[en] 

Background

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with microinvasion (DCISM) can be challenging in balancing the risks of overtreatment versus undertreatment. We compared DCISM, pure DCIS, and small volume (T1a) invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) as related to histopathology, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes.

Methods

Women ages 18–90 years who underwent breast surgery for DCIS, DCISM, or T1a IDC were selected from the SEER Database (2004–2015). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association of diagnosis with treatment and survival, respectively.

Results

A total of 134,569 women were identified: 3.2% DCISM, 70.9% DCIS, and 25.9% with T1a IDC. Compared with invasive disease, DCISM was less likely to be ER+ or PR+ and more likely to be HER2+. After adjustment, DCIS and invasive patients were less likely to undergo mastectomy than DCISM patients (DCIS: OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.49–0.56; invasive: OR 0.86, CI 0.81–0.92). For those undergoing lumpectomy, the likelihood of receiving radiation was similar for DCISM and invasive patients but lower for DCIS patients (OR 0.57, CI 0.52–0.63). After adjustment, breast-cancer-specific survival was significantly different between DCISM and the other two groups (DCIS: HR 0.59, CI 0.43–0.8; invasive: HR 1.43, CI 1.04–1.96). However, overall survival was not significantly different between DCISM and invasive disease, whereas patients with DCIS had improved OS (HR 0.83, CI 0.75–0.93).

Conclusions

Although DCISM is a distinct entity, current treatment patterns and prognosis are comparable to those with small volume IDC. These findings may help providers counsel patients and determine appropriate treatment plans.

[en] 

Purpose

: National guidelines define adequate axillary lymph node dissections as those yielding ≥ 10 lymph nodes (LNs). We aimed to identify the optimal LN yield among node-positive patients.

Methods

: Using the National Cancer Data Base (2010–2015), we categorized node-positive patients as follows: (1) neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC, cN1–3 or ypN1mi-3) or (2) upfront surgery (pN1–3). A restricted cubic splines model was used to estimate LN retrieval thresholds associated with change in overall survival (OS).

Results

: 129,685 patients were identified: 21.2% NAC, 78.8% upfront surgery. Low, moderate, and high retrieval thresholds were estimated to be 1–6, 7–21, and > 21 LNs (upfront surgery), and 1–7, 8–22, and > 22 LNs (NAC). In an adjusted model, high versus low LN yield was associated with greater receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy (upfront surgery OR 1.96, p < 0.001) and greater use of adjuvant radiation (upfront surgery OR 1.08, p = 0.02; NAC OR 1.23, p = 0.002). After adjustment, high versus low LN retrieval was associated with improved OS (upfront surgery HR 0.86, p < 0.001; NAC HR 0.77, p < 0.001). Worse OS was associated with retrieving fewer LNs, likely as a result of an under-staged axilla and missed opportunity for adjuvant therapy, while better OS was independently associated with retrieval of up to approximately 20 LNs, after which survival did not improve.

Conclusion

: In node-positive breast cancer, the number of nodes retrieved is significantly associated with an increased positive nodal count and greater use of adjuvant therapy. Removal of approximately 20 LNs may improve survival by both more accurate nodal staging and increased adjuvant therapy use.

[en] 

Background

: Given presumed differences in disease severity between young (≤ 45 years) and elderly (≥ 75 years) women with breast cancer, we sought to compare tumor histopathology, stage at presentation, patterns of care, and survival at the extremes of age.

Methods

: Adults with stages 0–IV breast cancer in the National Cancer Database (2004–2015) were categorized by age (18–45 years, 46–74 years, ≥ 75 years) and compared. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to visualize unadjusted overall survival (OS). A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate the effect of age group, including adjustment for tumor subtype [hormone receptor [HR]+/HER2−, HER2+, triple-negative (TN)].

Results

: Of the 1,201,252 patients identified, 13% were ≤ 45 years and 17.5% were ≥ 75 years. Women ≤ 45 years were more likely to have higher pT/N stages and grade 3 disease compared to older patients; however, rates of de novo cM1 disease were comparable (3.7% vs 3.5%). HER2+ and TN tumors were more common in those ≤ 45 years (HER2+ : 18.6% vs 9.2%; TN: 14.9% vs 8.2%), while HR+/HER2− tumors were more likely in women ≥ 75 years (69.3% vs 51.3%) (all p < 0.001). Younger patients were more likely to undergo mastectomy vs lumpectomy (56% vs 34%), and receive chemotherapy (65.8% vs 10.2%) and radiation (56.2% vs 39.5%). After adjustment, OS was worse in older patients (older HR 2.94, CI 2.86–3.03).

Conclusions

: High-risk tumor subtypes and comprehensive multimodal treatment remain significantly more common among younger women (≤ 45 years) with breast cancer, yet, elderly women are similarly diagnosed with incurable de novo metastatic disease. Tailored screening and treatment strategies are critical to prevent age-related disparities in breast cancer care.

[en] 

Background

: Men represent a small proportion of breast cancer diagnoses, and they are often excluded from clinical trials. Current treatments are largely extrapolated from evidence in women. We compare practice patterns between men and women with breast cancer following the publication of several landmark clinical trials in surgery.

Patients and Methods

: Patients with invasive breast cancer (2004–2015) from the National Cancer Data Base were identified; subcohorts were created based on eligibility for NSABP-B06, CALGB 9343, and ACOSOG Z0011. Practice patterns were stratified by gender and compared. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were utilized to estimate the association between OS and gender.

Results

: Of the 1,664,746 patients identified, 99% were women and 1% were men. Among NSABP-B06 eligible men, mastectomy rates did not change (consistently ~ 80%), and their adjusted OS was minimally worse compared with women (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11–1.28). Following publication of CALGB 9343, omission of radiation after lumpectomy was less likely in men and lagged behind that of women, despite similar OS (male HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.59–1.44). Application of ACOSOG Z0011 findings resulted in deescalation of axillary surgery for men and women with comparable OS (male HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.33–1.45).

Conclusions

: Uptake of clinical trial results for men with breast cancer often mirrors that for women, despite exclusion from these studies. Furthermore, when study findings were applied to eligible patients, men and women demonstrated similar survival. Observational studies can help inform the potential application of study findings to this unique population and improve patient enrollment in clinical trials.

[en] 

Introduction

: The opioid epidemic in the United States is a public health crisis. Breast surgeons are obligated to provide good pain control for their patients after surgery but also must minimize administration of narcotics to prevent a surgical episode of care from becoming a patient’s gateway into opioid dependence.

Methods

: A survey to ascertain pain management practice patterns after breast surgery was performed. A review of currently available literature that was specific to breast surgery was performed to create recommendations regarding pain management strategies.

Results

: A total of 609 surgeons completed the survey and demonstrated significant variations in pain management practices, specifically within regards to utilization of regional anesthesia (e.g., nerve blocks), and quantity of prescribed narcotics. There is excellent data to guide the use of local and regional anesthesia. There are, however, fewer studies to guide narcotic recommendations; thus, these recommendations were guided by prevailing practice patterns.

Conclusions

: Pain management practices after breast surgery have significant variation and represent an opportunity to improve patient safety and quality of care. Multimodality approaches in conjunction with standardized quantities of narcotics are recommended.

[en] 

Purpose

: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive variant for which axillary lymph node (LN) dissection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) remains standard of care. But with increasingly effective systemic therapy, it is unclear whether more limited axillary surgery may be appropriate in some IBC patients. We sought to examine whether extent of axillary LN surgery was associated with overall survival (OS) for IBC.

Methods

: Female breast cancer patients with non-metastatic IBC (cT4d) diagnosed 2010–2014 were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate the association between extent of axillary surgery (≤ 9 vs ≥ 10 LNs removed) and OS after adjusting for covariates, including post-NACT nodal status (ypN0 vs ypN1-3) and radiotherapy receipt (yes/no).

Results

: 3471 patients were included: 597 (17.2%) had cN0 disease, 1833 (52.8%) had cN1 disease, and 1041 (30%) had cN2-3 disease. 49.9% of cN0 patients were confirmed to be ypN0 on post-NACT surgical pathology. Being ypN0 (vs ypN1-3) was associated with improved adjusted OS for all patients. Radiotherapy was associated with improved adjusted OS for cN1 and cN2-3 patients but not for cN0 patients. Regardless of ypN status, there was a trend towards improved adjusted OS with having ≥ 10 (vs ≤ 9) LNs removed for cN2-3 patients (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.60–1.01, p = 0.06) but not for cN0 patients (p = 0.83).

Conclusions

: A majority of IBC patients in our study presented with node-positive disease, and for those presenting with cN2-3 disease, more extensive axillary surgery is potentially associated with improved survival. For cN0 patients, however, more extensive axillary surgery was not associated with a survival benefit, suggesting an opportunity for more personalized care.