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Breast cancer (BC) continues to pose a significant burden on global cancer-related morbidity and mortality, primarily driven by metastasis. However, the combined influence of microRNAs (miRNAs) and intratumoral microbiota on BC metastasis remains largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the interplay between intratumoral microbiota composition, miRNA expression profiles, and their collective influence on metastasis development in BC patients by employing 16S rRNA sequencing and qPCR methodologies. Our findings revealed an increase in the expression of miR-149-5p, miR-20b-5p, and miR-342-5p in metastatic breast cancer (Met-BC) patients. The Met-BC patients exhibited heightened microbial richness and diversity, primarily attributed to diverse pathogenic bacteria. Taxonomic analysis identified several pathogenic and pro-inflammatory species enriched in Met-BC, contrasting with non-metastatic breast cancer (NonMet-BC) patients, which displayed an enrichment in potential probiotic and anti-inflammatory species. Notably, we identified and verified a baseline prognostic signature for metastasis in BC patients, with its clinical relevance further validated by its impact on overall survival. In conclusion, the observed disparities in miRNA expression and species-level bacterial abundance suggest their involvement in BC progression. The development of a prognostic signature holds promise for metastasis risk assessment, paving the way for personalized interventions and improved clinical outcomes in BC patients.

Background: Implementing mammogram screening means that clinicians are seeing many breast cancers that will never develop metastases. The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of breast cancer patients who did not present events related to long-term breast cancer mortality, taking into account diagnosis at breast screening, absence of palpability and axillary involvement, and genomic analysis with PAM50., Patients and Methods: To identify them, a retrospective observational study was carried out selecting patients without any palpable tumor and without axillary involvement, and a genomic analysis was performed with PAM50., Results: The probability of distant metastasis-free interval (DMFI) of 337 patients was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.90-0.93) at 20 years and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.92-1.00) in 95 patients (28%) with available PAM50 tests. In 22 (23.15%) luminal A tumors and in 9 (9.47%) luminal B tumors smaller than 1 cm, and in HER2 and basal type tumors, there were no metastatic events (20-year DMFI of 1.00)., Conclusion: Patients with nonpalpable breast cancer found at screening with negative nodes are at very low risk. It is possible to identify subgroups without metastatic events by determining the intrinsic subtype and tumor size less than 1 cm. Therefore, de-escalation of treatment should be considered.

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) may face functional alterations after surgical intervention. Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs) are highly prevalent even years after a diagnosis. Clinicians may assess the upper limbs after breast cancer. The Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) has been validated across different populations and languages. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Upper Limb Functional Index Spanish version (ULFI-Sp) in the BCS., Methods: A psychometric validation study of the ULFI-Sp was conducted on 216 voluntary breast cancer survivors. The psychometric properties were as follows: analysis of the factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)., Results: The factor structure was one-dimensional. ULFI-Sp showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.916) and the regression score obtained from MLE (α = 0.996). CFA revealed a poor fit, and a new 14-item model (short version) was further tested. The developed short version of the ULFI-SP is preferable to assess upper limb function in Spanish BCS., Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of ULD in this population and the broader versions of ULFI across different languages, this study's results may be transferred to clinical practice and integrated as part of upper limb assessment after breast cancer.

Background and Objective: To identify subgroups with good progress over an extended period, we used diagnostic screening, tumour palpability, tumour phenotype, and node involvement., Patients and Methods: We identified patients with good progress by means of a descriptive, observational and retrospective study., Results: Of 746 patients diagnosed with node-negative breast cancer between 2001 and 2015: 110 (14.75%) had non-palpable screening-diagnosed tumours; 88 (80%) were endocrine-sensitive, 10 (9.10%) were triple-negative and 11 (10%) were HER2. Only 3 patients developed metastases, and there were 4 deaths: 2 from breast cancer and 2 from other causes. The distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) was 95.60%: 100% in 34 endocrine-sensitive histological grade 1 (equivalent to luminal A) tumours, and 94.40% (95% CI 86.76-102.04) in 54 grade 2-3 (luminal B) tumours. In triple-negative and HER2 cases, it was 100%. In tumours <1 cm it was 100%, and >1 cm it was 95.50% (95% CI 79.42-100.98)., Conclusions: Patients with non-palpable tumours detected by mammogram screening have ultralow risk. The good progress in the luminal A, triple-negative, HER2, and less than 1 cm subgroups may explain the efficacy of the treatment but it also makes them candidates to de-escalation of their treatment., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an entity which exceptionally affects the ocular region and periorbital tissues, but which should be included in the differential diagnosis of lesions which affect the orbital region in a diffused manner. We report the case of a 60-year-old patient diagnosed with stage IV MCL, whose fi rst clinical manifestation was a result of the damage of lacrimal glands, retro-orbital tissue and ocular motor muscles. The patient was treated with rituximab and chemotherapy, achieving a complete response of those lesions.