Purpose: We aimed to identify effectiveness-associated indicators and evaluate the optimal tumor reduction rate (TRR) after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with invasive breast cancer. Methods: This retrospective case-control study included patients who underwent at least four cycles of NAC at the Department of Breast Surgery between February 2013 and February 2020. A regression nomogram model for predicting pathological responses was constructed based on potential indicators. Results: A total of 784 patients were included, of whom 170 (21.68%) reported pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC and 614 (78.32%) had residual invasive tumors. The clinical T stage, clinical N stage, molecular subtype, and TRR were identified as independent predictors of pCR. Patients with a TRR > 35% were more likely to achieve pCR (odds ratio, 5.396; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.299–8.825). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted using the probability value, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.892 (95% CI, 0.863–0.922). Conclusion TRR > 35% is predictive of pCR after two cycles of NAC, and an early evaluation model using a nomogram based on five indicators, age, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, molecular subtype, and TRR, is applicable in patients with invasive breast cancer.

AIM: To describe and evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment management and clinical outcomes of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) in the treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial (MDR-GNB) infections. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from September 2019 to December 2021. Adult patients who received CZA for ≥ 72 hours consecutively were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was clinical failure, defined as a composite of 30-day all-cause mortality, microbiological failure and / or failure to resolve or improve signs and symptoms of infection during treatment with CZA. RESULTS: A total of 198 patients with MDR-GNB infections were described and evaluated, including 132 in the carbapenem-resistant Enterobatceriaceae (CRE) cohort and 66 in the Pseudomonas spp. cohort. The main infection sites were lung infection (92.42%), abdominal infection (10.61%), and intracranial infection (10.61%), among which 63 patients (31.82%) were positive for blood culture. Clinical failure, 30-day all-cause mortality and microbiological failure occurred in 61 (30.81%), 33(16.67%) and 11(5.56%) patients, respectively. Body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring system (APACHE Ⅱ) and polymicrobial infections were positively associated with clinical outcome failureadjusted OR 1.109, 95%CI 1.017, 1.209; adjusted OR 1.071, 95%CI 1.015, 1.129; adjusted OR 2.844, 95%CI 1.391, 5.814, however, initiation of CZA within 48 hours of admission was protective (adjusted OR 0.424, 95%CI 0.205, 0.879). A total of 15 patients had adverse reactions possibly related to CZA, including 2 cases of rash, 6 cases of nausea and vomiting, and 7 cases of antibiotic-related diarrhea. CONCLUSION: CZA can be used to treat infections caused by a range of MDR-GNB, including Pseudomonas spp. and CRE.