This study aimed to determine the differences in clinicopathological features of Turkish patients with high-risk breast cancer based on the mutation status of two breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1/2) . This study enrolled patients with invasive breast cancer who have been evaluated for BRCA1/2 mutations due to the presence of high-risk factors admitted to two tertiary referral centers in Turkey. Clinical and histopathological features were analyzed in BRCA1 mutation carriers, BRCA2 mutation carriers, and non-carriers. A total of 302 patients with a mean age of 44.2±9.9 (22–82) years were included. BRCA1/2 mutation was found in 75 (24%) patients, of whom 41 (13.6%) were BRCA1 mutation carriers and 37 (12.3%) were BRCA2 mutation carriers. Moreover, 104 (34.4%) and 4 (1.3%) patients had family history of breast and ovarian carcinoma, respectively. The rates of triple negativity (56.1%), histologic grade 3 (65.9%), and lymphovascular invasion (78%) were significantly higher in BRCA1 mutation carriers than in non-carriers and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Furthermore, 87% of triple-negative BRCA1 mutation carriers had histologic grade 3 tumors compared with 38.9% in non-triple-negative BRCA1 mutation carriers, and the difference was significant. Findings of this study showed that BRCA1-related breast cancers represent a distinct group with unique pathological features, which are usually associated with a poor prognosis.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the data of perioperative 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) chemotherapy regimen in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients with real-life experience. Methods: In this retrospective study, LAGC patients who received perioperative FLOT chemotherapy regimen between 2017 and 2020 were included. The patients were grouped according to tumor regression grade (TRG): histopathological responders (complete/moderate response) and histopathological non-responders (minimal/poor response). The factors affecting TRG were evaluated and its relationship to clinical outcome was analyzed by disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 141 LAGC patients were included. Median age of patients was 62 (range: 35–75) years of whom 69.5% were men. According to TRG, 41 (29.1%) patients were histopathological responders (College of American Pathologists (CAP)-TRG 0/1). Grade, perineural and lymphovascular invasion, clinical stage, tumor markers (Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and Carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9), radiological response, and ypTNM stage were statistically significant in univariate analysis and lymphovascular invasion was detected as an independent factor in multivariate analysis for TRG. Grade 3-4 toxicities were observed in only 28 (19.9%) patients. Two years DFS and OS rates were higher in the histopathological responder group (100% and 100%) compared to the histopathological non-responder group (59% and 52.9%) (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: In our study, it was found that the FLOT regimen had a favorable TRG and a safe toxicity profile in gastric cancer patients. In addition, while lymphovascular invasion could predict TRG, the survival and disease recurrence were positively affected by the favorable TRG response.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a severe complication of chemotherapy, associated with substantial mortality and financial burden. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between hospital length of stay (LOS), supportive therapies, and antibiotic regimens in patients with FN, with a specific focus on the Turkish population. Eighty adult patients with solid tumors were enrolled. Patients received empirical antibiotic therapy within 2 hours of presentation. Data were collected on clinical and demographic variables, including LOS, fever duration, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Risk Index scores, and laboratory parameters. The mean hospital LOS was 6.09 ± 3.62 days. Sulperazon use was significantly associated with a shorter LOS compared to meronem and tazocin (P < .001). Patients receiving filgrastim had a longer LOS compared to those who did not (P = .042). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between LOS and febrile days (R = 0.624, P < .001), febrile days during hospitalization (R = 0.711, P < .001), and filgrastim administration days (R = 0.722, P < .001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that sulperazon use reduced LOS by 1.271 days (P = .048), while prolonged filgrastim use was linked to longer stays (P < .001). These findings highlight the critical role of antibiotic selection and supportive care in managing hospitalization duration for patients with FN. The combination of certain treatments and antibiotics plays a significant role in determining the duration of hospital stays, highlighting factors to consider in patient management and treatment planning.

Ejmi Eurasian Journal of Medical Investigation

Impact of Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Treatment on Lipid Profile in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - Hamidiye Medical Journal