Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Breast Cancer

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 103

Special Issue Editor

1. School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 8, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
2. Surgical Oncology Clinic, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: breast cancer; thyroid cancer; melanoma; soft tissue sarcoma; surgical oncology; breast surgery; thyroid surgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Diagnostics Editorial Team, I am delighted to welcome contributions to the Special Issue “Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Breast Cancer”.

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women. In recent years, the landscape of breast cancer diagnosis and management has undergone a remarkable transformation, driven by advances in molecular biology, imaging, systemic therapy, and digital medicine. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the current state of and future directions in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of breast cancer.

We invite contributions on the integration of novel diagnostic tools—such as advanced imaging, liquid biopsies, and molecular profiling—into clinical workflows. A special focus will be placed on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing early detection, imaging interpretation, and pathology. On the therapeutic front, the rise of targeted agents, immunotherapy, and personalized protocols has significantly improved outcomes, particularly in hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive cases. However, challenges remain for subtypes with limited treatment options, such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), where novel biomarkers and more effective therapies are urgently needed.

This Special Issue seeks original research articles, case reports, systematic reviews, and expert perspectives that address innovations and ongoing challenges in the following areas:

  • Imaging, pathology, and molecular diagnostics;
  • Integration of AI and digital tools in breast cancer detection and decision-making;
  • Personalized treatment strategies and novel therapeutic agents;
  • Prognostic models and outcome predictors;
  • Management of challenging subtypes, including TNBC;
  • Multidisciplinary approaches to breast cancer care.

Our aim is to highlight emerging approaches that have the potential to improve outcomes and quality of care for all patients with breast cancer.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Marko Buta
Guest Editor

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 short 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. Diagnostics 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 2600 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

  • breast cancer diagnosis
  • molecular profiling
  • artificial intelligence
  • targeted therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • treatment strategies
  • prognostic markers
  • triple-negative breast cancer

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 724 KiB  
Article
Analyzing the Gaps in Breast Cancer Diagnostics in Poland—A Retrospective Observational Study in the Data Donation Model
by Wojciech Sierocki, Ligia Kornowska, Oliver Slapal, Agata Koska, Gabriela Sierocka, Alicja Dudek, Claudia Dompe, Michał Suchodolski, Przemysław Keczmer and Magdalena Roszak
Diagnostics 2025, 15(17), 2127; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15172127 - 22 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is a major health concern in Poland, with significant incidence and mortality rates despite national screening programs. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate critical aspects of breast cancer management, focusing on waiting times, treatment coordination, cancer characteristics, diagnostic testing, and [...] Read more.
Background: Breast cancer is a major health concern in Poland, with significant incidence and mortality rates despite national screening programs. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate critical aspects of breast cancer management, focusing on waiting times, treatment coordination, cancer characteristics, diagnostic testing, and staging. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 587 medical records of breast cancer patients (585 female, 2 male) collected between March 2023 and June 2024 through a data donation model. Data included tumor characteristics (histological type, grade, stage, biological subtype, receptor status, Ki-67), diagnostic and genetic tests, and timelines of key events in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. Results: Although referral to first oncology consult (18 days) and MDT referral/admission to treatment (10 days) met NFZ guidelines, diagnosis to surgery (94 days) and diagnosis to drug treatment (109 days) were significantly delayed. No records showed oncology coordinator assignment or educational material provision. Clinically, invasive carcinoma NST (77%) and early-stage (IA/IIA, 61%) were prevalent, with Luminal B (HER2-negative) being the most common biological subtype. BRCA1/2 testing was common, but Oncotype DX was not. For 314 HR+ HER2- patients, stage IA (44%) was most common, with no BRCA1/2 mutations found. Conclusion: Breast cancer care in the Łódź voivodeship falls short of national guidelines due to long waiting times and poor care coordination, a problem worsened by incomplete data. Improving record-keeping and speeding up diagnostic and treatment pathways are crucial for better breast cancer management in Poland. While patient data donation can help analyze real clinical pathways, data completeness, and consistency remain challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Breast Cancer)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop