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Background: For clinically node-negative early breast cancer patients, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) using dual localization with blue dye and radioisotope (RI) is currently standard of care. Documented disadvantages with these tracers have prompted exploration of alternative agents such as fluorescent indocyanine green (ICG), which demonstrates high detection rates combined with other tracers. Results of a randomized study evaluating ICG as a single tracer for SLN identification are presented., Methods: Overall, 100 patients with unilateral, clinically node-negative, biopsy-proven invasive breast cancer (≤5 cm) scheduled for SLNB were recruited in two separate randomized cohorts, with 50 patients receiving ICG alone. Cohort 1 received ICG alone (n = 25) or combined with RI [Technetium 99 ] (n = 25), while Cohort 2 received ICG alone (n = 25) or combined with blue dye (n = 25). The primary outcome was sensitivity for SLN identification., Results: Among evaluable patients (n = 97), the overall SLN identification rate was 96.9% (ICG alone = 97.9%; ICG + RI = 100%; ICG + blue dye = 92%). Node positivity rates were 14.9% for ICG alone, 16% for ICG combined with RI, and 20% for ICG combined with blue dye. There were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in performance parameters, with ICG alone being non-inferior to tracer combinations for procedural node positivity rates when adjusted for specific factors., Conclusion: These results support potential use of ICG as a sole tracer agent for routine SLNB, thereby avoiding disadvantages of RI and/or blue dye. The latter can be safely withheld as a co-tracer without compromising detection of positive nodes in primary surgical patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Non-surgical ablation is emerging as an alternative local therapy option for patients with early-stage breast cancer and encompasses two main types of percutaneous therapeutic procedures: radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation. Both techniques involve obliteration of a spherical lesion and feasibility studies have shown that complete tumour ablation is achievable with good or excellent cosmetic results. Although few clinical studies have directly compared non-surgical ablation with conventional surgical resection, observational studies indicate that clinical outcomes are favourable with acceptable rates of local control and no detriment to long-term survival. There remain outstanding issues with these percutaneous ablative techniques that require resolution before they could be incorporated into routine clinical practice. Hence, a consensus meeting was convened to discuss the challenges of non-surgical ablation and clarify indications for its use alongside clinical management pathways. In this Policy Review we will address some of the broader biological aspects of non-surgical ablation, including immune-modulatory effects and potential novel applications for the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests MTo has received institutional grants from Kansai Med Net, AFI technology, Eisai, Astellas, Nippon Kayaku, Taiho, Sanwa Syurui, Shimadzu, Chugai, Pfizer, Yakult, Zene, AstraZeneca, and the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group Association (JBCRG); advisory fees from Bertis, Eli Lilly, and Daiichi Sankyo; and personal fees from AstraZeneca, MSD, Eisai, Devicore Medical Japan, Kyowa-Kirin, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Nippon Kayaku, Taiho, Exact Science, Shimadzu, Chugai, Pfizer, Yakult, and Sysmex. MTo is a member of the board of directors of JBCRG and the Kyoto Breast Cancer Research Network (KBCRN); a chairman of JBCRG; and an associate editor of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Scientific Reports, and Cancer Science. MTa has received institutional grants from Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Yakult, Medbis, Japan Breast Cancer Research Group, Kyoto Breast Cancer Research Network, Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group, Eisai, and IQVIA Japan; and personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Chugai, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Taiho, Eisai, MSD, Novartis, Kyowa-Kirin, and Devicore Medical Japan. MTa is a member of the board of directors of JBCRG and KBCRN. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aims of this Oncoplastic Breast Consortium and European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists initiative were to identify uncertainties and controversies in axillary management of early breast cancer and to recommend appropriate strategies to address them. By use of Delphi methods, 15 questions were prioritized by more than 250 breast surgeons, patient advocates and radiation oncologists from 60 countries. Subsequently, a global virtual consensus panel considered available data, ongoing studies and resource utilization. It agreed that research should no longer be prioritized for standardization of axillary imaging, de-escalation of axillary surgery in node-positive cancer and risk evaluation of modern surgery and radiotherapy. Instead, expert consensus recommendations for clinical practice should be based on current evidence and updated once results from ongoing studies become available. Research on de-escalation of radiotherapy and identification of the most relevant endpoints in axillary management should encompass a meta-analysis to identify knowledge gaps, followed by a Delphi process to prioritize and a consensus conference to refine recommendations for specific trial designs. Finally, treatment of residual nodal disease after surgery was recommended to be assessed in a prospective register., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (BRRM) involves removal of healthy breast tissue to substantially decrease the risk of developing breast cancer in individuals with greater susceptibility due to a strong family history or genetic mutation. This retrospective study evaluates cases of BRRM and associated reconstruction performed at a tertiary centre, with emphasis on mastectomy and reconstructive trends., Methods: A retrospective review of all BRRM cases performed between January 2010 and May 2022 was conducted, with two separate cohorts corresponding to the earlier (group 1) and later (group 2) portion of the time-period. Data collected included demographics, genetic test results, family history of breast/ovarian cancer, co-morbidities, mastectomy type, reconstruction type, surgical histopathology findings and post-operative complications., Results: A total of 82 patients (group 1 = 41, group 2 = 41) underwent BRRM. The proportion of nipple-sparing mastectomy increased from 14.6% to 56.1% between the two time periods with a reduction in skin-sparing mastectomies from 75.6% to 20.3% (p<0.001). Of the 80 patients who opted to undergo reconstruction, there was a significant decrease in combined flap-implant reconstructions (19.51% to 0%, p<0.01). Importantly, for implant-only reconstruction, there were significant increases in prepectoral approaches (p = 0.0267) and use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) (48.15% to 90.63%, p<0.001)., Conclusion: This study documents recent increases in nipple-sparing techniques for BRRM compared to more traditional skin-sparing methods. Concurrently, reconstruction following RRM has become predominantly implant-based without a flap, coinciding with more widespread usage of ADM. This is consistent with national trends towards fewer complex autologous procedures., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Aslam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: High-grade DCIS (HG DCIS) is associated with upgrade to invasive disease but few studies evaluate the role of MRI in this subset of DCIS. This study compared surgical outcomes of females with HG DCIS on biopsy who had pre-operative MRI with those that proceeded directly to surgery., Methods: This single-centre retrospective, observational study identified patients with pure HG DCIS on pre-operative biopsy from the pathology database. Surgical outcomes, clinicopathological and radiological features were obtained for all patients., Results: From August 2015 to February 2020, 217 patients had HG DCIS on biopsy. Pre-operative MRI was performed in 40 (MRI group) and not in 88 (No MRI group) patients. Initial mastectomy was performed in 25/40 (63%) women in the MRI group and 20/88 (23%) women in the no MRI group ( p < 0.0001). No difference was observed in re-operation rate between the two groups, 15% in MRI group vs 22% in No MRI group ( p = 0.4749). Mean tumour size on histology was larger in mastectomy cases in the MRI group (73.4 mm, range 6-140 mm), than the total MRI group, (58.3 mm, range 0-140 mm) or no MRI group (30.7 mm, range 0-130 mm) ( p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Pre-operative MRI in HG DCIS is associated with higher mastectomy rates, possibly due to patient selection for MRI, as tumours on final histology were significantly larger. Fewer re-operations were observed in the MRI group although this was not significant., Advances in Knowledge: Breast MRI performed pre-operatively in HG DCIS is associated with higher mastectomy rates and fewer re-operation rates.

Aim: Demand for nipple- and skin- sparing mastectomy (NSM/SSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (BR) has increased at the same time as indications for post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) have broadened. The aim of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium initiative was to address relevant questions arising with this clinically challenging scenario., Methods: A large global panel of oncologic, oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgeons, patient advocates and radiation oncologists developed recommendations for clinical practice in an iterative process based on the principles of Delphi methodology., Results: The panel agreed that surgical technique for NSM/SSM should not be formally modified when PMRT is planned with preference for autologous over implant-based BR due to lower risk of long-term complications and support for immediate and delayed-immediate reconstructive approaches. Nevertheless, it was strongly believed that PMRT is not an absolute contraindication for implant-based or other types of BR, but no specific recommendations regarding implant positioning, use of mesh or timing were made due to absence of high-quality evidence. The panel endorsed use of patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice. It was acknowledged that the shape and size of reconstructed breasts can hinder radiotherapy planning and attention to details of PMRT techniques is important in determining aesthetic outcomes after immediate BR., Conclusions: The panel endorsed the need for prospective, ideally randomised phase III studies and for surgical and radiation oncology teams to work together for determination of optimal sequencing and techniques for PMRT for each patient in the context of BR., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dual localization methods with blue dye and radioisotope represents the standard method for SLN identification. Side effects of blue dye and problems with access to radioisotope has prompted assessment of alternative tracers. This study has evaluated a combination of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence with radioisotope for SLN biopsy in early breast cancer., Methods: In a prospective observational study 79 patients scheduled for SLN biopsy underwent dual localization with radioisotope nanocolloid and ICG (0.5%). The primary goal was to assess noninferiority of ICG compared with standard radioisotopic localization. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata (version 15.1)., Results: A total of 162 nodes were retrieved from 79 patients with an average nodal count of 2.04 (range 1-4) and an overall identification rate of 98.7% (78/79). Nodal detection rates for ICG alone or combined with radioisotope were 98.1% (151/154) and 73.4% (113/154) respectively. Metastasis were present in 13 nodes, all of which were both fluorescent and radioactive and distributed amongst 13 patients each with a single positive node containing macrometastases (n = 5), micrometastases (n = 6), or isolated tumor cells (n = 2). ICG was noninferior to radioisotope with the lower confidence interval not crossing within the predefined limit. No serious adverse reactions were recorded., Conclusions: These results confirm comparable performance parameters for ICG to the "gold standard" using radioisotope. ICG can reliably be employed as a sole tracer that avoids potential drawbacks of standard tracer agents, including availability and costs of radioisotope., (© 2022. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Introduction: The potential advantages of oncoplastic breast conserving surgery (BCS) have not been validated in robust studies that constitute high levels of evidence, despite oncoplastic techniques being widely adopted around the globe. There is hence the need to define the precise role of oncoplastic BCS in the treatment of early breast cancer, with consensual recommendations for clinical practice., Methods: A panel of world-renowned breast specialists was convened to evaluate evidence, express personal viewpoints and establish recommendations for the use of oncoplastic BCS as primary treatment of unifocal early stage breast cancers using the GRADE approach., Results: According to the results of the systematic review of literature, the panelists were asked to comment on the recommendation for use of oncoplastic BCS for treatment of operable breast cancer that is suitable for breast conserving surgery, with the GRADE approach. Based on the voting outcome, the following recommendation emerged as a consensus statement: Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery should be recommended versus standard breast conserving surgery for the treatment of operable breast cancer in adult women who are suitable candidates for breast conserving surgery (with very low certainty of evidence)., Discussion: This review has revealed a low level of evidence for most of the important outcomes in oncoplastic surgery with lack of any randomized data and absence of standard tools for evaluation of clinical outcomes and especially patients' values. Despite areas of controversy, about one-third (36%) of panel members expressed a strong recommendation in support of oncoplastic BCS. Presumably, this reflects a synthesis of views on the relative complexity of these techniques, associated complications, impact on quality of life and costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe is forcing surgical oncologists to change their daily practice. We sought to evaluate how breast surgeons are adapting their surgical activity to limit viral spread and spare hospital resources., Methods: A panel of 12 breast surgeons from the most affected regions of the world convened a virtual meeting on April 7, 2020, to discuss the changes in their local surgical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, a Web-based poll based was created to evaluate changes in surgical practice among breast surgeons from several countries., Results: The virtual meeting showed that distinct countries and regions were experiencing different phases of the pandemic. Surgical priority was given to patients with aggressive disease not candidate for primary systemic therapy, those with progressive disease under neoadjuvant systemic therapy, and patients who have finished neoadjuvant therapy. One hundred breast surgeons filled out the poll. The trend showed reductions in operating room schedules, indications for surgery, and consultations, with an increasingly restrictive approach to elective surgery with worsening of the pandemic., Conclusion: The COVID-19 emergency should not compromise treatment of a potentially lethal disease such as breast cancer. Our results reveal that physicians are instinctively reluctant to abandon conventional standards of care when possible. However, as the situation deteriorates, alternative strategies of de-escalation are being adopted., Implications for Practice: This study aimed to characterize how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting breast cancer surgery and which strategies are being adopted to cope with the situation., (© 2020 AlphaMed Press.)

The aims of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium initiative were to identify important knowledge gaps in the field of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction, and to recommend appropriate research strategies to address these gaps. A total of 212 surgeons and 26 patient advocates from 55 countries prioritised the 15 most important knowledge gaps from a list of 38 in two electronic Delphi rounds. An interdisciplinary panel of the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium consisting of 63 stakeholders from 20 countries obtained consensus during an in-person meeting to select seven of these 15 knowledge gaps as research priorities. Three key recommendations emerged from the meeting. First, the effect of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery on quality of life and the optimal type and timing of reconstruction after nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with planned radiotherapy should be addressed by prospective cohort studies at an international level. Second, the role of adjunctive mesh and the positioning of implants during implant-based breast reconstruction should ideally be investigated by randomised controlled trials of pragmatic design. Finally, the BREAST-Q questionnaire is a suitable tool to assess primary outcomes in these studies, but other metrics to measure patient-reported outcomes should be systematically evaluated and quality indicators of surgical morbidity should be further assessed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Endocrine therapy for early stage breast cancer is currently in a state of flux with much uncertainty about choice of agents and duration of therapy. The standard treatment span of 5 years usually incorporates an aromatase inhibitor in the majority of postmenopausal patients. Hormonal therapy has a cytostatic action that provides a biological rationale for continuing treatment for more prolonged periods to reduce risk of late recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive disease. Several trials of extended endocrine therapy for periods varying from 7.5 to 10 years have shown mixed results for gains in disease-free survival. The challenge is to assimilate available data and apply clinical judgment to tailor therapies taking account of intrinsic risk of disease recurrence, patient preference, tolerability to date, and co-morbidities.

The 2013 Breast Cancer Campaign gap analysis established breast cancer research priorities without a specific focus on surgical research or the role of surgeons on breast cancer research. This Review aims to identify opportunities and priorities for research in breast surgery to complement the 2013 gap analysis. To identify these goals, research-active breast surgeons met and identified areas for breast surgery research that mapped to the patient pathway. Areas included diagnosis, neoadjuvant treatment, surgery, adjuvant therapy, and attention to special groups (eg, those receiving risk-reducing surgery). Section leads were identified based on research interests, with invited input from experts in specific areas, supported by consultation with members of the Association of Breast Surgery and Independent Cancer Patients' Voice groups. The document was iteratively modified until participants were satisfied that key priorities for surgical research were clear. Key research gaps included issues surrounding overdiagnosis and treatment; optimising treatment options and their selection for neoadjuvant therapies and subsequent surgery; reducing rates of re-operations for breast-conserving surgery; generating evidence for clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of breast reconstruction, and mechanisms for assessing novel interventions; establishing optimal axillary management, especially post-neoadjuvant treatment; and defining and standardising indications for risk-reducing surgery. We propose strategies for resolving these knowledge gaps. Surgeons are ideally placed for a central role in breast cancer research and should foster a culture of engagement and participation in research to benefit patients and health-care systems. Development of infrastructure and surgical research capacity, together with appropriate allocation of research funding, is needed to successfully address the key clinical and translational research gaps that are highlighted in this Review within the next two decades., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been the subject of much controversy since the advent of population based breast screening programs. An increasing number of asymptomatic women are being diagnosed with this condition and there is uncertainty over the best treatment algorithm for this condition if treatment is to be considered at all. Different subtypes of DCIS show innate differences in developmental pathways and biological behavior. This is not only determined by pathological subtypes but there is increasing understanding of molecular biomarkers related to DCIS progression. The ultimate management aim is to identify a subgroup of patients in whom DCIS will not progress to invasive disease such that they can avoid morbidity from surgical and adjuvant therapies. This has to be balanced by the potential risk of undertreatment of patients in whom DCIS is likely to progress to invasive cancer and hence a reduced life expectancy. Results of current ongoing prospective randomized trials assessing the safety of omitting surgery for what is considered to be low risk DCIS are eagerly awaited for by patients and clinicians. However the definition of what is considered to be "low risk" DCIS is still to be ascertained.

Axillary surgery in breast cancer patients has shifted from more extensive to minimalist approaches with re-evaluation of the risks versus benefits of available treatment options which are increasingly tailored to individual patient characteristics. A radical axillary node dissection is rarely indicated nowadays due to several factors including screening with detection of small node negative cancers, introduction of targeted node sampling, less reliance on information from nodal staging for adjuvant therapy decision making and evidence that non-surgical treatments such as systemic therapies (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy) together with radiotherapy can safely treat low burden axillary disease. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone with omission of further axillary surgery for nodal macrometastases (>2 mm) might be sufficiently extirpative to achieve local control when combined with adjuvant treatments. There remain unanswered questions on the safety of SLNB post chemotherapy in patients with biopsy-proven nodal disease at presentation and whether omission of axillary node dissection is feasible in selected cases. Emerging evidence suggests that a complete radiological response with removal of at least 3 nodes (including clipped nodes at time of biopsy) can yield false negative rates of <10% and be a safe option. New technologies involving percutaneous biopsy of sentinel nodes under radiological guidance are under investigation and could potentially replace surgical staging of the axilla in the future. Moreover, omission of any type of node biopsy might be a potential option in more favorable tumors and could herald the beginning of the end for histological axillary sampling in selected cases.

Background: Reconstructive breast surgery has continued to evolve over the last decade with a key change being the adoption of acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) as an adjunct for implant-based procedures. This retrospective observational study assesses the effect of ADMs on post-mastectomy reconstructive practice performed in a single institution., Methods: We conducted a review of all patients undergoing breast reconstruction at a University Teaching Hospital for an 18-month period before and after adopting ADMs. Demographic, procedural and complication data for these two cohorts were compared (χ 2 and Student's t-tests)., Results: A total of 264 women (336 breasts), mean age 47.5 years, were identified: 137 before and 127 after the introduction of ADM. Implant-only reconstructions increased from 16% to 52% following the adoption of ADM (p < 0.01), whereas the proportion of both latissimus dorsi and deep inferior epigastric perforator flap reconstructions decreased significantly (31%-11% and 49%-34%, respectively, p < 0.01). The rate of early complications for the implant-only procedures was not significantly different with or without ADM (26% versus 20%, respectively, p = 0.44), despite there being no difference in the rate of adjuvant radiotherapy (22% versus 35%, respectively, p = 0.30)., Conclusions: This study showed that since ADM introduction to our centre, more breast reconstructions have been of the implant-only type with consequent reductions in the more complex and expensive autologous techniques. Implant-only procedures that incorporated ADM use had similar complication rates to those that did not., (Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The heterogeneous nature of ductal carcinoma in situ has been emphasised by data for breast-cancer screening that show substantial increases in the detection of early-stage non-invasive breast cancer but no noteworthy change in the incidence of invasive and distant metastatic disease. Indolent non-progressive forms of ductal carcinoma in situ are managed according to similar surgical strategies as high-risk disease, with extent of resection dictated by radiological and pathological estimates of tumour dimensions. Although adjuvant treatments might be withheld for low-risk lesions, surgical treatments incur potential morbidity, especially when mastectomy and breast reconstruction are done for widespread low-grade or intermediate-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. Low rates of deaths from breast cancer coupled with overdiagnosis within screening programmes have prompted a fundamental rethink of approaches to the management of both low-risk and high-risk ductal carcinoma in situ. Changes include active surveillance for low-risk lesions and a watchful waiting policy with intervention when invasive local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery is detected. Prediction of ipsilateral invasive recurrence is likely to be improved by integration of molecular biomarkers with conventional histopathological parameters. Moreover, further genetic interrogation of ductal carcinoma in situ might lead to a reclassification of some low-grade lesions as non-cancerous entities., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Women with a hereditary breast cancer predisposition have three management options: screening, chemoprevention (risk-reducing medication) and risk-reducing surgery. However, no randomized trials have addressed the effect of these strategies in mutation carriers. In the general population, randomized trials failed to demonstrate a benefit for screening in premenopausal women. Moreover, although chemoprevention reduces breast cancer incidence in high-risk populations, this benefit is potentially confined to estrogen receptor-positive tumors. Finally, observational studies suggest that prophylactic mastectomy and even prophylactic salpingo-ophorectomy reduces breast cancer risk in BRCA mutation carriers, but there are systematic biases associated with such studies. Therefore, women with a hereditary predisposition for breast cancer should be informed of the three risk-reducing strategies, and that their benefits are not fully understood.

With the advent of sentinel lymph node biopsy, surgical methods for accurately staging the axilla in patients with early-stage breast cancer have become progressively less extensive, with formal axillary lymph node dissection confined to a dwindling group of patients. Although details of methods for sentinel lymph node biopsy have yet to be standardised, this technique is now widely practised and accepted as standard of care worldwide. In the past 5 years, attention has focused on minimisation of surgical morbidity by restricting further axillary surgery or considering radiotherapy in patients with a small tumour burden in their sentinel nodes. This change in approach to patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsies has increased the complexity of axillary management, and any policy of de-escalation and avoidance of morbidity must not compromise patient outcomes. This trend for de-escalation has accompanied a shift in understanding of how any residual tumour burden can be adequately managed without surgical extirpation and reliance on effective adjuvant therapies. Indications for omission of completion axillary lymph node dissection in patients with two or fewer nodes containing macrometastases demand further clarification, together with the roles of preoperative imaging in defining axillary nodal burden, deselection of patients for sentinel lymph node biopsy, and provision of radiotherapy. Downstaging of biopsy-proven node-positive patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy could safely permit sentinel lymph node biopsy alone when the index node has been successfully retrieved at surgery, while nodal deposits of any size continue to mandate completion axillary lymph node dissection. Developments in molecular imaging technologies and percutaneous biopsy techniques could potentially render sentinel lymph node biopsy redundant in the future., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: A recent feasibility study (ICG-10) has confirmed high sensitivity of ICG fluorescence mapping for sentinel SLN detection in early breast cancer with 95% of nodes both blue and fluorescent. This follow-on study has specifically evaluated a combination of ICG and blue dye for SLN localization., Methods: Fifty consecutive patients (49 female; 1 male) with unilateral clinically node negative invasive (37) and non-invasive (13) breast cancer underwent SLN biopsy with blue dye and ICG. Median patient age was 48 years and median invasive tumour size 19 mm for primary surgical patients. All patients had a normal pre-operative axillary ultrasound. Nodal and procedural detection rates were calculated for ICG alone and in combination with blue dye., Results: A total of 87 nodes were retrieved with an average nodal count of 1.8 per patient (range 1-4). Eighty four nodes were blue and fluorescent and 3 fluorescent only. Nodal detection rates for ICG alone and combined with blue dye were 100% (87/87) and 96% (84/87) respectively. Metastases were present in 18 nodes (all blue and fluorescent) with 10 patients node positive overall (20%). The procedural detection rate for blue dye and ICG was 96% (48/50) and 2 patients had fluorescent only nodes which were deemed sentinel (4%)., Conclusion: Fluorescent imaging with ICG is a sensitive, valuable and safe method for SLN biopsy. A combination of blue dye and ICG is useful dual approach when radioisotope is unavailable. ICG has the potential to be a sole tracer agent with improved patient convenience and costs., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report the results of sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnostic breast imaging., Materials and Methods: Informed consent was obtained from all participants under one of two institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant protocols. Twelve female patients (age range, 19-54 years; mean age, 41.2 years) and eight normal control subjects (age range, 22-56 years; mean age, 43.2 years) enrolled and completed the study from January 28, 2011, to March 5, 2013. Patients had previous lesions that were Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 and 5 based on mammography and/or ultrasonographic imaging. Contrast-enhanced SWIFT imaging was completed by using a 4-T research MR imaging system. Noncontrast studies were completed in the normal control subjects. One of two sized single-breast SWIFT-compatible transceiver coils was used for nine patients and five controls. Three patients and five control subjects used a SWIFT-compatible dual breast coil. Temporal resolution was 5.9-7.5 seconds. Spatial resolution was 1.00 mm isotropic, with later examinations at 0.67 mm isotropic, and dual breast at 1.00 mm or 0.75 mm isotropic resolution., Results: Two nonblinded breast radiologists reported SWIFT image findings of normal breast tissue, benign fibroadenomas (six of six lesions), and malignant lesions (10 of 12 lesions) concordant with other imaging modalities and pathologic reports. Two lesions in two patients were not visualized because of coil field of view. The images yielded by SWIFT showed the presence and extent of known breast lesions., Conclusion: The SWIFT technique could become an important addition to breast imaging modalities because it provides high spatial resolution at all points during the dynamic contrast-enhanced examination., (© RSNA, 2014.)

Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 18-20 February 2014 The loco-regional management of breast cancer is increasingly complex with application of primary systemic therapies, oncoplastic techniques and genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Personalization of loco-regional treatment is integral to optimization of breast cancer care. Clinical and pathological tumor stage, biological features and host factors influence loco-regional treatment strategies and extent of surgical procedures. Key issues including axillary staging, axillary treatment, radiation therapy, primary systemic therapy (PST), preoperative hormonal therapy and genetic predisposition were identified and discussed at the Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference (KBCCC2014). In the second of a two part conference scene, consensus recommendations for radiation treatment, primary systemic therapies and management of genetic predisposition are reported and focus on the following topics: influence of both clinical response to PST and stage at presentation on recommendations for postmastectomy radiotherapy; use of regional nodal irradiation in selected node-positive patients and those with adverse pathological factors; extent of surgical resection following downstaging of tumors with PST; use of preoperative hormonal therapy in premenopausal women with larger, node-negative luminal A-like tumors and managing increasing demands for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in patients with a unilateral sporadic breast cancer.

Patient selection and timing of sentinel lymph node (SLN) in the context of primary chemotherapy continues to evolve; there is some evidence that primary chemotherapy may modify lymphatic drainage patterns and cause differential downstaging between SLNs and non-SLNs. SLN biopsy undertaken prior to chemotherapy will minimize the risk of a false-negative result, may allow more accurate initial staging and provides important information on prognostication which can guide decisions about adjuvant radiotherapy. However, quantification of regional metastatic load is incomplete and some advocate SLN biopsy after primary chemotherapy to take advantage of nodal downstaging and avoidance of axillary dissection in up to 40% of patients. Initial reports on false-negative rates for SLN biopsy after primary chemotherapy in patients who had proven axillary node metastases at presentation based on needle core biopsy were relatively high and a cause for clinical concern. However, more recent data suggest that SLN biopsy is as accurate when performed post- as pre-neochemotherapy and current practice incorporates both approaches.

In the late 19th century, William Halsted proposed the radical mastectomy, which became the standard surgical treatment of breast cancer for nearly 100 years. Later in this period, theories suggesting that breast cancer was a systemic disease at inception were championed by Bernard Fisher. This alternative hypothesis of biological predeterminism was based upon results of randomized clinical trials comparing breast conserving therapy with mastectomy, which showed similar overall survival outcomes. Nonetheless, data from meta-analyses suggest that inadequate local therapy can increase risk of local recurrence, which can subsequently increase mortality. In this review, the authors provide an historical account of how local therapy of breast cancer has evolved in the face of improved adjuvant therapies and better understanding of disease biology.

This study compared the diagnostic performance of two shear wave speed measurement techniques in 81 patients with 83 solid breast lesions. Virtual Touch Quantification, which provides single-point shear wave speed measurement capability (SP-SWS), was compared with Virtual Touch IQ, a new 2-D shear wave imaging technique with multi-point shear wave speed measurement capability (2D-SWS). With SP-SWS, shear wave velocity was measured within the lesion ("internal" value) and the marginal areas ("marginal" value). With 2D-SWS, the highest velocity was measured. The marginal values obtained with the SP-SWS and 2D-SWS methods were significantly higher for malignant lesions and benign lesions, respectively (p < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 86% (36/42), 90% (37/41) and 88% (73/83), respectively, for SP-SWS, and 88% (37/42), 93% (38/41) and 90% (75/83), respectively, for 2D-SWS. It is concluded that 2D-SWS is a useful diagnostic tool for differentiating malignant from benign solid breast masses., (Copyright © 2013 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) constitutes a major public health problem, with up to half of screen-detected cancers representing pure forms of DCIS without evidence of invasion. A proportion of cases detected with routine screening would not have progressed to a life-threatening form of breast cancer during the patient's lifetime, and overdiagnosis of breast cancer is a cause for concern. Once DCIS has been detected, treatment is obligatory and present technologies do not allow accurate risk stratification such that intensity of treatment can be tailored to risk of recurrence and progression to invasive disease. Present management strategies are based on prognostic and predictive information derived from conventional histopathological and host factors. With increasing molecular characterisation of these preinvasive lesions, data will be available for how factors such as oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, HER2, and indicators of proliferative activity can provide additional information about both prognosis and benefit from adjuvant treatments such as radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. Low-risk patients are especially poorly defined in terms of need for adjuvant therapies, which can be associated with both short-term adverse sequelae and long-term effects (eg, cardiotoxicity) that can affect all-cause mortality. Optimum risk prediction in the future is likely to be achieved by integration of both conventional and molecular factors, which should be incorporated into a validated predictive model to help with clinical decision making., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In patients with primary breast cancer, preoperative MRI identifies additional foci of tumor in the ipsilateral or contralateral breast that are not evident with standard imaging. Breast cancer patients who are otherwise deemed suitable candidates for breast-conserving surgery might, therefore, be urged to undergo mastectomy or even bilateral mastectomy following staging with preoperative breast MRI. The effect of preoperative breast MRI on clinical end points (rates of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence) and surgical end points (rates of reoperation) have been assessed in several large studies. These studies indicate that the routine use of preoperative breast MRI is not beneficial. The additional occult foci of tumor detected with preoperative breast MRI seem to either have no clinical significance, or can be adequately treated with radiotherapy and/or systemic therapy. This article reviews these studies and highlights the potential harms associated with the routine use of preoperative MRI in patients with primary breast cancer.

Data reviewed at the Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference (KBCCC) showed that preoperative systemic therapy (PST) could optimize surgery through the utilization of information relating to pre- and post-PST tumor stage, therapeutic sensitivity, and treatment-induced changes in the biological characteristics of the tumor. As such, it was noted that the biological characteristics of the tumor, such as hormone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, histological grade, cell proliferative activity, mainly defined by the Ki67 labeling index, and the tumor's multi-gene signature, should be considered in the planning of both systemic and local therapy. Furthermore, the timing of axillary sentinel lymph node diagnosis (i.e., before or after the PST) was also noted to be critical in that it may influence the likelihood of axillary preservation, even in node positive cases. In addition, axillary diagnosis with ultrasound and concomitant fine needle aspiration cytology or core needle biopsy (CNB) was reported to contribute to the construction of a treatment algorithm for patient-specific or individualized axillary surgery. Following PST, planning for breast surgery should therefore be based on tumor subtype, tumor volume and extent, therapeutic response to PST, and patient preference. Nomograms for predicting nodal status and drug sensitivity were also recognized as a tool to support decision-making in the selection of surgical treatment. Overall, review of data at the KBCCC showed that PST increases the likelihood of patients receiving localized surgery and individualized treatment regimens.

Until recently, the concept of biological predeterminism appeared pre-eminent and a worthy successor to the Halstedian doctrine of centrifugal spread of cancer. However, evidence has now emerged from clinical trials to cast doubt on the universal application of this concept to breast tumors. Prevention of local recurrence can save lives, local control does matter, and rates of local recurrence should be minimized in the first 5 years. In up to one quarter of cases of local recurrence the locally recurring disease will be a determinant and not simply a marker of risk for distant relapse and death. Both types of local recurrence are manifestations of the same biological processes and reflect intrinsic behavior of the tumor. This principle applies to reduction in local relapse from both adjuvant radiotherapy and surgical modalities.

Breast cancer now represents the most common female malignancy in both the developing and developed world, and is the primary cause of death among women globally. Despite well-documented reductions in mortality from breast cancer during the past two decades, incidence rates continue to increase and do so more rapidly in countries that historically had low rates. This has emphasized the importance of survivorship issues and optimal management of disease chronicity. This article reviews current trends of incidence and mortality in both a western and global context, and considers pertinent changes in underlying etiological risk factors. The latter not only offer clues regarding changes in incidence patterns, but also provides rationale and guidance for strategies that could potentially reduce the burden of this disease. The relevance of lifestyle adjustments and screening interventions for primary and secondary prevention, respectively, are discussed with reference to different healthcare resource settings.

A consensus conference was held to investigate issues related to the local management of early breast cancer. Here, we highlight the major topics discussed at the conference and propose ideas for future studies. Regarding axillary management, we examined three major issues. First, we discussed whether the use of axillary reverse mapping could clarify the lymphatic system of breast and whether the ipsilateral arm might help avoid lymphedema. Second, the use of an indocyanine green fluorescent navigation system was discussed for intraoperative lymphatic mapping. These new issues should be examined further in practice. Finally, some agreement was reached on the importance of "four-node diagnosis" to aid in the diagnostic accuracy of sentinel nodes. Regarding breast treatment, there was general agreement that the clinical value of surgical margins in predicting local failure was dependent on the tumor's intrinsic biology and subtypes. For patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy, less extensive excision may be feasible in those who respond to systemic therapy in an acceptable manner. Most trials of preoperative chemotherapy lack outcome data on local recurrence. Therefore, there is a need for such data for overview analysis. We also agreed that radiation after mastectomy may be beneficial in node-positive cases where more than four nodes are involved. Throughout the discussions for both invasive and noninvasive disease, the investigation of nomograms was justified for major issues in the decision-making process, such as the presence or absence of microinvasion and the involvement of nonsentinel nodes in sentinel node-positive patients.