assay and demonstrate its applications in the management of early-stage breast cancer.

Citation Format: Wolfgang Janni, Jens Huober, Tatjana Braun, Volkmar Müller, Angelina Fink, Amelie de Gregorio, Brigitte Rack, Thomas W. Friedl, Lisa Wiesmüller, Klaus Pantel, Thereasa Rich, Princy Parsana, Elena Zotenko, Shile Zhang, Sophia Huesmann. Multiomic, plasma-only circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay identifies breast cancer patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) and predicts distant recurrence [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3403.

Ki67 as Proliferative Marker in Patients with Early Breast Cancer and Its Association with Clinicopathological Factors

INTRODUCTION

Ki67 as a proliferative marker has prognostic and therapeutic relevance in early breast cancer (EBC). However, standard cutoffs for distinguishing low and high Ki67 do not exist.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data from all patients treated at the University Hospital Ulm for EBC between January 2013 and December 2015 with documented results for internal Ki67 assessment of the primary (n = 917) tumor were retrospectively analyzed evaluating the associations between Ki67 and other clinicopathological factors.

RESULTS

595 (64.9%) patients had a Ki67 <20% and 322 (35.1%) a Ki67 ≥20%. The median Ki67 was 10% (range 1-90%). Median Ki67 values according to the hormone receptor (HR)/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) subtypes were 10% for HR-positive/HER2 negative (HR+/HER2-) disease (n = 717), 20% for HR+/HER2+ (n = 76), 30% for HR-/HER2+ (n = 45), and 60% for HR-/HER2- (n = 75). 75.2% or 89.3% of all patients with HER2-positive or triple-negative disease had a Ki67 ≥20%, respectively. Using a multivariable logistic regression with Ki67 (<20% vs. ≥20%) as binary dependent variable, younger age, positive nodal status, higher grading, histological nonspecific type carcinoma, negative HR status, and positive HER2 status were shown to be significantly associated with a higher proliferative index (Ki67 ≥20%).

CONCLUSION

This analysis described Ki67 in different subtypes in EBC and its association with clinicopathological factors. According to more aggressive tumor biology, the respective subgroups also showed higher median Ki67 levels. However, definition of low and high proliferation index itself is difficult. It is essential to interpret Ki67 indices carefully with regard to the own institutional values and other clinicopathological factors.

BRENDA-Score, a Highly Significant, Internally and Externally Validated Prognostic Marker for Metastatic Recurrence: Analysis of 10,449 Primary Breast Cancer Patients

Simple Summary

The BRENDA-Score provides an easy to use tool for clinicians to estimate the risk of recurrence in primary breast cancer. The algorithm has been validated via a second independent database and provides five recurrence risk groups. This grouping helps clinicians to encourage high risk patients to undergo the recommended treatment.

Abstract

Background Current research in breast cancer focuses on individualization of local and systemic therapies with adequate escalation or de-escalation strategies. As a result, about two-thirds of breast cancer patients can be cured, but up to one-third eventually develop metastatic disease, which is considered incurable with currently available treatment options. This underscores the importance to develop a metastatic recurrence score to escalate or de-escalate treatment strategies. Patients and methods Data from 10,499 patients were available from 17 clinical cancer registries (BRENDA-project. In total, 8566 were used to develop the BRENDA-Index. This index was calculated from the regression coefficients of a Cox regression model for metastasis-free survival (MFS). Based on this index, patients were categorized into very high, high, intermediate, low, and very low risk groups forming the BRENDA-Score. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation and an independent dataset of 1883 patients for external validation. The predictive accuracy was checked by Harrell’s c-index. In addition, the BRENDA-Score was analyzed as a marker for overall survival (OS) and compared to the Nottingham prognostic score (NPS). Results: Intrinsic subtypes, tumour size, grading, and nodal status were identified as statistically significant prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. The five prognostic groups of the BRENDA-Score showed highly significant (p < 0.001) differences regarding MFS:low risk: hazard ratio (HR) = 2.4, 95%CI (1.7–3.3); intermediate risk: HR = 5.0, 95%CI.(3.6–6.9); high risk: HR = 10.3, 95%CI (7.4–14.3) and very high risk: HR = 18.1, 95%CI (13.2–24.9). The external validation showed congruent results. A multivariate Cox regression model for OS with BRENDA-Score and NPS as covariates showed that of these two scores only the BRENDA-Score is significant (BRENDA-Score p < 0.001; NPS p = 0.447). Therefore, the BRENDA-Score is also a good prognostic marker for OS. Conclusion: The BRENDA-Score is an internally and externally validated robust predictive tool for metastatic recurrence in breast cancer patients. It is based on routine parameters easily accessible in daily clinical care. In addition, the BRENDA-Score is a good prognostic marker for overall survival. Highlights: The BRENDA-Score is a highly significant predictive tool for metastatic recurrence of breast cancer patients. The BRENDA-Score is stable for at least the first five years after primary diagnosis, i.e., the sensitivities and specificities of this predicting system is rather similar to the NPI with AUCs between 0.76 and 0.81 the BRENDA-Score is a good prognostic marker for overall survival.

Novel and flexible ultrasound simulation with smartphones and tablets in fetal echocardiography

PURPOSE

Evaluation of a novel ultrasound-simulation-app for training fetal echocardiography as a possible useful addition for students, residents and specialist doctors. Furthermore, comparison to a conventional learning-method with special attention on orientation and recognition of physiological structures.

METHODS

Prospective two-arm study with the participation of 226 clinical students. 108 students were given an extract from a textbook on fetal echocardiography (PDF-group, n = 108) for 30 min to study. 118 students were able to use the new ultrasound-simulator-app (Simulator-group, n = 118) to learn for 30 min. The knowledge of the students was examined both before and after the learning-period by having them identify sonographic structures in videos using single-choice selection.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age (p = 0.87), gender (p = 0.28), and the number of previously performed ultrasound-examinations (p = 0.45). In the Simulator-group, there was a significantly higher learning effect regarding the proportion of students with an increase of correct answers in the video test examination (p = 0.005). At the end of learning, the students in the Simulator-group needed significantly less time to display the structures in the app's simulation (median initially 10.9 s vs. 6.8 s at the end; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The novel ultrasound-simulation-app seems to be a useful addition and improvement to ultrasound training. Previous difficulties such as simultaneously having patients, ultrasound-machines, and professors at disposal can thus be avoided. This means that another important step towards remote learning can be taken, which has been proven increasingly essential lately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gemcitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk early breast cancer-results from the randomized phase III SUCCESS-A trial

Background

When chemotherapy is indicated in patients with early breast cancer, regimens that contain anthracyclines and taxanes are established standard treatments. Gemcitabine has shown promising effects on the response and prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The SUCCESS-A trial (NCT02181101) examined the addition of gemcitabine to a standard chemotherapy regimen in high-risk early breast cancer patients.

Methods

A total of 3754 patients with at least one of the following characteristics were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment arms: nodal positivity, tumor grade 3, age ≤ 35 years, tumor larger than 2 cm, or negative hormone receptor status. The treatment arms received either three cycles of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide, followed by three cycles of docetaxel (FEC → Doc); or three cycles of FEC followed by three cycles of docetaxel and gemcitabine (FEC → Doc/Gem). The primary study aim was disease-free survival (DFS), and the main secondary objectives were overall survival (OS) and safety.

Results

No differences were observed in the 5-year DFS or OS between FEC → Doc and FEC → Doc/Gem. The hazard ratio was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.78 to 1.12; P = 0.47) for DFS and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.19; P = 0.60) for OS. For patients treated with FEC → Doc and FEC → Doc/Gem, the 5-year probabilities of DFS were 86.6% and 87.2%, and the 5-year probabilities of OS were 92.8% and 92.5%, respectively.

Conclusion

Adding gemcitabine to a standard chemotherapy does not improve the outcomes in patients with high-risk early breast cancer and should therefore not be included in the adjuvant treatment setting.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02181101 and EU Clinical Trials Register EudraCT 2005-000490-21. Registered September 2005.

[Reconciliation of Family and Work Life in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics - Systematic Assessment in Different Occupational Groups of a German University Hospital]

Reconciliation of family and work life is an important topic for employees. Due to common work in shifts within the health care sector, this is even more essential for health care workers and has great implications in work satisfaction and individuals ́ health. Within all employees of the department of OB/GYN of the German university hospital Ulm, an anonymous and voluntary survey on compatibility of work and family was performed in the summer of 2017. The questionnaires consisted of established and newly designed tools to assess reconciliation of family/work life as well as work-family (WFC) and family-work conflict (FWC). Return rate of questionnaires was 63% (n=136). Physicians (n=33), nurses (n=53), and midwives (n=31) were grouped together as "medical staff" (n=115). There was no significant difference between employees with (n=73) or without children (n=59) regarding WFC and FWC. The group of nurses/midwives and the group of physicians had a significantly higher inter-role conflict (p<0.001) than the group of administrative staff. A negative correlation with "work satisfaction" was found for WFC and FWC. The group of nurses/midwives has significantly higher inter-role conflicts than the administrative staff. Especially the negative correlation of work satisfaction and inter-role conflicts shows the enormous need for improvement in sufficient compatibility of work and family life of employees in the health care sector. This needs to be addressed quickly and effectively as there is an alarming deficit of nurses and midwives in the German health care system.

CT Scan in the Prediction of Lymph Node Involvement in Ovarian Cancer - a Retrospective Analysis of a Tertiary Gyneco-Oncological Unit

Background The prognostic value of lymph node removal in ovarian cancer varies depending on the tumor stage. While in the advanced stage the removal of clinically normal lymph nodes does not improve the prognosis, this is still unclear in the early stages. Evaluation of the lymph nodes based on preoperative imaging influences the surgical procedure.

Methods This retrospective analysis was performed by analyzing data from 114 patients with ovarian cancer, treated in our university hospital in the years 2000 – 2012. Diagnostic performance of imaging by computer tomography with respect to the correct prediction of lymph node status was analyzed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value.

Results Imaging by computer tomography showed a rather limited diagnostic performance with regard to the detection of lymph node metastases in ovarian cancer, with a sensitivity of 40.7%, a specificity of 89.1%, a positive predictive value of 80.0%, and a negative predictive value of 58.3%. A separate analysis for pelvic and paraaortic lymph node involvement showed a better diagnostic performance of computer tomography for the detection of positive paraaortic lymph nodes (41.2, 93.1, 84.0, and 64.3% for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, respectively) as compared to the detection of positive pelvic lymph nodes (25.6, 91.8, 62.5, and 69.8%).

Conclusion The preoperative prediction of lymph node status by computer tomography is limited. A decision for or against lymphadenectomy should not be made solely on the basis of this approach.

Abstract OT2-01-03: DETECT V - Comparison of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab plus CDK4/6 inhibition in combination with either chemo- or endocrine therapy in patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer

Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is usually an incurable disease and maintenance of quality of life (QoL) is one of the main aims of therapy. In patients with HER2-positive MBC, taxane-based chemotherapy in combination with dual HER2 targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab is the standard of care. However, adverse events are well-known side effects of any cytostatic treatment and can seriously impact the patients’ QoL. Thus, for patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive MBC, the synergistic combination of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab plus endocrine therapy might offer a better treatment option. Recent clinical trials suggest an additional benefit when a CDK4/6 inhibitor is added to the combination of endocrine therapy and anti HER2 treatment. DETECT V/CHEVENDO is a randomized phase III study comparing the safety and efficacy of dual HER2 targeted therapy plus the CDK 4/6 inhibitor ribociclib in combination with either endocrine therapy or chemotherapy.

Trial design: Patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive MBC are 1:1 randomized to receive trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with endocrine therapy and ribociclib or to chemotherapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab followed by maintenance therapy with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, endocrine therapy and ribociclib. Chemotherapy and the endocrine agents can be chosen from a variety of available regimens according to the physicians choice. The multicenter DETECT V trial started in 2015 in about 120 sites in Germany, and until June 2019 138 patients with HER2-positive, hormone-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer have been enrolled. A sample size of 270 patients is planned.

Specific aims: The primary objective of this study is to compare safety and tolerability of the study treatments between both arms. More specifically, safety will be assessed by the proportion of patients experiencing any adverse event during the treatment period, as defined by a modified adverse event score developed to reflect the clinical and psychological impact of adverse events on the patients’ quality of life. Secondary endpoints are progression free survival, overall survival, and quality-adjusted survival using the quality-adjusted time without symptoms and toxicity (Q-TWiST) method. A translational program is included comprising the detection and phenotyping of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and the assessment of marker expression on CTCs in order to validate an endocrine responsiveness score.

Citation Format: Thomas WP Friedl, Sabrina Krause, Tanja Fehm, Peter A Fasching, Andreas Schneeweiss, Volkmar Müller, Sabine Riethdorf, Klaus Pantel, Florin-Andrei Taran, Arkadius Polasik, Marie Tzschaschel, Amelie de Gregorio, Franziska Meier-Stiegen, Wolfgang Janni, Jens Huober. DETECT V - Comparison of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab plus CDK4/6 inhibition in combination with either chemo- or endocrine therapy in patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-01-03.

Abstract OT3-18-01: Detect III/IV study trial - The multicenter study program in patients with HER2-negative MBC and circulating tumor cells

Background: The collaborative DETECT study program represents a large program on metastatic breast cancer (MBC) worldwide. The main objective of the DETECT trial is to evaluate the efficacy of individualized breast cancer treatment based on the presence and phenotype setting of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Thus, the DETECT study program is one of the first clinical trials translating the role of CTC enumeration/phenotyping directly into treatment intervention within different breast cancer subtypes.

Trial design: The DETECT-III trial is a multicenter, randomized, phase III study comparing standard therapy alone versus standard therapy plus lapatinib in patients with initially HER2-negative MBC and HER2-positive CTCs. Patients with HER2-negative MBC and only HER2-negative CTCs can be included within the DETECT-IV trial, a prospective, multicenter, open-label, phase II study including patients with HER2-negative MBC. Within the DETECT-IV study setting postmenopausal patients with hormone-receptor positive MBC are treated with the CDK 4/6 inhibitor ribociclib and endocrine therapy, while women with triple negative MBC or a hormone-receptor positive tumor and indication for chemotherapy will receive eribulin.

Specific aims: The DETECT study program offers various up-to-date treatment options, generating a wealth of clinical data including long-term follow-up data, evaluated in the controlled setting of a single large clinical trial program. The primary endpoint of the DETECT III trial is the comparison of efficacy as assessed using CTC clearance rate between patients receiving standard anticancer therapy with lapatinib and patients receiving standard anticancer therapy alone. The secondary objective of this trial is to assess the level of compliance to study procedures comparing the efficacy of lapatinib between given treatment groups. The primary objectives of the DETECT- IV trial are to evaluate CTC clearance rate for the ribociclib cohort and progression-free survival (defined as time interval from date of recruitment until progressive disease) for the eribulin cohort. The main focal point of the extensive collaborative translational oncology research projects is to apply innovative biomarkers and assays focusing on molecular characteristics of CTCs. This “biological status” of CTCs may provide new information about their potential function in terms of a repeatedly performed liquid biopsy to assess the patients’ response to therapy.

Citation Format: Sabrina Krause, Thomas WP Friedl, Peter A Fasching, Andreas Schneeweiss, Volkmar Müller, Sabine Riethdorf, Klaus Pantel, Florin-Andrei Taran, Arkadius Polasik, Marie Tzschaschel, Amelie de Gregorio, Franziska Meier-Stiegen, Jens Huober, Wolfgang Janni, Tanja Fehm. Detect III/IV study trial - The multicenter study program in patients with HER2-negative MBC and circulating tumor cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-18-01.

Lymph Node Ratio Can Better Predict Prognosis than Absolute Number of Positive Lymph Nodes in Operable Cervical Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Nodal status is the most important prognostic factor in cervical cancer. However, further risk stratification in node positive cervical cancer patients is warranted for optimal therapeutic decisions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Nodal positive patients (n = 86) were retrospectively stratified into two groups according to either number of positive nodes (>3 vs. 1-3) or lymph node ratio (LNR) (≥10 vs. <10% and >6.6 vs. ≤6.6%). Univariable log-rank tests and both univariable and adjusted multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between number of positive nodes or LNR and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

LNR was significantly associated with worse DFS in adjusted multivariable analysis, both when categorized as ≥10 versus <10% (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.06-4.76, p = 0.034) and when categorized as >6.6 versus ≤6.6% (HR 2.79, 95% CI 1.23-6.37, p = 0.015). However, we found no significant association between number of positive nodes or LNR and OS.

DISCUSSION

In operable node-positive cervical cancer, both number of positive lymph nodes and LNR can be used for further risk stratification with regard to DFS but not OS.

Emergency peripartal hysterectomy - a single-center analysis of the last 13 years at a tertiary perinatal care unit

Background Peripartal hysterectomy (PH) is a challenging surgical procedure with elevated maternal morbidity. Methods From 2004 to 2016, 41 emergency PHs were performed at the tertiary care center of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at University Hospital Ulm. In our retrospective analysis, the incidence of PH in our hospital was 12.8 per 10,000 deliveries with a maternal mortality of 2.4%. PH followed in 80.5% after cesarean section (c-section). Underlying causes/indications for PH were abnormal placentation (53.7%; n=22), uterine atony (26.8%; n=11), uterine lacerations (14.6%; n=6) and in rare cases uterine infection (4.9%; n=2). The median number of transfused products was 11 packed red blood cells (range 0-55 products), 10 fresh frozen plasma units (range 1-43) and two platelet concentrates (0-16). Results Loss of blood as estimated by surgeons was significantly correlated with actual transfused blood volume (P<0.001). Clinically relevant intra- and/or postoperative complications occurred in 53.7% of patients (n=22). Abnormal placentation was the leading cause for PH with an increased incidence during the last 10 years presumptively representing the elevated rate of c-sections. Conclusion PH goes along with increased rates of blood product transfusions independently of indication for surgery and has a high morbidity with a major complication rate of more than 50%. Prepartal assessment of risk factors like abnormal invasive placenta are crucial for reducing maternal morbidity.

Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Breast-Conserving Surgery at German Breast Cancer Centers Within the Last 14 Years - Comparison of a University Center and a Community Hospital

Background Guideline recommendations for axillary surgical approach in breast cancer (BC) treatment changed over the last decade.

Methods Data from all invasive BC patients (n = 5344) treated with breast conserving surgery (BCS) at the breast cancer centers of the University Hospital Ulm (U-BCC) and the community hospital Dachau (D-BCC) were included into a retrospective analysis for assessing information on axillary surgery between 2003 and 2016 based on the documented cancer registry data.

Results The average annual rate of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) was 85.5% and 87.2% in Ulm and Dachau, respectively. SNB was performed more precisely at the U-BCC with a median of 2.4 resected lymph nodes (LN) compared to a median of 3.2 resected LN in Dachau. Median number of resected LN for axillary lymph node dissection (ALNE) showed a statistically significant reduction over time in Ulm (r _s  = − 0.82; p < 0.001) and Dachau (r _s  = − 0.76; p = 0.002). The rate of secondary ALNE (after SNB; 2° ALNE) decreased significantly in U-BCC (r _s  = − 0.76; p = 0.002) while it remained stable in D-BCC. The influential publication of the Z0011 study in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction of secondary ALNE (24.1% preZ0011 and 14.4% postZ0011; p < 0.001) in Ulm.

Conclusion Changes in axillary surgery over time can be seen in the annual statistics of the reviewed BCCs. With BCS, mostly SNB was performed and numbers of removed LN in ALNE have decreased. In the U-BCC, the rate of 2° ALNE dropped after the publication of the Z0011 data. The fact that no such decrease for 2° ALNE was found in D-BCC suggests that university hospitals implement new data and research results into clinical routine earlier than peripheral community hospitals.

Results of an internal audit on the survival of patients with uterine sarcoma

Objective:

In the last 5 years there has been much discussion about the surgical procedure for uterine fibroids, and essentially, also uterine sarcoma. Still there exists no reliable presurgical diagnostic tool to differentiate between benign fibroids and uterine sarcomas. The aim of this study was to confirm the suspected association between intraoperative spread of tumor by morcellation and impaired outcomes in patients with sarcoma.

Material and Methods:

After the local ethics commission positively reviewed the study protocol, the oncologic database of our university hospital was retrospectively reviewed for patients with uterine sarcomas over a time period of 13 years (2002-2015). Data was extracted from the medical files and survival information was collected by contacting the patient’s general practitioners if last follow-up-status was older than 6 months. For the analysis, patients were split into two groups with either intrasurgical morcellation (M+) or no morcellation (M-) regarding information provided by the surgical report.

Results:

Data on 57 patients with uterine sarcoma were available for further analysis. The median age and body mass index of the patients was 63 years and 27 kg/m², respectively. The sarcoma subtypes were 25 leiomyosarcoma, 19 carcinosarcoma, 9 endometrioid stroma sarcoma, 3 adenosarcoma, and one case without further differentiation. In the majority, no morcellation was performed (M- group, n=44) and 51 patients received open surgery (3 laparoscopic, 1 vaginal, and 2 incomplete surgeries). The median time of follow-up was 31 months. The disease-free survival was 50.5 months and the Cox regression analysis showed a hazard ratio of 3.06 [no significant difference between the two subgroups (p=0.079; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9-10.6)]. The overall survival was found as 62.2 months and the Cox regression analysis showed a hazard ratio of 3.216 with a statistically significant difference between the two subgroups (p=0.013; 95% CI: 1.3-8.1).

Conclusion:

Despite the efforts to find a pre-surgical diagnostic tool, the clinical situation remains unsatisfactory. Overall sarcoma prevalence is low during the last 13 years at our university center, but morcellation occurred in a relevant portion of patients (13 of 57). If sarcoma is suspected or diagnosed then en-bloc resection of the uterus can prolong survival. Thus, morcellation of the uterus and not the surgical technique (en-bloc resection) is the prognostic factor and should be avoided in any suspicious case.

Circulating Tumour Cells, Circulating Tumour DNA and Circulating MicroRNA in Metastatic Breast Carcinoma - What is the Role of Liquid Biopsy in Breast Cancer?

Dissemination of tumour cells and the development of solid metastases occurs via blood vessels and lymphatics. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) can be detected in venous blood in patients with early and metastatic breast cancer, and their prognostic relevance has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. Repeated testing for CTCs and ctDNA, or regular so-called "liquid biopsy", can be performed easily at any stage during the course of disease. Additional molecular analysis allows definition of tumour characteristics and heterogeneity that may be associated with treatment resistance. This in turn makes personalised, targeted treatments possible that may achieve both improved overall survival and quality of life.

To clip or not to clip the breast tumor bed? A retrospective look at the geographic miss index and normal tissue index of 110 patients with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

Planning of breast radiation for patients with breast conserving surgery often relies on clinical markers such as scars. Lately, surgical clips have been used to identify the tumor location. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the geographic miss index (GMI) and the normal tissue index (NTI) for the electron boost in breast cancer treatment plans with and without surgical clips.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective descriptive study of 110 consecutive post-surgical patients who underwent breast-conserving treatment in early breast cancer, in which the clinical treatment field with the radiologic (clipped) field were compared and GMI/NTI for the electron boost were calculated respectively.

RESULTS

The average clinical field was 100 mm (range, 100-120 mm) and the clipped field was 90 mm (range, 80-100 mm). The average GMI was 11.3% (range, 0-44%), and the average NTI was 27.5% (range, 0-54%). The GMI and NTI were reduced through the use of intra-surgically placed clips.

CONCLUSION

The impact of local tumor control on the survival of patients with breast cancer is also influenced by the precision of radiotherapy. Additionally, patients demand an appealing cosmetic result. This makes "clinical" markers such as scars unreliable for radiotherapy planning. A simple way of identifying the tissue at risk is by intra-surgical clipping of the tumor bed. Our results show that the use of surgical clips can reduce the diameter of the radiotherapy field and increase the accuracy of radiotherapy planning. With the placement of surgical clips, more tissue at risk is included in the radiotherapy field. Less normal tissue receives radiotherapy with the use of surgical clips.