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Advances in the Epidemiology, Physiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast...
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Advances in the Epidemiology, Physiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2588

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florin Teodor Bobirca

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Guest Editor
Department of General Surgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: general surgery; oncology; diabetic foot; sentinel lymph node biopsy; breast cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Traian Pǎtraşcu

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Guest Editor
Surgery Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: melanoma
Dr. Petronel Mustatea

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Guest Editor
1. Medicine School, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2. Surgical Department I, “Dr. I. Cantacuzino” Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: general surgery; oncology; diabetic foot; colorectal surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Octavian Enciu

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Guest Editor
Department of Surgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: minimal invasive surgery; endocrine surgery; breast cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women, there is a need for both early diagnoses and personalised treatments. The multidisciplinary approach to this pathology requires epidemiological analysis, an understanding of physiopathological mechanisms, as well as the adaptation of treatment to the stage of disease. Breast cancer surgery has undergone tremendous transformations in recent years, and minimally invasive techniques are no longer the exception. Oncoplastic surgery not only ensures oncological radicality but also aesthetic preservation, contributing to improvements in patients' quality of life. Moreover, artificial intelligence techniques are increasingly playing a role in contributing to proper diagnosis for these patients.

With this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the importance of knowing up-to-date information on this disease and encourage the submission of papers that focus on, among possible others, the following topics:

  • Novelty in epdemiology;
  • Early breast cancer diagnosis strategies;
  • Advances in patophysiology;
  • Neoadjuvant therapies;
  • Surgical strategies in breast cancer;
  • Conservative breast cancer surgery;
  • The state of the art in breast reconstruction;
  • Onco-plastic surgery;
  • Sentinel lymph node biopsy;
  • Adjuvant therapy, including radiotherapy and imunotherapy;
  • Novelty in triple-negative breast cancer;
  • Artificial intelligence in breast cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Florin Teodor Bobirca
Dr. Traian Pǎtraşcu
Dr. Petronel Mustatea
Dr. Octavian Enciu
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 short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • epidemiology
  • physiology
  • conservative breast surgery
  • sentinel lymph node biopsy
  • artificial intelligence in breast cancer

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4578 KB  
Article
A Five-Year Single-Center Retrospective Study of Neoadjuvant Therapy Response and Survival in Romanian Women with Breast Cancer
by Adeline-Roxana Bucur, Alexandru Cristian Cindrea, Antonia Armega-Anghelescu, Alin Marian Vasile, Octavian Constantin Neagoe, Paul Szeica, Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle and Flavia Zara
Life 2026, 16(4), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16040613 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 509
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer remains a major public health problem, with increasing incidence and persistent survival disparities. In Romania, barriers to early diagnosis and access to multidisciplinary treatment may contribute to poorer outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study including [...] Read more.
Background: Breast cancer remains a major public health problem, with increasing incidence and persistent survival disparities. In Romania, barriers to early diagnosis and access to multidisciplinary treatment may contribute to poorer outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study including 118 women diagnosed with and/or treated for breast cancer in our institution between 1 January and 31 December 2020. Patients were followed for 5 years. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Clinicopathological characteristics, treatment exposure, pathological response after neoadjuvant therapy, and factors associated with OS were analyzed. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 62 years. Most tumors were located in the upper quadrants, and the most frequent subtype was hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast carcinoma. During follow-up, 26.27% of patients died from disease progression or associated complications. Estimated OS was 88.7% at 1 year and 72.8% at 5 years. Older age at diagnosis and treatment exposure patterns, including the absence of neoadjuvant therapy, were associated with OS. Conclusions: In this single-center retrospective cohort, overall survival was associated with age at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, and treatment patterns. The high proportion of early deaths and the frequent absence of documented surgical treatment in patients who died suggest important challenges related to late presentation, continuity of care, and access to guideline-concordant multidisciplinary treatment in the Romanian setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Epidemiology, Physiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer)
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11 pages, 1534 KB  
Article
Triple-Tracer Sentinel Node Mapping: Maximizing Detection, Minimizing Dissection
by Daniel Alin Cristian, Bogdan Popescu, Cristian Valentin Toma, Sertaç Ata Güler, Adrian Bordea, Emil Popa, Draga-Maria Mandi, Bianca Maria Floarea and Răzvan-Valentin Scăunaşu
Life 2025, 15(12), 1839; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121839 - 29 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy often combines technetium-99m (99mTc), indocyanine green (ICG), and methylene blue (MB), but few contemporary audits quantify the performance of each tracer when used together in routine practice. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective audit of 111 consecutive [...] Read more.
Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy often combines technetium-99m (99mTc), indocyanine green (ICG), and methylene blue (MB), but few contemporary audits quantify the performance of each tracer when used together in routine practice. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective audit of 111 consecutive SLN procedures for breast cancer patients undergoing SLNB using a triple-tracer approach with technetium-99m (99mTc), indocyanine green (ICG), and methylene blue (MB). We evaluated sentinel lymph node detection rates, the number of nodes retrieved, tracer concordance, and subgroup performance (including those with mastectomy and post-neoadjuvant therapy). Results: Identification was 96.4% for 99mTc (107/111), 93.7% for ICG (104/111), and 78.4% for MB (87/111). Performance was heterogeneous (Q = 26.2, p < 0.001); 99mTc and ICG each outperformed MB (Holm-adjusted p < 0.001), while 99mTc and ICG did not differ significantly. Triple-tracer workflows were associated with higher odds of detection; cross-validated AUCs reached 0.98 for 99mTc and 0.82 for ICG. Conclusions: Technetium remains a foundational tracer for SLNB, with ICG serving as a valuable adjunct that enhances nodal visualization and overall detection efficacy, and MB adds redundancy. Triple-tracer mapping achieved the best overall nodal identification and was associated with fewer sentinel nodes excised when complete tracer concordance was observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Epidemiology, Physiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer)
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9 pages, 1152 KB  
Article
Distinct Breast Tissue Microbiota Profiles in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study in Turkish Women
by Mehmet Fatih Özsaray, Turgay Şimşek, Deniz Sünnetçi Akkoyunlu, Naci Çine and Nuh Zafer Cantürk
Life 2025, 15(10), 1518; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15101518 - 26 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background: This pilot study aimed to investigate the relationship between the breast tissue microbiota and breast cancer in Turkish women. We compared cancerous and adjacent normal breast tissues, as well as stool samples, obtained during breast-conserving surgery. Methods: In this prospective study, paired [...] Read more.
Background: This pilot study aimed to investigate the relationship between the breast tissue microbiota and breast cancer in Turkish women. We compared cancerous and adjacent normal breast tissues, as well as stool samples, obtained during breast-conserving surgery. Methods: In this prospective study, paired tumor and normal breast tissue samples, together with preoperative stool samples, were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Diversity indices and relative abundance differences were calculated, with effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals, and false discovery rate (FDR) corrections reported where appropriate. Results: A total of 22 patients with early-stage breast cancer were included (mean age 58.3 ± 12.7 years, mean BMI 28.9 ± 3.1 kg/m2). Distinct compositional shifts were observed between tumor and normal tissues, with Ruminococcus, Eubacterium, Actinobacteria (phylum), and Stenotrophomonas enriched in tumor samples, while Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in normal tissues. No consistent associations were identified between fecal and breast tissue microbiota. Limitations: The small sample size, absence of healthy tissue or stool controls, and reliance on 16S rRNA sequencing limit the generalizability and functional interpretation of these findings. Conclusions: Despite these limitations, this study demonstrates localized microbial differences between tumor and adjacent normal breast tissues. Larger, multi-center studies with healthy controls and functional omics approaches are warranted to clarify the biological relevance and potential clinical implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Epidemiology, Physiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer)
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