PURPOSE: The nodal burden of patients with residual isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (ypN0i+) is unknown, and axillary management is not standardized. We investigated rates of additional positive lymph nodes (LNs) at axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and oncologic outcomes in patients with ypN0i+ treated with and without ALND. METHODS: The Oncoplastic Breast Consortium-05/ICARO cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06464341 ) retrospectively analyzed data from patients with stage I to III breast cancer with ITCs in SLNs after NAC from 62 centers in 18 countries. The primary end point was the 3-year rate of any axillary recurrence. The rate of any invasive recurrence was the secondary end point. RESULTS: In total, 583 patients were included, of whom 182 (31%) had completion ALND and 401 (69%) did not. The median age was 48 years. Most patients (74%) were clinically node-positive at diagnosis and 41% had hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative tumors. The mean number of SLNs with ITCs was 1.2. Patients treated with ALND were more likely to present with cN2/3 disease (17% v 7%, P < .001), have ITCs detected on frozen section (62% v 8%, P < .001), have lymphovascular invasion (38% v 24%, P < .001), and receive adjuvant chest wall (89% v 78%, P = .024) and nodal radiation (82% v 75%, P = .038). Additional positive nodes were found at ALND in 30% of patients, but only 5% had macrometastases. The 3-year rates of any axillary and any invasive recurrence were 2% (95% CI, 0.95 to 3.6) and 11% (95% CI, 8 to 14), respectively, with no statistical difference by type of axillary surgery. CONCLUSION: The nodal burden in patients with ypN0(i+) was low, and axillary recurrence after ALND omission was rare in patients selected for this approach. These results do not support routine ALND in all patients with ypN0(i+).

Background/Objectives: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare malignancy with a globally rising incidence. Due to the paucity of specific evidence, therapeutic strategies are often extrapolated from female breast cancer guidelines. The quality of life (QoL) among MBC patients remains underexplored. Methods: This single-institution retrospective study analyzed male patients who underwent surgery for newly diagnosed breast cancer at our institution from 1998 to 2020. The primary aim was to assess QoL after surgical and medical treatments using a newly developed 12-item dedicated questionnaire. Clinicopathological features were recorded, and oncological and survival outcomes were evaluated, with a specific focus on identifying factors influencing QoL. Results: A total of 109 consecutive MBC patients who underwent surgery were included, with 96.3% undergoing total mastectomy. The median global QoL score was 28.5 out of 36, where scores above 24 indicated a low impact of BC treatments on QoL. Multivariate analyses identified adjuvant chemotherapy (p < 0.001) and postoperative complications (p < 0.001) as significant predictors of poorer QoL. Patients reported significantly lower scores on medical treatment-related items compared to surgery-related items (p < 0.001). The 10-year overall survival rate was 79.1%, with a 10-year BC-specific mortality of 3.5%. Advanced age, higher stage disease, and receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were independently associated with poorer overall survival. Conclusions: Despite elevated mastectomy rates, MBC patients self-reported high levels of satisfaction with their treatment outcomes. Medical therapies showed a more pronounced negative impact on QoL than surgery. These findings provide novel insights into the QoL of MBC patients, highlighting the need for future prospective studies and tailored treatments.

Background: Mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd) is a central molecular determinant of colorectal cancer (CRC) biology, prognosis, and treatment response, and Universal Tumour Screening (UTS) is advocated for Lynch syndrome (LS) detection; yet real-world performance across clinical subgroups remains limited. We evaluated MMRd distribution and UTS-based LS detection in a large consecutive surgical cohort. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1022 consecutive CRC patients undergoing surgical resection at the University Hospital of Padua (2015–2023). MMR status was assessed by immunohistochemistry; MMRd cases underwent reflex BRAF mutation testing and, when available, MLH1 promoter methylation analysis, followed by germline multigene panel testing for suspected LS. Clinicopathological features were compared by MMR status, age at onset, and tumour location. Results: MMR testing was performed in 875 patients (85.6%), rising from 67.0% (2015–2017) to 97.4% (2021–2023). MMRd was identified in 139 tumors (15.9%) and was independently associated with age ≥ 70 years, colonic location, and stage 0–II. Of 22 patients with confirmed LS, 13 (59.1%) were newly identified through UTS; family history showed no significant univariate association with LS status and was not independently associated with MMRd after multivariable adjustment. MMRd prevalence was numerically higher in early- than late-onset CRC (20.0% vs. 15.4%), approaching significance after multivariable adjustment (OR 1.90, 95% CI 0.99–3.64; p = 0.054); hereditary syndromes were also more frequent in early-onset disease. MMRd was markedly rarer in rectal than colonic cancer (4.1% vs. 22.5%; p < 0.0001), though MMRd rectal cancers arose in younger patients. Conclusions: UTS identified a substantial proportion of LS carriers missed by age- or family-history criteria. The relationship between age and MMRd prevalence proved more nuanced than a simple comparison would suggest, reinforcing the value of universal over selective testing across the age spectrum, while MMRd rectal cancer shows a distinct younger profile relevant to immunotherapy-based organ preservation.