Purpose: Accounting for about 15% of invasive lobular carcinomas and 1% of breast carcinomas, pleomorphic lobular carcinoma is known to be a rare histological subtype of invasive lobular carcinoma. Yet, it is more aggressive and produces a worse prognosis than other breast cancers. Ultimately, the present study compares the clinicopathological features of pleomorphic and invasive lobular breast carcinomas. Methods: In the study, we retrospectively evaluated the data of 262 patients with histological subtypes of classical and pleomorphic lobular cancers having been recruited for surgical operations. After resorting to Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests to check the normality of distribution, the categorical and continuous variables were compared between the groups using the chi-square test and independent samples t test, respectively. In all analyses, we considered a P-value of <.05 to be statistically significant. Results: Our findings revealed that the groups with lobular and pleomorphic groups significantly differed by Ki-67 value, estrogen receptor negativity, grade, multicentricity, multifocality, surgical margin positivity, completion mastectomy, and metachronous contralateral tumor ( P < .05). Conclusion: We discovered that pleomorphic type was associated with higher grades, estrogen receptor negativity, and Ki-67 expression. The incidence of metachronous breast cancer was high in the pleomorphic group, which may be a noteworthy finding to be considered in follow-ups. In addition, the high rates of multicentricity and multifocality of tumors in the pleomorphic group may be associated with increased surgical margin positivity and a higher likelihood of mastectomy. In a nutshell, our findings may guide patients and surgeons regarding the type of intervention and reconstruction options to be adopted in prospective surgeries.

Background: Breast carcinoma is divided into at least 21 separate histologies, according to the 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The present study is dedicated to a 5% or rarer group of all breast cancer cases. Method: In this study, we retrospectively considered the data of 4550 patients operated on for breast carcinoma at the Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital of the University of Health Sciences between January 2018 and February 2024. Of those cases, 401 were discovered to have rare breast cancer types. We also explored the cases by clinicopathological features, overall survival (OS), and disease‐free survival (DFS). Results: Our findings revealed a total of 10 rare breast cancer types in patients explored: mucinous carcinoma, micropapillary carcinoma, papillary group carcinomas, metaplastic carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, tubular carcinoma, cribriform carcinoma, apocrine carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, and secretory carcinoma. While mucinous, tubular, cribriform, papillary group carcinomas, micropapillary, and secretory carcinomas are described as types associated with good prognosis, metaplastic, neuroendocrine, apocrine, and carcinomas are described as types associated with relatively poor prognosis. Conclusion: Scrutinizing the clinicopathological features of rare breast cancer types altogether may be the distinct contribution of this paper to the relevant literature and future research.

This retrospective study aimed to compare patients eligible for the Z0011 study with and without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) by overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and loco-regional recurrence. We carried out this study with the data from early-stage breast cancer patients (T1, T2, and clinical node-negative) undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and receiving adjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy or endocrine therapy) and adjuvant radiotherapy after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) at Ankara Oncology Hospital between January 2018–2024. We screened the data from a total of 1,218 patients and selected 126 patients with ALND and 67 patients without ALND. All selected patients satisfied the Z0011 criteria. We excluded mastectomy and metastatic patients, those without SLNB, patients with more than two positive lymph nodes, and those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Then, we compared groups by OS, DFS, and locoregional recurrence. While the 5-year overall survival was 98.5% (95% CI, 95.8–100.0%) in the Z0011 group, it was 95.2% (95% CI, 92.1–98.3%) in the Z0011-eligible group. The 5-year DFS rate was 97.0% (95% CI, 92.0–99.0%) and 94.4% (95% CI, 91.2–97.0%) in the groups, respectively. We did not discover recurrence in the axial lymph nodes and breast at a mean follow-up of 69 months (67.46–70.43). In summary, the present study demonstrated that the omission of ALND does not exert any significant influence on OS, DFS, and locoregional recurrence among patients satisfying the ACOSOG Z0011 criteria.

Introduction: The development of oncoplastic surgical techniques has reshaped the management of multifocal and multicentric breast cancers. Previously treated mainly with mastectomy due to concerns about positive margins and local recurrence, these cases can now be safely managed with breast-conserving surgery (BCS) through advances in imaging, adjuvant therapy, and surgical methods. Method: We retrospectively reviewed the data from 2,155 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at a tertiary surgical oncology center between October 2022 and May 2025. A total of 246 patients were identified as having multicentric or multifocal disease. While 68 patients underwent BCS, 178 received mastectomy. Demographic, radiological, histopathological, and surgical data were evaluated. Complications were categorized as minor or major, and aesthetic satisfaction was assessed using a structured questionnaire. Results: Among 1,253 BCS patients, 5.4% (n = 68) had multifocal or multicentric disease. The median age was 55 years. Negative surgical margins were achieved in 90% of patients during the initial surgery. Re-excision was performed in 5 patients (7.4%), and completion mastectomy was required in 2 patients (2.9%). The overall complication rate was 19%, with reoperation due to complications required in only one patient (1.5%). Of 46 patients evaluated, 90% rated their aesthetic outcome as “excellent” or “good.” Conclusion: Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery is a safe and effective option for well-selected patients with multifocal or multicentric breast cancer. With modern imaging, multidisciplinary evaluation, and experienced surgical teams, high rates of negative margins and satisfactory cosmetic outcomes can be achieved.

HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. Anti-HER2-based neoadjuvant therapy combined with taxanes, particularly docetaxel and paclitaxel, constitutes the standard treatment approach. Although these regimens are widely used, most studies have focused on systemic adverse effects, with limited data addressing their impact on postoperative surgical complications. This study aimed to evaluate the association between docetaxel- and paclitaxel-based neoadjuvant regimens and early wound complications in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. We retrospectively analyzed 139 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery following neoadjuvant therapy at Ankara Etlik City Hospital between October 2022 and January 2025. Patients were grouped according to the taxane received (docetaxel, n = 95; paclitaxel, n = 44). Demographic, clinicopathologic characteristics, and early postoperative wound complications were compared. Major complications were defined as major wound dehiscence and skin necrosis. Associations between variables and major complications were evaluated using univariate analysis. Major complications were significantly more frequent in the docetaxel group compared to the paclitaxel group (9.5% vs. 0%, p = 0.022), while no significant difference was observed in minor complications (p = 0.704). In subgroup analysis excluding patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection, this association remained significant (11.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.034). Docetaxel-based neoadjuvant therapy was associated with a higher rate of major postoperative wound complications compared with paclitaxel-based regimens in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. This association persisted after excluding patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the retrospective design and limited number of events.

Purpose: The clinical significance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–low breast cancer remains controversial, particularly in early-stage, treatment-naïve patients. Because neoadjuvant therapy may alter tumor biology and nodal status, we specifically evaluated patients who underwent upfront surgery without prior systemic treatment. We also investigated whether the recently recognized HER2-ultralow subgroup exhibited differences in axillary metastatic involvement. Patients and Methods: In this multicenter observational study, we retrospectively analyzed 407 patients with hormone receptor–positive early-stage breast cancer who underwent upfront surgery between 2017 and 2023 without neoadjuvant therapy. Patients were categorized as HER2-ultralow (immuno-histochemistry [IHC] 0), HER2-low (IHC 1+ or 2+ with fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] negative), or HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or 2+ with FISH positive). Groups were compared for sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity. Multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to identify predictors of axillary metastasis. Results: SLN positivity rates were similar across the HER2-ultralow (29.0%, n = 288), HER2-low (30.6%, n = 80), and HER2-positive groups (31.3%, n = 39) (p = 0.941). HER2 expression was not an independent predictor of SLN positivity. Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was the strongest determinant (odds ratio = 5.42; 95% confidence interval: 3.13– 9.39; p < 0.001). Larger tumor size and higher proliferative activity were independently associated with increased axillary involvement. ROC analysis showed higher discrimination for LVI (AUC = 0.68) than Ki-67 (AUC = 0.53) and tumor size (AUC = 0.61). Exploratory survival analyses demonstrated no statistically significant differences among groups; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the limited follow-up duration and low number of events. Conclusion: In hormone receptor–positive early-stage breast cancer treated with upfront surgery, HER2 expression was not independently associated with axillary metastasis risk in this treatment-naïve cohort. Classical pathological factors, particularly lymphovascular invasion, larger tumor size, and higher proliferative activity, remained the principal determinants of axillary involvement.