Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Molecular Landscape Of Early-Stage Breast Cancer With Lymph Node Metastasis, Farhad Ghasemi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) are the primary site of metastasis in breast cancer, and their involvement has implications in disease staging, prognostication, and treatment decisions. A non-invasive modality of assessing the risk of ALN metastasis can improve care in patients with early-stage breast cancer by omitting the morbidity and costs associated with axillary surgery.

This thesis explores the molecular landscape of early-stage breast cancers with ALN metastasis and shows the potential of tumour molecular signatures in predicting ALN involvement. After a systematic review of the literature, we use data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to develop molecular signatures correlated …

The Experiences And Needs Of Individuals With A Variant Of Uncertain Significance (Vus) On Genetic Tests For Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: A Grounded Theory Study, Danielle Gould

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: The use of multigene panel testing for identifying individuals with hereditary cancer susceptibility has expanded in recent years. The number of individuals who have a variant of unknown significance (VUS) result is increasing. However, little is known about the experiences and needs of this group. This study’s purpose was to describe the experiences and needs of individuals with a VUS result by focusing on their experiences in communicating with healthcare providers and family members. Methods: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used. Recruitment took place from January–July 2021 through social media: the Prospective Registry of Multiplex Testing (PROMPT), and …