Data on the risk factors that increase the risk of brain metastases (BM) in breast cancer is lacking. Mining the prospectively collected data of adjuvant studies for BM at first recurrence may identify a population for prevention strategies. Data collected from 7 sequential adjuvant studies conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group was queried for recurrence in CNS. Parameters associated with the development of BMs at first recurrence were collected. 5,318 patients were included. After a median follow-up time of 137.0 months (range, 0-334.1), the iBCFS at 120 months was 73.2
Male breast cancer is rare, and data on its clinicopathological and germline characteristics remain scarce. Our objective was to describe the clinicopathological profile of men with breast cancer and to estimate the prevalence of pathogenic germline variants in cancer predisposition genes. This multicenter retrospective study included adult men diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2000 and June 2022 at two institutions. Clinical and pathological data were obtained from medical records. Germline analysis was performed in patients without prior testing using DNA from biobanks or saliva samples and a custom multigene panel. A total of 106 patients were included. Median age at diagnosis was 58.5 years (range, 33–84), and 64
Prescription co-payments are associated with adherence to endocrine therapy among Medicare- and commercially insured-women, but the impact among Medicaid beneficiaries—who typically have no or minimal co-payments—is not well understood. We identified women (age ≥ 18 years) diagnosed with breast cancer between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018 who filled a prescription for endocrine therapy after diagnosis, with follow-up through December 31, 2019. Co-payment was based on the first prescription and standardized to a 30-day supply. We used quantity dispensed, days’ supply, and dispensing date to define adherence as a continuous measure of proportion of days covered and binary measure of +/- 80
Digital stress-management tools show promise, but their long-term impact remains unclear. In the Coping After Breast Cancer (CABC) trial, the app-based stress-management program StressProffen, with either cognitive behavioral therapy intervention (CBI) or a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), showed no advantage over usual care after six months of access. However, benefits may emerge gradually, as users need time not only to become familiar with the content and techniques, but also to internalize, apply and automatize their use in response to real-life stressors. The a priori defined aims of the current study were to examine; 1) whether extended (18 months) access to the digital stress-management interventions CBI and MBI were associated with changes in perceived stress (stress) (primary outcome), measures of health-related quality of life, mindfulness, fatigue, coping, anxiety, depression, and sleep (secondary outcomes), 2) association between app use and changes in stress level and investigate baseline characteristics as moderators of change in stress in the intervention groups, and 3) identify predictors of change in stress among patients with breast cancer. Of 430 patients randomized to MBI, CBI, or usual care, 76
Although early-stage breast cancer incidence has increased following Korea’s National Cancer Screening Program, the number of breast cancer–related deaths continues to rise, and many patients still present with symptoms. We investigated the clinicopathological characteristics and long-term prognosis of symptomatic versus asymptomatic breast cancer to determine whether symptomatic presentation serves as an independent prognostic factor. In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 38,050 women who underwent surgery for primary invasive breast cancer (1994–2021). Patients were categorized into symptomatic (N = 24,305) and asymptomatic (N = 13,745) groups. We used multivariable Cox models to adjust for confounders and conducted interaction analyses to assess prognostic factors and the impact of symptom presentation. Symptomatic patients were significantly younger than asymptomatic patients and presented with more advanced stages and aggressive biological features. Symptomatic presentation was associated with a significantly lower 10-year recurrence-free interval (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, symptomatic status remained an independent predictor of worse outcomes (hazard ratio for recurrence, 1.44; 95
