Background: Conditions associated with BRCA1/2 pathogenic (PVs) or likely pathogenic variants (LPVs) are often severe. The early detection of carrier status is ideal, as it provides options for effective case management. Materials and Methods: The study involved 58 patients with a personal and familial history of breast cancer (BC) who underwent genetic testing at the Regional Centre for Medical Genetics Dolj over a three-year period. An immunohistochemical panel (HER2, ER, PR, and Ki-67) was used to define the molecular subtypes of breast tumors. The AmpliSeq for Illumina BRCA Panel was used to evaluate germline variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in patients with BC. The χ² test and Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the different parameters studied. Results: Our findings revealed that 15.5% of the patients carried either BRCA1 or BRCA2 PVs or LPVs. BRCA1 carriers had aggressive tumors whereas BRCA2 carriers had rather low-grade tumors. Conclusions: The study revealed that PVs in both BRCA genes have a significant frequency among BC patients in our region, and BRCA1 carriers tend to develop more aggressive tumors than carriers of BRCA2 PVs and patients with no germline PVs in either of the two genes. These observations could provide new epidemiologic data for this disease in our region and contribute further to the development of national screening strategies.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women worldwide and continues to pose significant challenges despite progress in early detection and personalized therapies. While its pathogenesis has traditionally been associated with genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, recent studies have highlighted the potential role of dysbiosis—an imbalance in gut and systemic microbiota—in breast cancer development and progression. This article aims to examine the mechanisms through which systemic dysbiosis may contribute to breast cancer risk and explore its therapeutic implications. Methods: This study seeks to analyze and compare the fecal microbiota profiles of breast cancer patients and healthy individuals from a single center in Craiova, Romania, in order to identify microbial signatures linked to breast cancer and BRCA mutation status. Special attention is given to the gut–liver axis and its influence on estrogen circulation, a key factor in hormone-sensitive breast cancers. Results: Evidence suggests that dysbiosis can influence breast cancer progression by promoting chronic inflammation, impairing immune regulation, and altering estrogen metabolism through the gut–liver axis. These effects may contribute to tumor development, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. Interventions aimed at restoring microbial balance show promise in preclinical studies for mitigating these effects. Conclusions: Systemic dysbiosis represents a potentially modifiable risk factor in breast cancer. Microbiota profiling may serve as a useful biomarker for risk stratification and therapeutic response. Future research into microbiome-based interventions could offer novel approaches for prevention and treatment in breast cancer care.

Background and Objectives: Fusobacterium nucleatum, an oral anaerobe well-established as an onco-pathogen in colorectal cancer, is increasingly implicated in extra-colonic malignancies, including breast cancer. Despite growing mechanistic evidence, the taxonomic composition of fecal Fusobacterium in breast cancer remains poorly resolved, particularly regarding genus-level signals that may precede Fusobacterium nucleatum enrichment and their relationships with clinicopathological and demographic variables. This study aimed to quantify Fusobacterium (Fs) fecal abundance in a Romanian breast cancer cohort, assess its independence from environmental and demographic factors, and evaluate its association with disease-specific parameters, including TNM staging and BRCA mutational carrier status. Materials and Methods: This retrospective case–control study enrolled 99 women at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova between October 2020 and June 2025, comprising 57 breast cancer patients and 42 healthy controls. Fecal samples underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the V3–V4 hypervariable regions. Bacterial abundance was encoded ordinally and analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, the chi-squared test, Spearman’s Rank Correlation, and Kendall’s Tau test, with stratification by residential environment, age, commensal co-occurrence, and cancer-specific variables. Results: Fs abundance was highly significantly elevated in breast cancer patients relative to controls (Mann–Whitney U: p = 2.433 × 10⁻¹²; chi-squared: p = 1.548 × 10⁻¹³), with no significant associations identified with residential environment or patient age across all stratified groups. No significant correlations were identified with tumor size, lymph node involvement, or metastatic status. A statistically significant differential abundance was observed between BRCA mutation carriers and non-carriers (Mann–Whitney U: p = 0.00029; chi-squared: p = 0.00076). Conclusions: Fecal Fs abundance demonstrates cancer-specific enrichment independent of demographic and environmental determinants and is significantly associated with BRCA mutational status, positioning it as a candidate non-invasive biomarker and mechanistic contributor within the gut–breast dysbiosis axis, warranting prospective multi-center validation.

Context: Locally advanced fungating breast cancer complicated by hemorrhage or infection represents a complex clinical condition that often requires a rapid and coordinated multidisciplinary approach. Although international guidelines, such as those developed by ESMO and NCCN, provide well-defined principles for the management of locally advanced breast cancer, they offer limited recommendations regarding the management of complicated fungating forms. Methods: We conducted a structured narrative review of the literature using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, including studies published between December 2019 and March 2026. Studies addressing locally advanced breast cancer and fungating forms complicated by hemorrhage or infection were included. Results: Available data are heterogeneous and derive primarily from case reports, small case series and retrospective studies. Systemic therapy remains the cornerstone of oncologic control; however, the presence of acute complications often necessitates prioritization of local interventions depending on the patient’s clinical stability. Hemorrhage may be managed through arterial embolization, hemostatic dressings or radiotherapy, whereas infection requires local wound care and targeted antibiotic therapy. These interventions aim to control acute symptoms and stabilize patients, thereby facilitating the subsequent integration of oncologic treatment. Emergency surgical intervention is reserved for selected cases, particularly when conservative measures fail to control bleeding or in the presence of persistent sepsis. Conclusions: The management of fungating breast cancer should be individualized and guided by the clinical presentation within a multidisciplinary team setting rather than by a rigid therapeutic sequence. This paper proposes a pragmatic, symptom-oriented clinical framework integrating all currently available therapeutic modalities (systemic therapy, radiotherapy, interventional radiology, surgery, and supportive care) with the aim of supporting decision-making in complex clinical scenarios.