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We conducted this single-center, retrospective study to identify predictors of upgrading to malignancy and to discuss the necessity of additional excision biopsy in patients who were diagnosed with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) at ultrasound (US)-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) based on our 18-year, single-center experience.The current study was conducted in a total of 12,160 patients who were evaluated at our medical institution during an 18-year period between January of 2003 and December of 2020. We included the patients who were diagnosed with ADH at US-guided VABB using the MammotomeOf 114 eligible patients, 36 underwent additional excision biopsy and the remaining 78 did not. Of these 36 patients, 15 were found to have an upgrading to malignancy at a rate of upgrading of 41.7%. These include 7 cases (46.6%) of low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), 3 cases (20.0%) of intermediate grade DCIS, 1 case (6.7%) of microinvasive DCIS, 3 cases (20.0%) of multifocal lobular carcinoma in situ, and 1 case (6.7%) of mucinous carcinoma. Finally, only suspicious microcalcification on mammography was a significant predictor of upgrading to malignancy (p=0.023).An additional excision biopsy is recommended to reduce the rate of upgrading to malignancy in patients who were diagnosed with ADH through a US-guided VABB.

BackgroundBRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) variants classified ambiguously as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) are a major challenge for clinical genetic testing in breast cancer; their relevance to the cancer risk is unclear and the association with the response to specific BRCA1/2-targeted agents is uncertain. To minimise the proportion of VUS in BRCA1/2, we performed the multifactorial likelihood analysis and validated this method using an independent cohort of patients with breast cancer.MethodsWe used a data set of 2115 patients with breast cancer from the nationwide multicentre prospective Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer study. In total, 83 BRCA1/2 VUSs (BRCA1, n=26; BRCA2, n=57) were analysed. The multifactorial probability was estimated by combining the prior probability with the overall likelihood ratio derived from co-occurrence of each VUS with pathogenic variants, personal and family history, and tumour characteristics. The classification was compared with the interpretation according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics–Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guidelines. An external validation was conducted using independent data set of 810 patients.ResultsWe were able to redefine 38 VUSs (BRCA1, n=10; BRCA2, n=28). The revised classification was highly correlated with the ACMG/AMP guideline-based interpretation (BRCA1, p for trend=0.015; BRCA2, p=0.001). Our approach reduced the proportion of VUS from 19% (154/810) to 8.9% (72/810) in the retrospective validation data set.ConclusionThe classification in this study would minimise the ‘uncertainty’ in clinical interpretation, and this validated multifactorial model can be used for the reliable annotation of BRCA1/2 VUSs.

BACKGROUND/AIM Recently, the development of ultrasonography (US)-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) has enabled the excision of benign breast tumors with normal surrounding breast tissues; thus, complete excision is possible without residual tumor tissue. We sought to identify the clinicopathological characteristics and recurrence rates of benign phyllodes tumors diagnosed by US-guided VABB. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from 11,221 US-guided VABBs performed at the Gangnam Cha Medical Center over 12 years were analyzed. Eighty-three lesions were diagnosed as benign phyllodes tumors; 67 with >24 months of follow-up data were investigated. All lesions were excised using an 8-gauge probe without residual tissue; patients underwent follow-up US every 3-6 months. RESULTS Five patients (7.46%) experienced local recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 27.8 months; no distant metastases occurred. The mean tumor size was 3.0 cm in the recurrence group and 1.87 cm in the non-recurrence group (p=0.05). CONCLUSION Benign phyllodes tumors excised and diagnosed using VABB showed a low recurrence rate during the follow-up period; thus, these tumors, particularly those

We aimed to investigate the prognostic influence of primary tumor site on the survival of patients with breast cancer.Data of 63,388 patients with primary breast cancer from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry were analyzed. Primary tumor sites were classified into 5 groups: upper outer quadrant, lower outer quadrant, upper inner quadrant, lower inner quadrant (LIQ), and central portion. We analyzed overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) according to primary tumor site.Central portion and LIQ showed lower survival rates regarding both OS and BCSS compared with the other 3 quadrants (all P .05) and hazard ratios were 1.267 (95% CI, 1.180-1.360, P .001) and 1.215 (95% CI, 1.097-1.345, P .001), respectively. Although central portion showed more unfavorable clinicopathologic features, LIQ showed more favorable features than the other 3 quadrants. Primary tumor site was a significant factor in univariate and multivariate analyses for OS and BCSS (all P .001). For lymph node-negative patients, LIQ showed a worse OS than the other primary tumor sites in the subgroup with no chemotherapy (P .001), but that effect disappeared in the subgroup with chemotherapy (P = .058).LIQ showed a worse prognosis despite having more favorable clinicopathologic features than other tumor locations and it was more prominent for lymph node-negative patients who received no chemotherapy. The hypothesis of possible hidden internal mammary node metastasis could be suggested to play a key role in LIQ lesions.

BACKGROUND No nationwide epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of subclinical and overt forms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has yet been conducted in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the reference range of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the national prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Korea. METHODS Nation-wide cross-sectional data were analyzed from a representative sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized Korean population (n=6,564) who underwent blood testing for thyroid function and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013 to 2015). RESULTS The reference interval of serum TSH in the Korean reference population was 0.62 to 6.68 mIU/L. Based on this reference interval, the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism was 0.73% (males 0.40%, females 1.10%) and 3.10% (males 2.26%, females 4.04%), respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age until the age group between 50 to 59 years. Positive TPOAb were found in 7.30% of subjects (males 4.33%, females 10.62%). The prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism TPOAb-positive subjects was 5.16% and 10.88%, respectively. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.54% (males 0.30%, females 0.81%) and 2.98% (males 2.43%, females, 3.59%), respectively. CONCLUSION The Serum TSH reference levels in the Korean population were higher than the corresponding levels in Western countries. Differences were found in the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism according to age, sex, and TPOAb positivity. This study provides important baseline information for understanding patterns of thyroid dysfunction and diseases in Korea.

We used a data set of 2115 patients with breast cancer from the nationwide multicentre prospective Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer study. In total, 83We were able to redefine 38 VUSs (The classification in this study would minimise the 'uncertainty' in clinical interpretation, and this validated multifactorial model can be used for the reliable annotation of

BACKGROUND/AIM To evaluate the usefulness and safety of vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) for breast lesion diagnosis and treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS Clinical and histopathological data of 8,748 patients, who underwent 11,221 VABB procedures were analyzed. RESULTS Most patients (58.2%) were

Charcoal is a biologically inert material used for the preoperative localization of nonpalpable breast lesions; its foreign body reactions have occasionally been reported. Although a few case reports on the formation of charcoal granulomas in the breast because of such reactions exist, to the best of our knowledge, no report includes breast-imaging findings obtained using multiple modalities. Here we report a case of two charcoal granulomas that mimicked breast cancer recurrence and provide breast-imaging findings obtained using mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography. We also discuss the radiological and pathological features of charcoal granulomas. Awareness of breast imaging findings using multiple modalities along with the clinical and pathological features of charcoal granulomas helps in the differential diagnoses of newly detected lesions on postoperative follow-ups and reduces the need of unnecessary invasive procedures.

Purpose Percutaneous removal of benign breast tumors using ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) has been recently regarded as a feasible and safe method without serious complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the VABB in the treatment of benign phyllodes tumors, and to identify whether or not surgical re-excision is necessary for benign phyllodes tumors diagnosed and excised by VABB. Methods From January 2003 to December 2011, a total of 6,923 VABB were performed in 5,434 patients. Out of 6,923 lesions, 53 were benign phyllodes tumors. Among these, 31 lesions, with a follow-up period of longer than 24 months, were enrolled in this study. Ultrasonography follow-up was performed at 3 to 6 month intervals in order to assess recurrence. The mean follow-up period was 75.9±13.5 months (range, 24-94 months). Results The mean patient age at presentation was 31.6±9.4 years. The mean size of the lesion was 1.60±0.88 cm. The majority of lesions, 74.2% (23 cases), were palpable, and 25.8% (8 cases) were non-palpable. Twenty-two lesions (71.0%) were classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 3, and nine lesions (29.0%) were classified as category 4a, by ultrasonography. During the follow-up period, local recurrence developed in one lesion, making the local recurrence rate 3.2%. Conclusion If a benign phyllodes tumor is diagnosed, and sufficiently excised by VABB, observing the clinical course may be considered as an alternative to performing immediate wide local excision; this is the case despite the fact that it would need to be observed for a prolonged period of time.

We analyzed the mutation spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in 354 Korean breast cancer patients. Overall, 40 patients carried 25 distinct BRCA1/2 mutations including 12 novel mutations. Seven district mutations were found in multiple unrelated patients, with the BRCA2 c.7480C>T mutation detected in eight unrelated patients, accounting for 50% of the mutations detected in BRCA2. The large number (25/40, 62.5%) of recurrent mutations suggests the possibility of developing a simple screening test for these mutations. The frequency of mutations was related to the number and kinds of risk factors, varying from 10.4 to 25% in the five major risk factor groups. The frequency of BRCA mutations in patients with two or more risk factors was markedly higher than that in patients with one risk factor.

Objective. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the utility of the American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) sonographic final assessment system and palpation-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for evaluation of palpable breast lesions. Methods. Our computerized database identified 160 palpable lesions of the breast in which follow-up palpation-guided FNA, targeted sonography, and pathologic confirmation were performed. We used BI-RADS sonographic data on all lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of malignancy were calculated for sonography and palpation-guided FNA. Two-sample binomial proportion tests were used as the statistical analysis (P < .05). Results. The FNA results were defined as benign, atypical cells, suspicious for malignancy, malignancy, and insufficiency. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 90.9%, 82.7%, 84.3%, 57.7%, and 97.2%, respectively, on sonography and 75.8% to 90.9%, 82.7% to 98.4%, 84.3% to 94.4%, 57.7% to 92.6%, and 93.9% to 97.2% on FNA. There was no statistically significant difference for sensitivity and negative predictive value between the two examinations. Conclusions. The diagnostic accuracy of sonography was similar to that of palpation-guided FNA for not missing the malignancy. Clinical application of FNA results can be difficult, especially when the result is insufficiency or atypical cells. Moreover, FNA is invasive and overlaps other procedures. Therefore, we conclude that sonography can replace palpation-guided FNA for diagnosis of palpable lesions of the breast when the BIRADS sonographic final assessment system is used appropriately. Key words: breast, neoplasms; breast neoplasms, diagnosis; breast neoplasms, sonography.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 12–24 % of all breast cancers. Here, we studied 221 familial breast and/or ovarian cancer patients from 37 hospitals using a comprehensive approach to identify large genomic rearrangements (LGRs) as well as sequence variants, and investigated the association between BRCA1/2 mutational status and TNBC. We performed direct sequencing or mutation scanning followed by direct sequencing. Then, 143 BRCA1/2 mutation-negative patients were screened for LGRs. In this study, the prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations was high (36.9 %). The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations was similar to that of BRCA2 mutations: 49.4 versus 50.6 %, respectively. TNBC was diagnosed in 35.2 % of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 57.1 % of BRCA1 mutation carriers. Conversely, two-thirds of TNBC patients carried BRCA1/2 mutation(s), and about half were BRCA1 mutation carriers. When stratified by the mutated gene, TNBC prevalence in BRCA1 mutation carriers was significantly lower when there was a family history of ovarian cancer. Our multinomial logistic regression model demonstrated that no single factor was sufficient, and at least two factors, such as a patient with family history of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer or a patient diagnosed at a relatively young age (

The present study aimed to determine the difference between the clinical tumor stage (T stage) based on pre-operative ultrasound and the histopathological T stage subsequent to surgery in vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB)-diagnosed breast cancer. Tumor sizes measured ultrasonography (USG) and histologically were retrospectively calculated and analyzed using paired t-tests in 209 patients diagnosed with breast cancer using VABB. The patients were classified into two groups, consisting of breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) category 4a or below, who underwent complete resection by VABB, and BI-RADS category 4b or above, who underwent incisional biopsy by VABB. The histopathological tumor size was found to be smaller compared with the USG-determined size in 92.3% of pT1a, 75.5% of pT1b, 44.2% of pT1c, 47.7% of pT2 and 0% of pT3 cases. Furthermore, the histopathological tumor size was smaller compared with the USG-determined size in 62.8% of cases classified as BI-RADS category 3–4a and in 53.7% of cases classified as BI-RADS category 4b-5. The smaller the primary tumor at the time of diagnosis by VABB, the higher the likelihood of pathological underestimation on post-operative histopathological assessment compared to pre-operative USG.

Purpose: Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) less than 2 cm in size are believed to be a less aggressive subset of PTC which behave more like benign lesions and are often more conservatively treated. However, it is unclear whether carcinoma no larger than 2.0 cm in diameter can be expected to have a similar favorable clinical behavior as tumors no larger than 1.0 cm. Therefore, to address this question and to characterize the biology and optimal treatment for PTC less than 2 cm, we performed a retrospective chart review. Methods: From October 2001 to March 2013, 649 patients underwent surgery for PTC less than 2 cm. Data from these patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The mean age of these patients was 43.2 years and 91.7% were female. 52.9% of the patients underwent a total or near-total thyroidectomy. Of the 649 patients, 2196 (30.2%) had lymph node metastases. The patients present with signs of aggressiveness including multifocality (42.5%), bilaterality (24.3%), capsular invasion (44.5%). Lymph node metastases were associated with tumor size (p=0.008) only, but not capsular invasion, bilaterality, multifocality, age and sex. With follow-up of up to 138 months, 7 patients had a local recurrence (recurrence rate=1.1%), 2 patients had a distant metastasis. No patients have died during this period. Conclusion: In PTC less than 2 cm in size, progressively increasing frequency of signs of tumor aggressiveness including bilaterality, capsular invasion and lymph node metastasis with increasing tumor size.

A 37-year-old woman presented with breast pain after breast augmentation utilizing autologous fat obtained by liposuction. Mammography and sonography demonstrated fat necrosis in the right breast and a solid inflammatory mass in the left breast. The diagnoses were confirmed by biopsy. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 32:299–301, 2004

Image-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) is used for detecting breast lesions in South Korea. However, no clear guidelines for VABB exist.A 53-item survey was administered to members of the Korean Breast Cancer Society between July 27 and August 27, 2010.Among 62 respondents, 87.1% had performed VABB, with 63.0% performing both diagnosis and treatment. Around 62.5% used VABB for diagnosing Ultrasound Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (USG BIRAD) Category 3 lesions, 55% for Category 4A, 57.5% for microcalcifications detected by ultrasonography, and 30% for small Category 5. Furthermore, 81.3% used VABB to treat Category 3 lesions; while 67.8% diagnosed benign lesions on core needle biopsy, requiring surgical excision. About 83% used VABB for small tumors (3 cm). Among therapeutically excised tumors, 86.4% reported fibroadenoma.VABB is performed for diagnosis and treatment in South Korea, and complies with the available guidelines. However, national and global standards and guidelines for VABB need to be established.

A 52-year-old man presented with a palpable left neck mass that had been present for several months. A sonogram showed a 2-cm hypoechoic mass with internal coarse macrocalcifications in the left lobe of the thyroid gland. CT revealed a well-demarcated hypodense mass within the left thyroid lobe. A left thyroidectomy was performed at the patient's request because of the possibility of malignancy based on sonographic findings. Pathologically, the mass was composed of pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelial cells simulating respiratory epithelium surrounded by florid lymphoid hyperplasia with germinal centers, consistent with an intrathyroidal lymphoepithelial cyst. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 34:298–300, 2006

Epidermal inclusion cysts rarely occur in the breast, but when they do, the consequences can be severe. Here, we report the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented with a palpable mass in the right breast. The mass had persisted for 4 years and had been causing pain for 1 month at the time of the patient's presentation. We examined the mass by means of mammography and sonography. Sonographic examination revealed a well-circumscribed solid, avascular mass suggestive of an epidermal inclusion cyst. Excision was performed at the patient's request. Histopathologic examination of the mass after excision confirmed the diagnosis of epidermal inclusion cyst and its localization within the breast parenchyma. To our knowledge, reports on epidermal inclusion cysts within the breast parenchyma are rare.

The gold standard for breast biopsy procedures is currently an open excision of the suspected lesion. However, an excisional biopsy inevitably makes a scar. The cost and morbidity associated with this procedure has prompted many physicians to evaluate less invasive, alternative procedures. More recently, image-guided percutaneous core-needle biopsy has become a frequently used method for diagnosing palpable and non-palpable breast lesions. Although sensitivity rates for core-needle biopsy are high, it has the disadvantage of histological underestimation, which renders the management of atypical ductal hyperplasia, papillary lesions, and fibroepithelial lesions somewhat difficult. Vacuum assisted breast biopsy (VABB) was developed to overcome some of these negative aspects of core-needle biopsy. VABB allows for a sufficient specimen to be obtained with a single insertion and can provide a more accurate diagnosis and completely remove the lesion under real-time ultrasonic guidance. The advantage of complete lesion removal with VABB is to reduce or eliminate sampling error, to decrease the likelihood of a histological underestimation, to decrease imaging-histological discordance, to decrease the re-biopsy rate, and to diminish the likelihood of subsequent growth on follow-up. In recent years, with the advancement of VABB instruments and techniques, many outcome studies have reported on the use of VABB for resecting benign breast lesions with a curative intent. VABB is highly accurate for diagnosing suspicious breast lesions and is highly successful at treating presumed benign breast lesions. Thus, in the near future, VABB will be routinely offered to all appropriately selected patients.

papillary carcinoma in situ), 침습적유두상암(invasive papPurpose: There is ongoing controversy regarding the management of papillary lesions that are diagnosed by core needle biopsy (CNB). The development of vacuum assisted biopsy now permits non-operative removal of papillary breast lesions. Our aim was to evaluate whether the papillary lesions diagnosed by vacuum assisted breast biopsy (VABB) can be followed up without further diagnostic excision. Methods: From January 2003 to July 2009, a total of 4,655 US-guided mammotome excision were performed in 3,714 patients at Kangnam CHA Hospital. Out of 4,655 lesions, 156 lesions were proved to be papillary lesions. Among these, 82 lesions that had histologic findings that were consistent with benign papillary lesions and that were followed up for more than 2 years without further diagnostic surgical excision were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Ultrasonographic followup was done at 3-6 month intervals to assess for recurrence. The mean follow up period was 49.6 months. Results: The pathologic diagnoses for the 82 lesions obtained via VABB were benign intraductal papilloma and papillomatosis. Half of the lesions were palpable and 50.0% (41 cases) were nonpalpable. Twenty eight lesions (34.1%) were classified as BIRADS category 3, 50 lesions (61.0%) were category 4A, 3 lesions (3.7%) were category 4B and only 1 lesion (1.2%) was category 5 according to the ultrasound exams. No local recurrence developed during the follow up period that needed surgical re-excision or rebiopsy. None of those diagnosed as benign lesions at VABB were upgraded to a more advanced lesions. Conclusion: The benign papillary lesions that are diagnosed and excised by mammotome may not need further diagnostic surgical re-excision if surgeons are sure that the targeted lesions were excised completely.

Background : APC and E-cadherin are the key molecules in the Wnt/-catenin pathway. We attempted to define the epigenetic alteration of APC and CDH1 (the E-cadherin gene) and the expression of Wnt-related molecules in human mammary carcinomas. Methods : Sixtyfour mammary carcinomas, including 52 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) and 12 invasive lobular carcinomas (ILCs), were evaluated using methylation-specific PCR and immunohistochemistry. We performed immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin, -catenin, APC, Wnt1, cyclin D1, ER, PR and C-erb B2. Results : Hypermethylation of APC and CDH1 was observed in 38 (59%) and 28 (44%) cases, respectively. CDH1 hypermethylation in ILCs was increased compared to that in IDCs (p=0.002) and it was associated with the loss of E-cadherin (p=0.02) and -catenin (p=0.042). APC methylation was positively correlated with the ER expression (p=0.021). Abnormal cytoplasmic localization of -catenin was found in 10 cases and any expression was not detected in six cases. In ILCs, the E-cadherin or -catenin expression was markedly decreased compared to that in IDCs (p-catenin expression was related to the loss of E-cadherin in ILC.

Apocrine carcinoma is a rare breast cancer and its frequency is about 0.4% of all breast cancers. Little is known about its clinical behavior and prognosis. To our knowledge, few studies have reported the radiologic appearances of apocrine carcinoma in the breast and there has been no such report from Korea. We describe the sonographic findings of a case of apocrine carcinoma in the breast. The sonographic findings are microlobulated heterogeneous hypoechoic lesion that has a central markedly hypoechoic portion and a peripheral mixture of iso and hypoechgenecity.