Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, primarily affecting women. Its heterogeneous nature poses a significant challenge in the development of effective and targeted treatments. Molecular characterization has enabled breast cancer to be classified into four main subtypes: luminal A, luminal B, HER2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancer, based on hormone receptor expression and HER2 status. A deeper understanding of these molecular markers and their associated signaling pathways, such as MAPK and PI3K/AKT, is essential for improving prognosis and optimizing treatment strategies. Currently, several therapeutic agents are utilized in neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, often in combination with surgical interventions. However, emerging evidence highlights the growing challenge of drug resistance, which significantly limits the efficacy of existing treatments. Addressing this issue may require innovative approaches, including combination therapies and precision medicine strategies, tailored to the molecular profile of each patient. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms driving breast cancer progression and resistance is crucial for the development of advanced targeted therapies with greater precision and efficacy. This review aims to explore recent advancements in molecular research related to breast cancer subtypes and provide a critical analysis of current therapeutic approaches within the framework of precision medicine.

Background: To the authors' knowledge, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on cytopathology practices worldwide has not been investigated formally. In the current study, data from 41 respondents from 23 countries were reported.Methods: Data regarding the activity of each cytopathology laboratory during 4 weeks of COVID‐19 lockdown were collected and compared with those obtained during the corresponding period in 2019. The overall number and percentage of exfoliative and fine‐needle aspiration cytology samples from each anatomic site were recorded. Differences in the malignancy and suspicious rates between the 2 periods were analyzed using a meta‐analytical approach.Results: Overall, the sample volume was lower compared with 2019 (104,319 samples vs 190,225 samples), with an average volume reduction of 45.3% (range, 0.1%‐98.0%). The percentage of samples from the cervicovaginal tract, thyroid, and anorectal region was significantly reduced (P < .05). Conversely, the percentage of samples from the urinary tract, serous cavities, breast, lymph nodes, respiratory tract, salivary glands, central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver, and biliary tract increased (P < .05). An overall increase of 5.56% (95% CI, 3.77%‐7.35%) in the malignancy rate in nongynecological samples during the COVID‐19 pandemic was observed. When the suspicious category was included, the overall increase was 6.95% (95% CI, 4.63%‐9.27%).Conclusions: The COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in a drastic reduction in the total number of cytology specimens regardless of anatomic site or specimen type. The rate of malignancy increased, reflecting the prioritization of patients with cancer who were considered to be at high risk. Prospective monitoring of the effect of delays in access to health services during the lockdown period is warranted.

Background: The encapsulated follicular variant (EFV) of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most discussed entity in thyroid pathology. Recently, the question of whether or not EFV-PTC is a malignant entity has been the subject of renewed discussion in the light of recent molecular and clinical studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the malignancy ratios of each category of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) if EFV-PTC is no longer considered as a malignant entity. Materials and Methods: Data on thyroid fine-needle aspirations (n = 1,886) with surgical follow-up between 1999 and 2014 were studied. EFV-PTC cases constituted 27% (94/343) of the malignant cases. Results: Malignancy ratios were determined as nondiagnostic, benign, atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance, suspicious for follicular neoplasm/follicular neoplasm, suspicious for malignancy, and malignant categories of the TBSRTC in 13, 7, 45, 30, 72 and 98%, respectively. If EFV-PTC was not regarded as malignant, malignancy ratios would decrease to 6.5, 6, 30, 10, 48, and 87% for each category in the same order. Conclusions: The current study showed that the most significant decrease in relative malignancy ratios was seen in the suspicious for follicular neoplasm/follicular neoplasm category (66% relative decrease), but all categories represented a considerable decrease.