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Background: In Pakistan, the death rate for post-menopausal women with breast cancer is significant due to late detection and delayed referral to proper facilities. There are a few reports on Pakistan's epidemiology and breast cancer risk factors. There are modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with the development of breast carcinoma; of which body mass index (BMI), central obesity, and lipid profile are considered as major risk markers., Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. A total of 384 women constituted the present study sample. Purposive sampling was used to collect 192 confirmed new breast cancer cases throughout the study. By using basic random sampling, an equal number of controls were chosen. Studied parameters included age, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, serum high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, weight, height, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. The inclusion criteria of this study were post-menopausal women (45-65 years) in Pakistan. The confirmation of breast carcinoma was done through histopathology. Breast cancer occurrence was taken as a dependent variable, whereas BMI, central obesity, and lipid profile were taken as independent variables., Results: Studied risk factors (cholesterol, BMI, and central obesity) significantly correlated with breast cancer. Cholesterol has a significantly high positive correlation (0.646) with breast cancer. BMI has a positive significant correlation (0.491) with breast cancer, and central obesity has a low but positive significant correlation (0.266) with breast cancer. Moreover, the binary logistic regression model also showed a significant association between biochemical factors and breast cancer occurrence. Regression analysis depicted a linear relationship between a dependent variable (breast cancer occurrence) and independent variables (central obesity, cholesterol, BMI)., Conclusion: Postmenopausal overweight (central obesity), increased BMI and high cholesterol levels are major risk factors for breast cancer. Moreover, high total cholesterol proved to be the most significant risk marker for the occurrence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women of Pakistan., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Emotional stress is believed to be associated with increased tumor progression. Stress-induced epigenetic modifications can contribute to the severity of disease and poor prognosis in cancer patients. The current study aimed to investigate the expression profiles along with the prognostic significance of psychological stress-related genes in metastatic breast cancer patients, to rationalize the molecular link between emotional stress and cancer progression. We profiled the expression of selected stress-associated genes ( 5-HTT, NR3C1, OXTR, and FKBP5 ) in breast cancer including the stress evaluation of all participants using the Questionnaire on Distress in Cancer Patients-short form (QSC-R10). A survival database, the Kaplan-Meier Plotter, was used to explore the prognostic significance of these genes in breast cancer. Our results showed relatively low expressions of 5-HTT ( p = 0.02) and OXTR ( p = 0.0387) in metastatic breast cancer patients as compared to the non-metastatic group of patients. The expression of NR3C1 was low in tumor grade III as compared to grade II ( p = 0.04). Additionally, the expression of NR3C1 was significantly higher in patients with positive estrogen receptor status. However, no significant difference was found regarding FKBP5 expression in breast cancer. The results suggest a potential implication of these genes in breast cancer pathology and prognosis.

Breast cancer is a diverse disease caused by mutations in multiple genes accompanying epigenetic aberrations of hazardous genes and protein pathways, which distress tumor-suppressor genes and the expression of oncogenes. Alteration in any of the several physiological mechanisms such as cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair machinery, mitotic checkpoints, and telomere maintenance results in genomic instability. Theranostic has the potential to foretell and estimate therapy response, contributing a valuable opportunity to modify the ongoing treatments and has developed new treatment strategies in a personalized manner. "Omics" technologies play a key role while studying genomic instability in breast cancer, and broadly include various aspects of proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, and tumor grading. Certain computational techniques have been designed to facilitate the early diagnosis of cancer and predict disease-specific therapies, which can produce many effective results. Several diverse tools are used to investigate genomic instability and underlying mechanisms. The current review aimed to explore the genomic landscape, tumor heterogeneity, and possible mechanisms of genomic instability involved in initiating breast cancer. We also discuss the implications of computational biology regarding mutational and pathway analyses, identification of prognostic markers, and the development of strategies for precision medicine. We also review different technologies required for the investigation of genomic instability in breast cancer cells, including recent therapeutic and preventive advances in breast cancer.

A comprehensive understanding of the quality of life (QoL) is essential to establish long-term survivor care plans. The present study was aimed at the assessment of QoL of BC survivors with special emphasis on post-treatment physical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges. We have assessed the QoL of 250 female BC survivors of all age groups through demographic factors. Volunteer BC survivors were registered in the present study who had got treatment from the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (INMOL) hospital and Mayo hospital Lahore. An informed consent form was signed by each participant. The physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being was evaluated by a questionnaire filled with the help of respondents. The average age of BC survivors was 52 ± 7.8 years. Most of them (83%) complained of fatigue during daily life activities, 75.1% body pain or headache, 77.1% had problems with appetite, 63.2% reported weight loss, 77.1% had sleep problems, and 90.5% were feeling general weakness. Only 16.2% were satisfied with their physical health and 2% were not satisfied with their medication. Psychologically, 74.4% were feeling different levels of anxiety, only 10% of them were hoping to achieve a desired life. Age group 21 to 40 years reported better physical health, those with 40-50 years of age and family history of BC have shown better mental strength. The physical and psychological health of survivors from rural areas was comparatively better than those from urban areas. The BC survivor women have to face several physical, psychological and social challenges. The majorities of them complain of anxiety, body pain, fatigue, sleep problems, general weakness, and fear about the future. Our findings suggest the need for psychological support, physical activity a comprehensive post-diagnosis and post-treatment physical and mental health assistance plan for all BC survivors. Implications for Cancer Survivors. Survivors of breast cancer experience various challenges including anxiety, sleep problems, body pain, fatigue, and fear about the future. The psychological, physical and social factors make a great difference in their quality of life., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Amongst the various types of cancer, breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease and known as the leading cause of death among women globally. The extensive interdisciplinary investigation in nanotechnology and cancer biomedical research has been evolved over the years for its effective treatment. However, the advent of chemotherapeutic resistance in breast cancer is one of the major confront researchers are facing in achieving successful chemotherapy. Research in the area of cancer nanotechnology over the years have now been revolutionized through the development of smart polymers, lipids, inorganic materials and eventually their surface-engineering with targeting ligands. Moreover, nanotechnology further extended and brings in the notice the new theranostic approach which combining the therapy and imaging simultaneously. Currently, research is being envisaged in the area of novel nano-pharmaceutical design viz. liposome, nanotubes, polymer lipid hybrid system, which focuses to make the chemotherapy curative and long-lasting. In this review, we aimed to discuss the recent advancement of different surface-engineered/targeted nanomedicines that improved the drug efficacy in breast cancer., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)