Medical advancements in breast cancer are truly remarkable. Especially in recent years, numerous new therapeutics have been approved and surgical strategies have been de-escalated for specific patient groups. In the therapeutic setting, CDK4/6 inhibitors as oral maintenance therapy in early breast cancer and immune checkpoint inhibitors (Pembrolizumab) for triple-negative breast cancer (BC) are noteworthy. In the surgical field, prospective randomized controlled trials have currently explored the possibility to deescalate axillary surgery by omitting sentinel lymph node excision (INSEMA, SOUND). As a result, there have been significant improvements in prognosis and a reduction in surgical morbidity for patients. Many exciting trials are underway, and it remains to be seen whether antibody–drug conjugates beyond trastuzumab emtansine, will find their way into the treatment lines for early-stage BC. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence in both diagnostics and treatment recommendation evaluation is a promising area with great potential.

Recent trials such as INSEMA and SOUND have demonstrated the oncological safety of omitting sentinel lymph node biopsy in selected patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer. However, the implications for adjuvant treatment decisions in routine clinical practice remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study from university breast cancer centers, analyzing 867 patients diagnosed between 2020 and 2024 who met INSEMA criteria: cT1, G1-2, age ≥50 years, clinically node-negative, undergoing breast-conserving surgery. We evaluated the incidence of pathologically positive lymph nodes, frequency of postoperative upgrades in tumor stage or grading, and potential impact on adjuvant therapy decisions, including indications for CDK4/6 inhibitors, secondary axillary surgery or radiation. Sentinel lymph node biopsy revealed occult lymph node metastases in 14.3 % (n = 124) of patients, with a false-negative rate of 10.5 % when micrometastases and isolated tumor cells were excluded. In 11.6 % of cases, nodal positivity led to relevant therapeutic changes, including chemotherapy, axillary radiation, or potential adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy. Moreover, 18.8 % of patients would have required secondary axillary surgery due to postoperative upgrades in tumor characteristics. The number needed to operate to prevent one invasive recurrence with CDK4/6 inhibitors varies significantly based on age and clinical tumor size, ranging from 1:333 (maximum) to 1:111 (minimum). While omission of sentinel lymph node biopsy appears safe in selected patients, our real-world data suggest that axillary staging retains clinical relevance for guiding personalized treatment, unless other prognostic tests like gene expression profiles are used.

Background/Objectives: This single-center analysis evaluated the number of potential candidates for endocrine-based oral maintenance therapy in a real-world setting, focusing on three therapeutic agents, namely, olaparib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib, for patients with hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative early breast cancer. Methods: All breast cancer cases from the past 10 years (n = 3230) that underwent treatment at the certified Breast Cancer Center of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck Campus, were analyzed. Results: Of a total of 2038 patients with HR+ HER2− eBC, 685 patients (33.6%) qualified for one or more of the three agents—olaparib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib. Of these 685 patients, 523 patients (76.4%) had node-positive and 162 (23.6%) node-negative disease. Moreover, 368 patients (18.1% of a total of 2038 patients with HR+ HER2− eBC) were eligible exclusively for ribociclib, including all node-negative patients. A total of 141 patients (6.9%) met the criteria for all three agents. In contrast, 1353 patients (66.4%) had no indication for combined endocrine therapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest analysis addressing all three therapeutic strategies for combined endocrine therapy. The broad indication criteria of the NATALEE study may increase clinic workloads due to more frequent physician/patient interactions. It also remains unclear how therapy recommendations will influence actual treatment, as increased visits and potential side effects could affect patient compliance and adherence.

Background/Objectives: This single-center analysis evaluated the number of potential candidates for endocrine based oral maintenance therapy in a real-world setting, focusing on three therapeutic agents: olaparib, abemaciclib and ribociclib for patients with hormone receptor positive HER2-negative early breast cancer. Methods: All breast cancer cases from the past 10 years (n= 3,230) that underwent treatment at the certified Breast Cancer Center of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck Campus, were analyzed. Results: A total of 685 patients (33.6%) qualified for one or more of the three agents—olaparib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib. Of these, 523 patients (76.4%) had node-positive disease. All of these patients met the criteria for ribociclib based on the NATALEE trial and 368 (18.1%) were eligible exclusively for ribociclib, including all node-negative patients. 141 patients (6.9%) met the criteria for all three agents. In contrast, 1,353 patients (66.4%) had no indication for combined endocrine therapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest analysis addressing all three therapeutic strategies for combined endocrine therapy. The broad indication criteria of the NATALEE study may increase clinic workloads due to more frequent physician-patient interactions. It also remains unclear how therapy recommendations will influence actual treatment, as increased visits and potential side effects could affect patient compliance and adherence.