Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.0
4.5
Journals
Cancers
Special Issues
Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer
share announcement

Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2024) | Viewed by 19213

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jens Bodo Huober

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kantonsspital St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
Interests: breast cancer; treatment
Dr. Inga Bekes

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Kantonsspital St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
Interests: breast cancer; treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Clinical research and progress in the treatment of early breast cancer comprise both locoregional treatment and systemic therapy. Locoregional treatment includes the surgery of the breast and the axilla and radiotherapy of the breast or chest wall and regional nodes. Most of the surgical morbidity in the treatment of breast cancer is caused by axilla surgery. Thus, surgical de-escalation strategies investigate reducing axilla surgery, or even disregarding this intervention in patients without a worse locoregional outcome risk. The short-duration radiotherapy of early breast cancer or even omission of radiotherapy in low-risk patients are clinical research issues.

Neoadjuvant therapy in early breast cancer is the standard of care in triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer as the adjustment of post-neoadjuvant systemic therapy based on the treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy enables long-term outcome improvements. Multiple translational research projects currently focus on the detection of circulating tumor DNA in early breast cancer indicating a high risk of relapse even though it is still unknown whether early treatment based on the detection of ctDNA may improve outcomes.

The current standard of care and the future developments in locoregional and systemic therapy will be discussed in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jens Bodo Huober
Dr. Inga Bekes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • early breast cancer
  • de-escalation
  • locoregional treatment
  • axilla surgery
  • radiotherapy
  • neoadjuvant therapy
  • post-neoadjuvant therapy
  • ctDNA  detection

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

Jump to: Other

27 pages, 1395 KiB  
Review
Lipid Metabolism in Breast Cancer: From Basic Research to Clinical Application
by Xiangyu Huang, Bowen Liu and Songjie Shen
Cancers 2025, 17(4), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17040650 - 14 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among women globally, with significant links to obesity and lipid metabolism abnormalities. This review examines the role of lipid metabolism in breast cancer progression, highlighting its multifaceted contributions to tumor biology. We discuss key metabolic processes, [...] Read more.
Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among women globally, with significant links to obesity and lipid metabolism abnormalities. This review examines the role of lipid metabolism in breast cancer progression, highlighting its multifaceted contributions to tumor biology. We discuss key metabolic processes, including fatty acid metabolism, triglyceride metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, and cholesterol metabolism, detailing the reprogramming that occurs in these pathways within breast cancer cells. Alterations in lipid metabolism are emphasized for their roles in supporting energy production, membrane biogenesis, and tumor aggressiveness. Furthermore, we examine how lipid metabolism influences immune responses in the tumor microenvironment, affecting immune cell function and therapeutic efficacy. The potential of lipid metabolism as a target for novel therapeutic strategies is also addressed, with a focus on inhibitors of key metabolic enzymes. By integrating lipid metabolism with breast cancer research, this review underscores the importance of lipid metabolism in understanding breast cancer biology and developing treatment approaches aimed at improving patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 257 KiB  
Review
Circulating Tumor DNA in Early and Metastatic Breast Cance—Current Role and What Is Coming Next
by Christian Martin Tegeler, Andreas Daniel Hartkopf, Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Natalia Krawczyk, Tanja Fehm and Bernadette Anna Sophia Jaeger
Cancers 2024, 16(23), 3919; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16233919 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1502
Abstract
The progress that has been made in recent years in relation to liquid biopsies in general and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in particular can be seen as groundbreaking for the future of breast cancer treatment, monitoring and early detection. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) consists [...] Read more.
The progress that has been made in recent years in relation to liquid biopsies in general and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in particular can be seen as groundbreaking for the future of breast cancer treatment, monitoring and early detection. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) consists of circulating DNA fragments released by various cell types into the bloodstream. A portion of this cfDNA, known as ctDNA, originates from malignant cells and carries specific genetic mutations. Analysis of ctDNA provides a minimally invasive method for diagnosis, monitoring response to therapy, and detecting the emergence of resistance. Several methods are available for the analysis of ctDNA, each with distinct advantages and limitations. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction is a well-established technique widely used due to its high sensitivity and specificity, particularly for detecting known mutations. In addition to the detection of individual mutations, multigene analyses were developed that could detect several mutations at once, including rarer mutations. These methods are complementary and can be used strategically depending on the clinical question. In the context of metastatic breast cancer, ctDNA holds particular promise as it allows for the dynamic monitoring of tumor evolution. Through ctDNA analysis, mutations in the ESR1 or PIK3CA genes, which are associated with therapy resistance, can be identified. This enables the early adjustment of treatment and has the potential to significantly enhance clinical outcome. The application of ctDNA in early breast cancer is an ongoing investigation. In (neo)adjuvant settings, there is preliminary data indicating that ctDNA can be used for therapy monitoring and risk stratification to decide on post-neoadjuvant strategies. In the monitoring of aftercare, the detection of ctDNA appears to be several months ahead of routine imaging. However, the feasibility of implementing this approach in a clinical setting remains to be seen. While the use of ctDNA as a screening method for the asymptomatic population would be highly advantageous due to its minimally invasive nature, the available data on its clinical benefit are still insufficient. Nevertheless, ctDNA represents the most promising avenue for fulfilling this potential future need. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
31 pages, 598 KiB  
Review
Shifting the Paradigm: The Transformative Role of Neoadjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer
by Nader Hirmas, Johannes Holtschmidt and Sibylle Loibl
Cancers 2024, 16(18), 3236; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16183236 - 23 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3261
Abstract
The use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) has become increasingly important in the treatment of breast cancer because of its various advantages. These include the ability to downstage tumors without compromising locoregional control and the potential to obtain valuable information about clinical and [...] Read more.
The use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) has become increasingly important in the treatment of breast cancer because of its various advantages. These include the ability to downstage tumors without compromising locoregional control and the potential to obtain valuable information about clinical and biological response to therapy with implications for individual prognoses. Surgical response assessment paves the way for response-adapted therapy, and pathological complete response (pCR; defined as ypT0/is ypN0) serves as an additional endpoint for drug development trials. Recommended NST regimens commonly consist of anthracyclines and taxane, with dose-dense anthracyclines and weekly paclitaxel often preferred, whenever feasible. For patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive tumors, dual anti-HER2 therapy (trastuzumab and pertuzumab) is indicated together with NST in case of elevated risk of recurrence. For patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), adding carboplatin to NST correlates with improved pCR and survival rates, as does the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors. For hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative cancers, emerging data on NST including immune checkpoint inhibitors may elevate the significance of NST in high-risk luminal breast cancer. Here, we present a synthesis of the results from neoadjuvant clinical trials that aim at optimizing treatment options for patients with high-risk breast cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1499 KiB  
Review
Escalation and De-Escalation of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Early Breast Cancer: Strategies for Risk-Adapted Optimization
by Guenther Gruber
Cancers 2024, 16(17), 2946; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16172946 - 23 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
Postoperative radiotherapy (RT) is recommended after breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy (with risk factors). Consideration of pros and cons, including potential side effects, demands the optimization of adjuvant RT and a risk-adapted approach. There is clear de-escalation in fractionation—hypofractionation should be considered standard. For [...] Read more.
Postoperative radiotherapy (RT) is recommended after breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy (with risk factors). Consideration of pros and cons, including potential side effects, demands the optimization of adjuvant RT and a risk-adapted approach. There is clear de-escalation in fractionation—hypofractionation should be considered standard. For selected low-risk situations, PBI only or even the omission of RT might be appropriate. In contrast, tendencies toward escalating RT are obvious. Preoperative RT seems attractive for patients in whom breast reconstruction is planned or for defining the tumor location more precisely with the potential of giving ablative doses. Dose escalation by a (simultaneous integrated) boost or the combination with new compounds/systemic treatments may increase antitumor efficacy but also toxicity. Despite low evidence, RT for oligometastatic disease is becoming increasingly popular. The omission of axillary dissection in node-positive disease led to an escalation of regional RT. Studies are ongoing to test if any axillary treatment can be omitted and which oligometastatic patients do really benefit from RT. Besides technical improvements, the incorporation of molecular risk profiles and also the response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy have the potential to optimize the decision-making concerning if and how local and/or regional RT should be administered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1076 KiB  
Review
Axillary Surgery for Breast Cancer in 2024
by Martin Heidinger and Walter P. Weber
Cancers 2024, 16(9), 1623; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16091623 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 7904
Abstract
Axillary surgery for patients with breast cancer (BC) in 2024 is becoming increasingly specific, moving away from the previous ‘one size fits all’ radical approach. The goal is to spare morbidity whilst maintaining oncologic safety. In the upfront surgery setting, a first landmark [...] Read more.
Axillary surgery for patients with breast cancer (BC) in 2024 is becoming increasingly specific, moving away from the previous ‘one size fits all’ radical approach. The goal is to spare morbidity whilst maintaining oncologic safety. In the upfront surgery setting, a first landmark randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the omission of any surgical axillary staging in patients with unremarkable clinical examination and axillary ultrasound showed non-inferiority to sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy (SLNB). The study population consisted of 87.8% postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative BC. Patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer and up to two positive SLNs can safely be spared axillary dissection (ALND) even in the context of mastectomy or extranodal extension. In patients enrolled in the TAXIS trial, adjuvant systemic treatment was shown to be similar with or without ALND despite the loss of staging information. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), targeted lymph node removal with or without SLNB showed a lower false-negative rate to determine nodal pathological complete response (pCR) compared to SLNB alone. However, oncologic outcomes do not appear to differ in patients with nodal pCR determined by either one of the two concepts, according to a recently published global, retrospective, real-world study. Real-world studies generally have a lower level of evidence than RCTs, but they are feasible quickly and with a large sample size. Another global real-world study provides evidence that even patients with residual isolated tumor cells can be safely spared from ALND. In general, few indications for ALND remain. Three randomized controlled trials are ongoing for patients with clinically node-positive BC in the upfront surgery setting and residual disease after NACT. Pending the results of these trials, ALND remains indicated in these patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 2768 KiB  
Systematic Review
Anthracycline-Induced Subclinical Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Andrea Faggiano, Elisa Gherbesi, Chiara Giordano, Giacomo Gamberini, Marco Vicenzi, Cesare Cuspidi, Stefano Carugo, Carlo M. Cipolla and Daniela M. Cardinale
Cancers 2024, 16(22), 3883; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16223883 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1231
Abstract
Aim: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of anthracycline chemotherapy on subclinical right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in breast cancer patients, using traditional echocardiographic parameters and strain-based measures, such as the RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) and the RV free-wall longitudinal strain [...] Read more.
Aim: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of anthracycline chemotherapy on subclinical right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in breast cancer patients, using traditional echocardiographic parameters and strain-based measures, such as the RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) and the RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RV FWLS). Methods and Results: A systematic search was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, including 15 studies with a total of 1148 breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline chemotherapy. The primary outcome was the evaluation of changes in RV GLS and RV FWLS pre- and post-chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes included changes in traditional echocardiographic parameters: TAPSE, FAC, and TDI S’. Meta-analysis revealed significant declines in RV function post-chemotherapy across all parameters. RV GLS decreased from 23.99% to 20.35% (SMD: −0.259, p < 0.0001), and RV FWLS from 24.92% to 21.56% (SMD: −0.269, p < 0.0001). Traditional parameters like TAPSE, FAC, and TDI S’ also showed reductions, but these were less consistent across studies. A meta-regression analysis showed no significant relationship between post-chemotherapy left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the changes in RV GLS and RV FWLS, suggesting that RV dysfunction may not be solely a consequence of LV impairment. Conclusions: Anthracycline chemotherapy induces subclinical RV dysfunction in breast cancer patients. RV strain analysis, especially 3D strain, shows greater sensitivity in detecting early dysfunction. However, further research is needed to clarify the clinical significance and prognostic value of these findings, as well as the role of routine RV strain analysis in guiding early interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Research and Progress in the Treatment of Breast Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop