Background: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been recently used for the assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) to guide surgical operation in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the specificity and sensitivity of CEUS reported from previous studies are not consistent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of CEUS for the metastasis of cervical lymph nodes in PTC patients based on data from one regional central hospital. Methods: The diagnostic value of CEUS in preoperative LNM of PTC patients was concluded by comparing the results of CEUS on lymph node status with postoperative pathology examination. In addition, this study conducted hierarchical analysis of PTC patients to explore whether tumor size, different lymph node regions, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis influence the assessment of CEUS. Results: This research study ultimately enrolled 965 PTC patients, including 266 males and 699 females with a mean age of 42.27 ± 11.34 years. A total of 527 patients were considered clinical-node negative, and 438 were clinical-node positive before surgery. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of CEUS in the assessment of LNM in PTC patients were 56.00%, 71.00%, 57.06%, 69.76% and 62.59%, respectively. For central and lateral lymph nodes, the accuracy of CEUS in PTC patients was 49.43% and 54.30%, respectively. In addition, it was shown that the accuracy of CEUS in PTC patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) slightly decreased to 58.44%, and the accuracy of CEUS in PTC patients with non-HT in turn increased to 64.17%. The accuracy of CEUS in non-papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and PTMC patients was 65.68% and 61.24%, respectively. The accuracy of CEUS in predicting central LNM was significantly different between PTC patients with or without HT (P < 0.001) in this study but not for lateral lymph nodes (P = 0.114). Conclusion: The accuracy of CEUS in the assessment of LNM in PTC is not consistently satisfactory, especially for central lymph nodes, small tumor diameters, or patients with HT. More diagnostic technologies for abnormal lymph nodes should be considered in PTC patients.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promising anti-tumor activity in multiple malignances including breast cancer. However, the responses can vary. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of adding ICIs to neoadjuvant chemotherapy against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and assess correlation of PD-L1 tumor status with responses.Methods: Eligible studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated ICI-containing versus ICI-free neoadjuvant therapy were included in this study. Meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager Version 5.2 software.Results: This study included four RCTs containing 1795 patients with early TNBC. Compared with ICI-free neoadjuvant therapy, ICI-containing neoadjuvant therapy significantly increased the pathological complete response (pCR) rates in TNBC (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–3.35, P < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, the addition of ICI to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly associated with increased pCR rate in both PD-L1-positive TNBC (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.33–2.41, P < 0.001) and PD-L1-negative TNBC (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.14–2.99, P = 0.01). Patients with TNBC receiving ICI-containing neoadjuvant therapy had a better event-free survival (hazard ratio = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48–0.89, P = 0.007) than those who receiving ICI-free neoadjuvant therapy. A significantly higher risk of adverse events including adrenal insufficiency, increased aspartate aminotransferase, dry skin, hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, infusion related reaction, pyrexia, and stomatitis was associated with ICI-containing neoadjuvant therapy.Conclusion: ICI-containing neoadjuvant therapy significantly increased the pCR rate in TNBC patients, independently of PD-L1 status. The addition of ICI to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be considered an option for TNBC patients.

Background: Neutrophils are considered to be crucial players in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, the complex relationship between neutrophils and cancer prognosis remains elusive, mainly due to the significant plasticity and diversity exhibited by these immune cells. Methods: As part of our thorough investigation, we examined 38 Neutrophils-Related Genes (NRGs) and the associated copy number variations (CNV), somatic mutations, and gene expression patterns in relation to triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The interactions between these genes, their biological roles, and their possible prognostic significance were then examined. With the NRGs as our basis, we applied Lasso and Cox regression analyses to create a predictive model for overall survival (OS). Furthermore, TNBC tissue and a public database were used to assess changes in MYO1D expression (MYO1D is characterized as a member of the myosin-I family, a group of motor proteins based on actin), its connection to neutrophil infiltration, and the clinical importance of MYO1D in TNBC. Results: Four neutrophil-related genes were included in the development of a prognostic model based on neutrophils. The model was further shown to be an independent predicted factor for overall survival by multivariate Cox regression analysis. According to this study, neutrophil subtype B as well as gene subtype B, were associated with activated cancer immunity and poor prognosis of TNBC patients. Furthermore, considering that poor OS was linked to increased MYO1D expression, MYO1D was increased in TNBC tissues and associated with neutrophil infiltration. In vitro experiments also confirmed that MYO1D facilitates breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Conclusion: Based on the degree of gene expression linked to neutrophils, a unique prognostic model was created. MYO1D could be a potential prognostic biomarker in TNBC patients and also a prospective target for therapy.

Background: Although immunotherapy has been used in the treatment of metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), its therapeutic influence on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive subtype remains controversial. It is therefore imperative to find biomarkers that can predict the immune response in HER2+ BC.Methods: ESTIMATE was utilized to compute the ImmuneScore and StromalScore from data obtained from TCGA database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. In addition, univariate Cox regression was used to assess candidate genes such as AMPD1, CD33, and CCR5. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to further understand AMPD1-associated pathways. Moreover, immunohistochemical analyses were performed to further reveal the relationship among AMPD1, CD4 and CD8 genes.Results: The expression of AMPD1 was markedly associated with disease outcome and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs). In addition, AMPD1 was associated with lymph node status, age and the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2. High AMPD1 expression was linked to longer overall survival (OS). Upregulated expression of AMPD1 correlated with the enrichment of immune-related signaling pathways. In addition, immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a co-expression profile among AMPD1, CD4 and CD8 genes.Conclusions: Taken together, our data demonstrated that AMPD1 might serve as a novel biomarker for predicting the immune response and disease outcome in HER2+ BC.

Objectives: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known for its aggressiveness, which can be attributed to its heterogeneity, metastasis, and invasion capabilities. POC1 centriolar protein homolog A (POC1A), a centriolar protein involved in the formation of stable centrioles, has been associated with both cancer promotion and suppression in various malignant tumors. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive POC1A-induced metastases in TNBC remain to be elucidated. Methods: The expression of POC1A changes and their clinical significance have been evaluated using TNBC tissues and a database. POC1A expression was examined in clinical samples and cells. The impacts of POC1A on the epithelial–mesenchymal transition's (EMT) relative factor expression was examined using immunofluorescence (IF), transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and Western blotting. We investigated the migration and invasion capabilities of TNBC cells and found that the patterns of tumor growth and metastasis varied correspondingly in different xenograft models. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to explore the signaling pathways involved in POC1A, which was verified by several experiments. Results: Our study identified an increase in the expression of POC1A in TNBC tissues, which was found to correlate with tumor size and lymph node metastasis. Meanwhile, POC1A plays a crucial role in the process of EMT, regulating the invasion and metastasis of TNBC in vitro and in vivo. Our RNA sequence results, followed by further investigation, revealed that POC1A promotes the metastasis of TNBC by inducing EMT through the STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusions: In short, for the first time, we have identified that POC1A plays a pivotal role in regulating the EMT of TNBC.

Purpose Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with poor outcomes. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), linking monoclonal antibodies to cytotoxic payloads, show promise as targeted therapies. Despite growing interest, bibliometric studies on ADCs in TNBC are limited. This study aims to fill this gap by identifying key research trends, emerging areas, and clinical applications within the field of ADCs in TNBC. Methods A comprehensive search of 492 publications on ADCs for TNBC, published between 2010 and 2024, was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analysis was performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, and core journals were identified via Bradford’s Law. Results The analysis revealed a continuous and steady increase in the number of articles published in this field over the past decade. Significant advancements in this field have been achieved by the United States, with Harvard Medical School being the most prolific institution, publishing 40 papers. Dr. A. Bardia from the United States was identified as the leading author, with 28 articles. The journal “Cancer Research” emerged as the most cited publication. By utilizing keyword co-occurrence and clustering analyses, current studies have pinpointed treatment strategies and diseases prognosis as key areas of focus. The dual-map overlay of journals indicates a gradual shift in research trends from biochemistry and genetic studies to immunology and clinical research. The development of next-generation ADCs (e.g., Dato-DXd, SKB264) holds the potential to transform TNBC therapeutics, particularly for tumors with heterogeneous target expression. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the current research status, recent advancements, and emerging trends in ADCs for TNBC, offering data support for the precise classification and treatment of TNBC.