Objective: To explore the dynamic changes of Distress Thermometer scores and the relationship between psychological distress and quality of life in Chinese early breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. Methods: This prospective study enrolled 110 Chinese postoperative early breast cancer patients between March 2019 and December 2019. The psychological distress and quality of life (QOL) of patients were assessed by using the psychological distress management screening tool and the patient quality of life scale. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of psychological distress degree. The correlation between distress thermometer (DT) score changes and quality of life was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: In total, 96 valid cases were analyzed. Before chemotherapy, 47 cases (49.0%) had DT score ≥4 points. After 2 cycles of chemotherapy, 40 cases (41.7%) had DT score ≥4 points. Thirty-four patients (35.4%) had DT score ≥4 points after chemotherapy. The DT score after chemotherapy was lower than that before chemotherapy and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Univariate analysis showed that income level and pathological stage were still significant related to the detection of DT score ≥4 points after chemotherapy (P<0.05). The changes of DT scores before and after chemotherapy were negatively correlated with the changes of quality of life ( r=-0.298, P=0.003). Conclusions: The detection rate of psychological distress in patients with early breast cancer during chemotherapy showed a decreasing trend. Income level and tumor stage are significant factors affecting the psychological distress of patients. There is a significant correlation between the psychological distress and the quality of life during chemotherapy. We should pay attention to the evaluation and monitoring state of psychological distress of patients during chemotherapy.
Humans ; Female ; Quality of Life/psychology* ; Breast Neoplasms/psychology* ; Stress, Psychological/psychology* ; Prospective Studies ; Psychological Distress ; China ; Neoplasms ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Breast Neoplasms/psychology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Educational Status ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of quilting suture extent on the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap (LDMCF) donor site and the necessity of drainage.METHODS: Clinical data of 136 breast cancer patients, who underwent breast reconstruction using LDMCF between May 2014 and December 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups. Group A: quilting sutures were performed on half of the LDMCF donor site and a closed suction drain was inserted. Group B: quilting sutures were performed for the entire LDMCF donor site and a closed suction drain was inserted. Group C: quilting sutures were performed for the entire LDMCF donor site and no drain was inserted. The duration of drainage, total drainage, length of hospital stay, number of postoperative aspirations for seroma removal, and total aspirated volume were compared.RESULTS: In the comparison of groups A and B, group B showed better results including the total amount of drained seroma, drain maintenance period, number of aspirations for seroma removal after drainage tube removal, total aspirated seroma, and hospitalization period with statistical significance (P<0.05). In the comparison of groups B and C, group C without drain showed no difference in all other variables except mean total drained seroma volume. Therefore, group C was superior to group A and there was no difference compared to group B with drain, even though the drain was not inserted.CONCLUSION: Total quilting suture at LDMCF donor site can reduce seroma formation and eliminate the need for a drain tube.
Aspirations (Psychology) ; Breast Neoplasms ; Drainage ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Mammaplasty ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma ; Suction ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Sutures ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: To validate and update a nomogram for predicting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) upstaging in preoperative biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 444 preoperative DCIS patients were evaluated and used to validate a previous version of the Severance nomogram for predicting DCIS upstaging in preoperative biopsy. Patients were divided into two groups according to the final postoperative pathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses with the chi-square test, Student's t-test, and binary logistic regression method identified new significant variables. The updated nomogram was evaluated with the C-index and Hosmer—Lemeshow goodness of fit test. RESULTS: The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve for comparison with the previous nomogram was 0.48. In postoperative pathology, the pure DCIS and invasive cancer groups comprised 345 and 99 cases, respectively. Approximately 22.3% of patients preoperatively diagnosed with DCIS were upstaged to invasive cancer. Significant variables in the univariate analysis were operation type, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, comedo necrosis, sonographic mass, mammographic mass, preoperative biopsy method, and suspicious microinvasion in preoperative biopsy. In multivariate analysis, operation type, sonographic mass, mammographic mass, and suspicious microinvasion were risk factors for upstaging. The updated model with these variables showed moderate discrimination and was appropriate in the calibration test. CONCLUSION: The previous nomogram did not effectively discriminate upstaging of preoperative DCIS in an independent cohort. An updated version of the nomogram appears to provide more accurate information for predicting preoperative DCIS upstaging.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Calibration ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Cohort Studies ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Multivariate Analysis ; Necrosis ; Nomograms ; Pathology ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and test a structural model for chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment of breast cancer patients based on a literature review and Hess and Insel's chemotherapy-related cognitive change model. METHODS: The Participants consisted of 250 patients who were ≥19 years of age. The assessment tools included the Menopause Rating Scale, Symptom Experience Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Everyday Cognition, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs. RESULTS: The modified model was a good fit for the data. The model fit indices were χ2=423.18 (p<.001), χ2/df=3.38, CFI=.91, NFI=.91, TLI=.89, SRMR=.05, RMSEA=.09, and AIC=515.18. Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment was directly influenced by menopausal symptoms (β=.38, p=.002), depression and anxiety (β=.25, p=.002), and symptom experiences (β=.19, p=.012). These predictors explained 47.7% of the variance in chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Depression and anxiety mediated the relations among menopausal symptoms, symptom experiences, and with chemotherapy related cognitive impairment. Depression and anxiety (β=−.51, p=.001), symptom experiences (β=−.27, p=.001), menopausal symptoms (β=−.22, p=.008), and chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (β=−.15, p=.024) had direct effects on the quality of life and these variables explained 91.3%. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that chemotherapy-related toxicity is highly associated with cognitive decline and quality of life in women with breast cancer. Depression and anxiety increased vulnerability to cognitive impairment after chemotherapy. Nursing intervention is needed to relieve chemotherapy-related toxicity and psychological factor as well as cognitive decline for quality of life in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Anxiety ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Depression ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Models, Structural ; Nursing ; Psychology ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: Many patients with cytology proven node-positive breast cancer receive a neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) treatment. We developed a nomogram to predict the breast and axillary pathologic complete responses (pCR) in patients with a cytologically proven axillary node positive breast cancer with NAC. METHODS: We selected 995 patients who were diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer and axillary lymph nodes metastasis, and who were treated with NAC followed by a curative surgery at the Samsung Medical Center between January 2007 and December 2014. The baseline patient and tumor characteristics, chemotherapy regimen, and tumor and nodal responses were thoroughly analyzed and reviewed. A nomogram was developed using a binary logistic regression model with a cross validation. RESULTS: Axillary pCR was achieved in 47.3% and breast pCR was achieved in 24.3% of the patients after NAC. In this case, the both pCR was associated with an initial clinical tumor stage, negative progesterone receptor status, positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, and clinical radiologic nodal responses. A nomogram was developed based on the clinical and statistically significant predictors. It had good discrimination performance (area under the curve [AUC], 0.868; 95% confidence interval, 0.84–0.89) and calibration fit as noted in that case. The cross validation had an average AUC 0.853 (0.837–0.869). CONCLUSION: Our nomogram might help to predict breast and axillary pCRs after NAC in patients with an initially node-positive breast cancer. Minimal surgery might be acceptable in patients for whom the nomogram indicates a high probability of achieving pCRs.
Area Under Curve ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Calibration ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nomograms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptors, Progesterone

PURPOSE: The incidence and mortality of breast cancer is increasing worldwide. There is a constant quest to understand the underlying molecular biology of breast cancer so as to plan better treatment options. The purpose of the current study was to characterize the expression of histone deacetylases-3 (HDAC3), a member of class I HDACs, and assess the clinical significance of HDAC3 in breast cancer. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis were used to examine messenger RNA and protein expression levels. The relationships between HDAC3 expression and clinicopathological variables were analyzed. MTT assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Glucose-uptake, lactate, adenosine triphosphate, and lactate dehydrogenase assays were employed to detect aerobic glycolysis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to detect microRNA-31 (miR-31) promoter binding. RESULTS: Our data revealed that HDAC3 was upregulated in breast cancer tissue compared with matched para-carcinoma tissues, and high levels of HDAC3 were positively correlated with advanced TNM stage and N stage of cancer. Furthermore, overexpression of HDAC3 promoted breast cancer cell-proliferation and aerobic glycolysis. The functional involvement of HDAC3 was related in part to the repression of miR-31 transcription via decreased histone H3 acetylation at lysine K9 levels of the miR-31 promoter. Survival analysis revealed that the level of HDAC3 was an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that HDAC3 served as an oncogene that could promote cell proliferation and aerobic glycolysis and was predictive of a poor prognosis in breast cancer. HDAC3 participated in the cell proliferation of breast cancer, which may prove to be a pivotal epigenetic target against this devastating disease.
Acetylation ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ; Epigenomics ; Glycolysis* ; Histone Code ; Histones* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lactic Acid ; Lysine ; Molecular Biology ; Mortality ; Oncogenes ; Prognosis* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Repression, Psychology ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: IBTR! 2.0 nomogram is web-based nomogram that predicts ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR). We aimed to validate the IBTR! 2.0 using an external data set. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort consisted of 2,206 patients, who received breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy from 1992 to 2012 at our institution, where wide surgical excision is been routinely performed. Discrimination and calibration were used for assessing model performance. Patients with predicted 10-year IBTR risk based on an IBTR! 2.0 nomogram score of <3%, 3%–5%, 5%–10%, and >10% were assigned to groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. We also plotted calibration values to observe the actual IBTR rate against the nomogram-derived 10-year IBTR probabilities. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 73 months (range, 6 to 277 months). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.607, showing poor accordance between the estimated and observed recurrence rate. Calibration plot confirmed that the IBTR! 2.0 nomogram predicted the 10-year IBTR risk higher than the observed IBTR rates in all groups. High discrepancies between nomogram IBTR predictions and observed IBTR rates were observed in overall risk groups. Compared with the original development dataset, our patients had fewer high grade tumors, less margin positivity, and less lymphovascular invasion, and more use of modern systemic therapies. CONCLUSIONS: IBTR! 2.0 nomogram seems to have the moderate discriminative ability with a tendency to over-estimating risk rate. Continued efforts are needed to ensure external applicability of published nomograms by validating the program using an external patient population.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Calibration ; Cohort Studies ; Dataset ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Nomograms ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; ROC Curve

To investigate the effect of the aroma therapy and music intervention on anxious and pain for the breast cancer patients in the perioperative period and the potential mechanisms.
 Methods: A total of 100 breast cancer patients who received surgical treatment in the comprehensive hospitals of Hunan province were recruited for this study. Patients were assigned randomly into a control group, an aroma therapy group, a music intervention group, and a joint-therapy group (n=25 per group). The patients in the control group received regular post-surgical nursery, while the patients from other groups received aroma therapy, music intervention, or both in addition to the regular nursery. The scale of anxiety and pain were measured. The measurements were carried at three time points, namely 30 min before the surgery (T1), 30 min after the recovery period of anesthesia (T2), and 4 hours after the removal of anesthesia tubing (T3). Repeated ANOVA was used to perform statistic analysis.
 Results: The scale of pain was significantly increased at the post-operation (T2, T3) compared to pre-surgery (T1). The therapeutic group showed significant decrease in pain at post-operation (T3) comparing with the control group (P<0.05). The scale of anxiety was the highest at pre-surgery (T1). During anaesthesia recovery, the anxiety of patients at post-operation T2 and T3 in the therapeutic groups significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Both the aroma therapy and the music therapy can decrease the stress-responsive anxiety and pain for the breast cancer patients in the perioperative period.
Analysis of Variance ; Anxiety ; therapy ; Aromatherapy ; Breast Neoplasms ; nursing ; psychology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Music Therapy ; Pain, Postoperative ; therapy ; Perioperative Period ; Preoperative Care ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the role of four polymorphic variants of DNA methyltransferase genes as risk factors for radiation-induced fibrosis in breast cancer patients. We also assessed their ability to improve prediction accuracy when combined with mitochondrial haplogroup H, which we previously found to be independently associated with a lower hazard of radiation-induced fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNMT1 rs2228611,DNMT3A rs1550117,DNMT3A rs7581217, and DNMT3B rs2424908 were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 286 Italian breast cancer patients who received radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery. Subcutaneous fibrosis was scored according to the Late Effects of Normal Tissue–Subjective Objective Management Analytical (LENT-SOMA) scale. The discriminative accuracy of genetic models was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier curves showed significant differences among DNMT1 rs2228611 genotypes in the cumulative incidence of grade ≥ 2 subcutaneous fibrosis (log-rank test p-value= 0.018). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed DNMT1 rs2228611 as an independent protective factor for moderate to severe radiation-induced fibrosis (GG vs. AA; hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10 to 0.71; p=0.009). Adding DNMT1 rs2228611 to haplogroup H increased the discrimination accuracy (AUC) of the model from 0.595 (95% CI, 0.536 to 0.653) to 0.655 (95% CI, 0.597 to 0.710). CONCLUSION: DNMT1 rs2228611 may represent a determinant of radiation-induced fibrosis in breast cancer patients with promise for clinical usefulness in genetic-based predictive models.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; DNA* ; Fibrosis* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Models, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protective Factors ; Radiation Tolerance ; Radiotherapy ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Skin*