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Purpose: Addition of carboplatin (Cb) to anthracycline chemotherapy improves pathologic complete response (pCR), and carboplatin plus taxane regimens also yield encouraging pCR rates in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Aim of the NeoSTOP multisite randomized phase II trial was to assess efficacy of anthracycline-free and anthracycline-containing neoadjuvant carboplatin regimens. Patients and Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with stage I–III TNBC were randomized (1:1) to receive either paclitaxel (P) weekly × 12 plus carboplatin AUC6 every 21 days × 4 followed by doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) every 14 days × 4 (CbP → AC, arm A), or carboplatin AUC6 + docetaxel (D) every 21 days × 6 (CbD, arm B). Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTIL) were assessed. Primary endpoint was pCR in breast and axilla. Other endpoints included residual cancer burden (RCB), toxicity, cost, and event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: One hundred patients were randomized; arm A (n = 48) or arm B (n = 52). pCR was 54% [95% confidence interval (CI), 40%–69%] in arm A and 54% (95% CI, 40%–68%) in arm B. RCB 0+I rate was 67% in both arms. Median sTIL density was numerically higher in those with pCR compared with those with residual disease (20% vs. 5%; P = 0.25). At median follow-up of 38 months, EFS and OS were similar in the two arms. Grade 3/4 adverse events were more common in arm A compared with arm B, with the most notable differences in neutropenia (60% vs. 8%; P < 0.001) and febrile neutropenia (19% vs. 0%; P < 0.001). There was one treatment-related death (arm A) due to acute leukemia. Mean treatment cost was lower for arm B compared with arm A (P = 0.02). Conclusions: The two-drug CbD regimen yielded pCR, RCB 0+I, and survival rates similar to the four-drug regimen of CbP → AC, but with a more favorable toxicity profile and lower treatment-associated cost.

Summary Background This study investigated the impact of curative breast cancer surgery on patient satisfaction concerning cosmetic results and quality of life (QoL). Methods In this study 61 participants completed questionnaires to evaluate their QoL and patient satisfaction with cosmetic results following breast cancer surgery. Cosmetic outcomes were evaluated by the breast surgeon and an independent breast specialist using the Harris scale and the breast analyzing tool (BAT). Results Of the participants 71% completed all 4 follow-up visits, 38 (62%) patients received breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and 23 (38%) received a mastectomy. Surgery-associated complications arose in 2.6% of the patients who received BCT and 17.4% of patients who received a mastectomy. No significant differences in QoL between BCT patients and mastectomy patients were observed immediately after surgery, or after 6 and 12 months. Breast asymmetry, measured using the BAT score, and QoL scores were worst immediately after surgery. The surgeon rated the cosmetic results as better compared to the independent breast expert (p = 0.001). Furthermore, patients aged over 60 years old were less satisfied with the cosmetic outcome compared to younger patients at the time of discharge (p = 0.024). Patients who received a mastectomy were less satisfied when the resected volume was higher. Conclusion Patient satisfaction was lowest immediately after surgery but improved during the following months, despite continued breast asymmetry. For mastectomy patients, a lower resected volume led to a higher satisfaction with cosmetic results. Satisfaction is subjective and cannot be determined from the esthetic satisfaction of the surgeon or using an objective tool measuring breast asymmetry.

Funder: Funding details are provided in the Supplementary Material, Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have the potential to improve risk stratification. Joint estimation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) effects in models could improve predictive performance over standard approaches of PRS construction. Here, we implemented computationally-efficient, penalized, logistic regression models (lasso, elastic net, stepwise) to individual level genotype data and a Bayesian framework with continuous shrinkage, ���select and shrink for summary statistics��� (S4), to summary level data for epithelial non-mucinous ovarian cancer risk prediction. We developed the models in a dataset consisting of 23,564 non-mucinous EOC cases and 40,138 controls participating in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) and validated the best models in three populations of different ancestries: prospective data from 198,101 women of European ancestry; 7,669 women of East Asian ancestry; 1,072 women of African ancestry, and in 18,915 BRCA1 and 12,337 BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers of European ancestry. In the external validation data, the model with the strongest association for non-mucinous EOC risk derived from the OCAC model development data was the S4 model (27,240 SNPs) with odds ratios (OR) of 1.38(95%CI:1.28���1.48,AUC:0.588) per unit standard deviation, in women of European ancestry; 1.14(95%CI:1.08���1.19,AUC:0.538) in women of East Asian ancestry; 1.38(95%CI:1.21-1.58,AUC:0.593) in women of African ancestry; hazard ratios of 1.37(95%CI:1.30���1.44,AUC:0.592) in BRCA1 pathogenic variant carriers and 1.51(95%CI:1.36-1.67,AUC:0.624) in BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. Incorporation of the S4 PRS in risk prediction models for ovarian cancer may have clinical utility in ovarian cancer prevention programs.

Nucleic acid-based vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are effective in the general population. However, it is unknown whether this is true in Asian patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) who have received various combinations of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). We designed a large prospective observational study recruiting 228 patients with ARDs in a tertiary rheumatology centre in Taiwan. Altogether, 142 received biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs and 86 received only conventional synthetic (cs) DMARDs. Serum levels of immunoglobulin G antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins were measured 2–6 weeks after COVID-19 vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna®) or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford/AstraZeneca®). The immunomodulatory therapies were not modified before or after vaccination. Overall, 194 patients (85.09%) exhibited antibodies (758.33 ± 808.43 ng/mL) but 34 patients did not (103.24 ± 41.08 ng/mL). Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis had significantly lower humoral responses to COVID-19 vaccination than those with other ARDs (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in immunogenicity among patients on different csDMARD treatments. Compared to patients treated with only csDMARDs, those on rituximab or abatacept therapy had significantly lower immune response to the vaccination (p = 0.008 and p = 0.035, respectively). Patients who were treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor-α or interleukin-6 inhibitor exhibited higher titres of vaccination antibodies than those treated with direct lymphocyte inhibitors. mRNA-1273 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines were immunogenic in the majority of ARD patients. Rituximab and abatacept were associated with significantly diminished COVID-19 vaccination immunogenicity.

Breast and prostate cancer risks; Pathogenic variant Riscos de càncer de mama i pròstata; Variants patogèniques Riesgos de cáncer de mama y próstata; Variantes patogénicas Background Recent population-based female breast cancer and prostate cancer polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been developed. We assessed the associations of these PRS with breast and prostate cancer risks for male BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. Methods 483 BRCA1 and 1318 BRCA2 European ancestry male carriers were available from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA). A 147-single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) prostate cancer PRS (PRSPC) and a 313-SNP breast cancer PRS were evaluated. There were 3 versions of the breast cancer PRS, optimized to predict overall (PRSBC), estrogen receptor (ER)–negative (PRSER-), or ER-positive (PRSER+) breast cancer risk. Results PRSER+ yielded the strongest association with breast cancer risk. The odds ratios (ORs) per PRSER+ standard deviation estimates were 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] =1.07 to 1.83) for BRCA1 and 1.33 (95% CI = 1.16 to 1.52) for BRCA2 carriers. PRSPC was associated with prostate cancer risk for BRCA1 (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.28 to 2.33) and BRCA2 (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.34 to 1.91) carriers. The estimated breast cancer odds ratios were larger after adjusting for female relative breast cancer family history. By age 85 years, for BRCA2 carriers, the breast cancer risk varied from 7.7% to 18.4% and prostate cancer risk from 34.1% to 87.6% between the 5th and 95th percentiles of the PRS distributions. Conclusions Population-based prostate and female breast cancer PRS are associated with a wide range of absolute breast and prostate cancer risks for male BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. These findings warrant further investigation aimed at providing personalized cancer risks for male carriers and informing clinical management. The CIMBA data management and data analysis were supported by Cancer Research UK grants C12292/A20861 and PPRPGM-Nov20\100002. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) under IG 2018 - ID. 21389 and the Italian League for the Fight Against Cancer (LILT) under IG 2019 projects, P.I. Ottini Laura and Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research-Dipartimenti di Eccellenza-L. 232/2016. CIMBA: GCT is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Fellow. iCOGS and OncoArray data: the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. 223175 (HEALTH-F2-2009-223175) (COGS), Cancer Research UK (C1287/A10118, C1287/A 10710, C12292/A11174, C1281/A12014, C5047/A8384, C5047/A15007, C5047/A10692, C8197/A16565), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (CA128978) and Post-Cancer GWAS initiative (1U19 CA148537, 1U19 CA148065 and 1U19 CA148112 - the GAME-ON initiative), the Department of Defence (W81XWH-10-1-0341), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for the CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer (CRN-87521), and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (PSR-SIIRI-701), Komen Foundation for the Cure, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The Personalized Risk Stratification for Prevention and Early Detection of Breast Cancer (PERSPECTIVE) and PERSPECTIVE I&I projects were supported by the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation through Genome Québec, and The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and the Ontario Research Fund. Breast Cancer Family Registry (BCFR): UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Baltic Familial Breast Ovarian Cancer Consortium (BFBOCC): Lithuania (BFBOCC-LT): Research Council of Lithuania grant SEN-18/2015. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC): Breast Cancer Research Foundation. BRCA-gene mutations and breast cancer in South African women (BMBSA): Cancer Association of South Africa (PI Elizabeth J. van Rensburg). Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO): Spanish Ministry of Health PI16/00440 supported by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) funds, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) SAF2014-57680-R and the Spanish Research Network on Rare diseases (CIBERER). City of Hope - Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network (COH-CCGCRN): Research reported in this publication was supported by the NCI of the NIH under grant No. R25CA112486, and RC4CA153828 (PI: J. Weitzel) from the NCI and the Office of the Director, NIH. CONsorzio Studi ITaliani sui Tumori Ereditari Alla Mammella (CONSIT TEAM): Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC; IG2014 No.15547) to P. Radice. Funds from Italian citizens who allocated the 5x1000 share of their tax payment in support of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, according to Italian laws (INT-Institutional strategic projects ‘5x1000’) to S. Manoukian. Associazione CAOS Varese to M.G. Tibiletti. AIRC (IG2015 No.16732) to P. Peterlongo. National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos (DEMOKRITOS): European Union (European Social Fund—ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning” of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) - Research Funding Program of the General Secretariat for Research & Technology: SYN11_10_19 NBCA. Investing in knowledge society through the European Social Fund. German Cancer Research Center (DFKZ): German Cancer Research Center. Epidemiological Study of Familial Breast Cancer (EMBRACE): Cancer Research UK Grants C1287/A10118 and C1287/A11990. D. Gareth Evans and Fiona Lalloo are supported by an National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) grant to the Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester. The Investigators at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust are supported by an NIHR grant to the Biomedical Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Ros Eeles and Elizabeth Bancroft are supported by Cancer Research UK Grant C5047/A8385. Ros Eeles is also supported by NIHR support to the Biomedical Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC): The University of Kansas Cancer Center (P30 CA168524) and the Kansas Bioscience Authority Eminent Scholar Program. AKG was in part funded by the NCI (R01 CA214545 and R01 CA140323), The Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine (P20 GM130423), and the Kansas Bioscience Authority Eminent Scholar Program. A.K.G. is the Chancellors Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Sciences Professor. Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica (FPGMX): FISPI05/2275 and Mutua Madrileña Foundation (FMMA). German Familial Breast Group (GC-HBOC): German Cancer Aid (grant No. 110837, Rita K. Schmutzler) and the European Regional Development Fund and Free State of Saxony, Germany (LIFE—Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, project No. 713-241202, No. 713-241202, No. 14505/2470, and No. 14575/2470). Genetic Modifiers of cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (GEMO): Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer; the Association “Le cancer du sein, parlons-en!” Award, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the “CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer” program and the French National Institute of Cancer (INCa grants 2013-1-BCB-01-ICH-1 and SHS-E-SP 18-015). Georgetown University (GEORGETOWN): the Non-Therapeutic Subject Registry Shared Resource at Georgetown University (NIH/NCI grant P30-CA051008), the Fisher Center for Hereditary Cancer and Clinical Genomics Research, and Swing Fore the Cure. Ghent University Hospital (G-FAST): Bruce Poppe is a senior clinical investigator of FWO. Mattias Van Heetvelde obtained funding from IWT. Hospital Clinico San Carlos (HCSC): Spanish Ministry of Health PI15/00059, PI16/01292, and CB-161200301 CIBERONC from ISCIII (Spain), partially supported by European Regional Development FEDER funds. Helsinki Breast Cancer Study (HEBCS): Helsinki University Hospital Research Fund, the Finnish Cancer Society and the Sigrid Juselius Foundation. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian cancer study the Netherlands (HEBON): the Dutch Cancer Society grants NKI1998-1854, NKI2004-3088, NKI2007-3756, the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research grant NWO 91109024, the Pink Ribbon grants 110005 and 2014-187.WO76, the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) grant NWO 184.021.007/CP46 and the Transcan grant JTC 2012 Cancer 12-054. HEBON thanks the registration teams of Dutch Cancer Registry (IKNL; S. Siesling, J. Verloop) and the Dutch Pathology database (PALGA; L. Overbeek) for part of the data collection. Study of Genetic Mutations in Breast and Ovarian Cancer patients in Hong Kong and Asia (HRBCP): Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Dr Ellen Li Charitable Foundation, The Kerry Group Kuok Foundation, National Institute of Health1R 03CA130065, and North California Cancer Center. Molecular Genetic Studies of Breast- and Ovarian Cancer in Hungary (HUNBOCS): Hungarian Research Grants KTIA-OTKA CK-80745 and NKFI_OTKA K-112228. Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO): The authors would like to particularly acknowledge the support of the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (organismo adscrito al Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) and “FEDER, una manera de hacer Europa” (PI10/01422, PI13/00285, PIE13/00022, PI15/00854, PI16/00563 and CIBERONC) and the Institut Català de la Salut and Autonomous Government of Catalonia (2009SGR290, 2014SGR338 and PERIS Project MedPerCan). International Hereditary Cancer Centre (IHCC): PBZ_KBN_122/P05/2004. Iceland Landspitali – University Hospital (ILUH): Icelandic Association “Walking for Breast Cancer Research” and by the Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund. INterdisciplinary HEalth Research Internal Team BReast CAncer susceptibility (INHERIT): Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the “CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer” program—grant No. CRN-87521 and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade—grant No. PSR-SIIRI-701. Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOVHBOCS): Ministero della Salute and “5x1000” Istituto Oncologico Veneto grant. Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto Breast Cancer Study (IPOBCS): Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro. Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (kConFab): The National Breast Cancer Foundation, and previously by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Queensland Cancer Fund, the Cancer Councils of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, and the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia. Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer Study (KOHBRA): the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), and the National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (HI16C1127; 1020350; 1420190). Mayo Clinic (MAYO): NIH grants CA116167, CA192393 and CA176785, an NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer (CA116201), and a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. McGill University (MCGILL): Jewish General Hospital Weekend to End Breast Cancer, Quebec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade. Marc Tischkowitz is supported by the funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Program (2007Y2013)/European Research Council (Grant No. 310018). Modifier Study of Quantitative Effects on Disease (MODSQUAD): MH CZ—DRO (MMCI, 00209805), MEYS—NPS I—LO1413 to LF, and by Charles University in Prague project UNCE204024 (MZ). Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC): the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Robert and Kate Niehaus Clinical Cancer Genetics Initiative, the Andrew Sabin Research Fund and a Cancer Center Support Grant/Core Grant (P30 CA008748). Women’s College Research Institute Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Study (NAROD): 1R01 CA149429-01. National Cancer Institute (NCI): the Intramural Research Program of the US NCI, NIH, and by support services contracts NO2-CP-11019-50, N02-CP-21013-63 and N02-CP-65504 with Westat, Inc, Rockville, MD. National Israeli Cancer Control Center (NICCC): Clalit Health Services in Israel, the Israel Cancer Association and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), NY. N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology (NNPIO): the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants 17-54-12007, 17-00-00171 and 18-515-12007). NRG Oncology: U10 CA180868, NRG SDMC grant U10 CA180822, NRG Administrative Office and the NRG Tissue Bank (CA 27469), the NRG Statistical and Data Center (CA 37517) and the Intramural Research Program, NCI. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCG): Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Università di Pisa (PBCS): AIRC [IG 2013 N.14477] and Tuscany Institute for Tumors (ITT) grant 2014-2015-2016. South East Asian Breast Cancer Association Study (SEABASS): Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education (UM.C/HlR/MOHE/06) and Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation. Sheba Medical Centre (SMC): the Israeli Cancer Association. Swedish Breast Cancer Study (SWE-BRCA): the Swedish Cancer Society. University of Chicago (UCHICAGO): NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer (CA125183), R01 CA142996, 1U01CA161032 and by the Ralph and Marion Falk Medical Research Trust, the Entertainment Industry Fund National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance and the Breast Cancer research Foundation. OIO is an American Cancer Society (ACS) Clinical Research Professor. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA): Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation; Breast Cancer Research Foundation. University of California San Francisco (UCSF): UCSF Cancer Risk Program and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry (UKFOCR): Cancer Research UK. University of Pennsylvania (UPENN): NIH (R01-CA102776 and R01-CA083855); Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Susan G. Komen Foundation for the cure, Basser Research Center for BRCA. Cancer Family Registry University of Pittsburg (UPITT/MWH): Hackers for Hope Pittsburgh. Victorian Familial Cancer Trials Group (VFCTG): Victorian Cancer Agency, Cancer Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation. Women’s Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (WCP): Dr Karlan is funded by the ACS Early Detection Professorship (SIOP-06-258-01-COUN) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Grant UL1TR000124. TN-D is a recipient of a Career Development Fellow from the National Breast Cancer Foundation (Australia, ECF-17-001).

Background: Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption have been intensively studied in the general population to assess their effects on the risk of breast cancer, but very few studies have examined these effects in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Given the high breast cancer risk for mutation carriers and the importance of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in DNA repair, better evidence on the associations of these lifestyle factors with breast cancer risk is essential. Methods: Using a large international pooled cohort of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, we conducted retrospective (5,707 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 3,525 BRCA2 mutation carriers) and prospective (2,276 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 1,610 BRCA2 mutation carriers) analyses of alcohol and tobacco consumption using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: For both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, none of the smoking-related variables was associated with breast cancer risk, except smoking for more than 5 years before a first full-term pregnancy (FFTP) when compared with parous women who never smoked. For BRCA1 mutation carriers, the HR from retrospective analysis (HRR) was 1.19 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.39] and the HR from prospective analysis (HRP) was 1.36 (95% CI, 0.99–1.87). For BRCA2 mutation carriers, smoking for more than 5 years before an FFTP showed an association of a similar magnitude, but the confidence limits were wider (HRR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01–1.55 and HRP = 1.30; 95% CI, 0.83–2.01). For both carrier groups, alcohol consumption was not associated with breast cancer risk. Conclusions: The finding that smoking during the prereproductive years increases breast cancer risk for mutation carriers warrants further investigation. Impact: This is the largest prospective study of BRCA mutation carriers to assess these important risk factors.

Introduction: Almost 30% of all women with early-stage breast cancer develop metastases. Treatment of metastatic disease is often based on the immunohistochemical information of the primary tumor, despite possible discordance of the hormone and Her2 receptor status. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the receptor status of the primary tumor with the metastasis, and to evaluate for receptor discordance with regard to the molecular subtype, receptor status, and the localization of the metastases. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of all consecutive women with metastatic breast cancer, who underwent treatment at the Medical University Vienna between 2009 and 2016. Associations were calculated using the χ2or Fisher’s exact test; years from primary diagnosis to metastatic disease were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: We identified 213 metastatic breast cancer patients, of whom 67 (31.5%) showed a discordant receptor status. Out of 32 patients with luminal A subtype, 14 (43.8%) had a switch of at least one receptor; 27 of 53 patients (50.9%) with luminal B subtype and 21 of 32 patients (65.6%) with Her2+ subtype showed receptor discordance; for triple-negative disease, 5 of 19 patients (36.3%) had a switch of at least one receptor. In 63 samples of bone metastases, 13 (20.6%) had discordant estrogen receptor status (p = 0.04). In 55 samples of bone metastases, 35 (63.3%) had discordant Her2 status (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Our data show high rates of receptor discordance in metastatic breast cancer. Apart from the primary tumor, the immunohistochemical receptor status of the metastasis needs to be verified. This can lead to a change in treatment and prognosis.

Seaweed silage has potential to be an alternative feed ingredient for dairy cows. This study aims to evaluate the feed characteristics of ensiled seaweed, by performing chemical analysis and digestion examinations on Saccharinalatissima and Alaria esculenta, preserved frozen or using various ensiling treatments (16 °C, 3 months) including: (1) NoA: no additives; (2) FA: 0.4% formic acids; (3) BI: lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant; (4) BI30: LAB inoculant, and the biomass was prewilted to 30% dry matter (DM). Further, the microbiome of rumen fluid after 48 hours in vitro incubation with seaweed silages was analysed using16S rRNA sequencing. The seaweed was seeded at northern Norway (N68, E15) in autumn 2018, harvested in June 2019, and processed within 24 hours. Average DM content was low (9.4% without prewilting). The overall ash and crude protein contents were 243 and 111 g/kg DM, respectively. Without additives (NoA), silage pH failed to reach below 4.5. Acetate was the major volatile fatty acids found in all silages, while lactate was only detected in silages with LAB inoculant. The organic matter in vitro digestibility using rumen fluid (OMD) and indigestible NDF (iNDF) varied between species (P

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has shown altered immune responses in the periphery. We studied P2X7 (a proinflammatory receptor and a scavenger receptor) and two integrins, CD11b and CD11c, on the surface of circulating leukocytes and analysed their associations with Aβ-PET, brain atrophy, neuropsychological assessments, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. Total 287 age-matched, sex-balanced participants were recruited in a discovery cohort and two validation cohorts through the AIBL study and studied using tri-colour flow cytometry. Our results demonstrated reduced expressions of P2X7, CD11b, and CD11c on leukocytes, particularly monocytes, in Aβ +ve cases compared with Aβ −ve controls. P2X7 and integrin downregulation was observed at pre-clinical stage of AD and stayed low throughout disease course. We further constructed a polygenic risk score (PRS) model based on 12 P2RX7 risk alleles to assess the genetic impact on P2X7 function in AIBL and ADNI cohorts. No significant association was identified between the P2RX7 gene and AD, indicating that P2X7 downregulation in AD is likely caused by environmental changes rather than genetic factors. In conclusion, the downregulation of P2X7 and integrins at pre-clinical stage of AD indicates altered pro-inflammatory responses, phagocytic functions, and migrating capabilities of circulating monocytes in early AD pathogenesis. Our study not only improves our understanding of peripheral immune involvement in early stage of AD but also provides more insights into novel biomarker development, diagnosis, and prognosis of AD.

We report on the data set, data handling, and detailed analysis techniques of the first neutrino-mass measurement by the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, which probes the absolute neutrino-mass scale via the $\beta$-decay kinematics of molecular tritium. The source is highly pure, cryogenic T$_2$ gas. The $\beta$ electrons are guided along magnetic field lines toward a high-resolution, integrating spectrometer for energy analysis. A silicon detector counts $\beta$ electrons above the energy threshold of the spectrometer, so that a scan of the thresholds produces a precise measurement of the high-energy spectral tail. After detailed theoretical studies, simulations, and commissioning measurements, extending from the molecular final-state distribution to inelastic scattering in the source to subtleties of the electromagnetic fields, our independent, blind analyses allow us to set an upper limit of 1.1 eV on the neutrino-mass scale at a 90\% confidence level. This first result, based on a few weeks of running at a reduced source intensity and dominated by statistical uncertainty, improves on prior limits by nearly a factor of two. This result establishes an analysis framework for future KATRIN measurements, and provides important input to both particle theory and cosmology., Comment: 36 pages with 26 figures. Accepted to Phys. Rev. D