Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the impact of clinical, pathological, and treatment-related factors on breast cancer recurrence and overall survival following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. Patients and Method: A total of 298 patients treated at Diakoneo Diak Klinikum, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany (2010–2021) were analyzed. Key variables included hormone receptor status, molecular subtypes, tumor grade, treatment protocols, and metastatic disease at diagnosis. Results: Recurrence was strongly associated with metastatic disease (p < 0.001) but not with hormone receptor status or molecular subtypes. Platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy was linked to a lower recurrence risk (p = 0.05) compared to anthracycline-based regimens. Patients with recurrence had significantly lower overall survival (27.91% vs. 8.24%, p < 0.001). Logistic regression suggested a trend toward increased recurrence in ER-positive and PR-negative patients, though not statistically significant. These findings emphasize the importance of personalized treatment strategies and highlight the need for future studies incorporating genomic data and residual disease analysis to refine recurrence risk prediction and therapy selection.
Background/Objectives: Accurate assessment of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer is critical for optimizing treatment strategies. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and mammography are commonly used for response evaluation, they have inherent limitations. Ultrasound (US) has emerged as a promising, cost-effective, and real-time alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of US in tracking tumor regression during NAC and its correlation with pathologic tumor regression grade (TRG). Methods: This study included 282 breast cancer patients undergoing NAC. Tumor size was measured using ultrasound at three key time points: pre-chemotherapy, after four cycles, and post-chemotherapy. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between US-measured tumor changes and TRG. Multinomial logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine the predictive accuracy of the measurements from our US in identifying pathologic complete response (pCR). Conclusions: Ultrasound is a reliable, real-time imaging tool for monitoring NAC response in breast cancer patients. Its ability to predict pCR and track tumor shrinkage highlights its potential for treatment adaptation. Standardization of US protocols and integration with AI-based analysis may further improve its clinical utility, making it a valuable adjunct in breast cancer treatment monitoring.
1 August 2012 in Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Extraskeletal osteosarcoma (ESOS) is a rare malignancy, usually arising in older adults. We were unable to find reports of children or adolescents affected by an ESOS of the breast. Here, we present the case of a high-grade osteosarcoma arising in the breast of a 16-year-old girl. The tumor was treated with breast-conserving resections and adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy, based on a regimen of doxorubicin, high-dose methotrexate, cisplatin, and ifosfamide. At last follow-up, the patient was in first complete remission, 29 months after initial diagnosis.