Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Single Centre Experience Of Local Perforator Flaps In Oncoplastic Breast Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sana Zeeshan, Lubna Vohra, Uzma Shamsi, Nida Zahid, Danish Ali, Nargis Asad, Cristina Garusi

Section of General Surgery

Background & objectives: Various oncoplastic techniques have emerged over the years to preserve breast cosmesis and symmetry without compromising the principles of tumor excision. One of the newer techniques for breast volume replacement to achieve symmetry and cosmesis is the use of fasciocutaneous pedicled chest wall perforator flaps or local perforator flaps (LPF). The objectives of this study were to document the details of the surgical procedure as well as patient-reported satisfaction and well-being following the procedure using a validated BREAST-Q tool among Pakistani women.
Materials & methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to February 2021 enrolling …

Neither Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Nor Cytotoxic T Cells Predict Enhanced Benefit From Chemotherapy In The Dbcg77b Phase Iii Clinical Trial, Elahe Shenasa, Elisabeth Specht Stovgaard, Maj-Britt Jensen, Karama Asleh, Nazia Riaz, Dongxia Gao, Samuel Leung, Bent Ejlertsen, Anne-Vibeke Laenkholm, Torsten O. Nielsen

Section of General Surgery

Recent studies have shown that immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment play a role in response to therapy, with some suggesting that patients with immunogenic tumors may receive increased benefit from chemotherapies. We evaluated this hypothesis in early breast cancer by testing the interaction between immune biomarkers and chemotherapy using materials from DBCG77B, a phase III clinical trial where high-risk premenopausal women were randomized to receive chemotherapy or no chemotherapy. Tissue microarrays were evaluated for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) assessed morphologically on hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, and by immunohistochemistry for CD8, FOXP3, LAG-3, PD-1 and PD-L1. Following REMARK reporting guidelines, data …

The Association Of Age At Menarche And Adult Height With Mammographic Density In The International Consortium Of Mammographic Density, Sarah V. Ward, Anya Burton, Rulla M. Tamimi, Ana Pereira, Maria Luisa Garmendia, Marina Pollan, Norman Boyd, Isabel Dos-Santos-Silva, Sudhir Vinayak, Rose Ndumia

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Background: Early age at menarche and tall stature are associated with increased breast cancer risk. We examined whether these associations were also positively associated with mammographic density, a strong marker of breast cancer risk.

Methods: Participants were 10,681 breast‐cancer‐free women from 22 countries in the International Consortium of Mammographic Density, each with centrally assessed mammographic density and a common set of epidemio‐ logic data. Study periods for the 27 studies ranged from 1987 to 2014. Multi‐level linear regression models estimated changes in square‐root per cent density (√PD) and dense area (√DA) associated with age at menarche and adult …

Male Breast Cancer: The Three Decades' Experience Of A Tertiary Care Hospital In A Lower-Middle Income Country, Sana Zeeshan, Muhammad Tayyab, Fatima Shaukat, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Nargis Khan, Lubna Vohra

Section of General Surgery

Introduction Male breast cancer is uncommon and managed on the guidelines of female breast cancer due to tumor rarity. We sought to identify the incidence, clinicopathological features, and survival of all male breast cancer patients managed in our hospital. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, Pakistan, from January 1986 to December 2018. Demographic data, treatment records, and follow-up data of all male breast cancer patients who were treated at AKUH was reviewed. Results Thirty-eight out of 42 patients who presented over a period of 32 years were included. The mean age was …

Analysing The Trends In Breast Surgery Practice During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study With The Pre-Covid Era, Lubna M. Vohra, Dua Jabeen, Nargis Khan, Azmeena Nizar, Anum Jamil, Tariq Siddiqui

Section of General Surgery

Background: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has crippled the healthcare systems all over the world. Cancer treatment is indispensable and disruption in its provision can lead to unanticipated consequences. No local data exists that has quantified the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer surgery in a lower middle-income country (LMIC), therefore, the present retrospective comparative cohort study is directed to determine the trends in breast surgery operative volumes and its outcomes at our institution in Pakistan.
Materials and methods: Data was collected retrospectively from Pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era to determine impact of the current pandemic on …

Current Perspectives Of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery In Pakistan, Lubna Mushtaque Vohra, Dua Jabeen, Danish Ali, Syeda Sakina Abidi, Sana Zeeshan, Abida Khalil Sattar

Section of General Surgery

Oncoplastic breast surgery is based on the concept of tumour-specific immediate reconstruction. It combines both local and distant techniques to maintain breast texture, symmetry and cosmesis without compromising oncological outcome. The current narrative review was planned to highlight the current state and future of oncoplastic breast surgery in low- and middle-income countries where its utilisation in surgical practice remains insubstantial because majority of the surgeons who are treating breast cancer are either general surgeons or breast surgeons who do not have expertise in oncoplastic breast surgery or reconstructive surgery. Moreover, scarcity of financial resources, ignorance about oncoplastic breast surgery techniques, …

Fear, Faith And Finances: Health Literacy Experiences Of English And Swahili Speaking Women Newly Diagnosed With Breast And Cervical Cancer, Diana Kassaman, Tayreez Mushani, Peterson Kiraithe, Sharon Brownie, Margaret Barton-Burk

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Breast and cervical cancer are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. In Kenya, delayed presentation and diagnosis contribute to breast and cervical cancer mortality. The Kenyan government acknowledges the cancer burden with estimated 39,000 new cases diagnosed and 27,000 deaths per annum. Mortality can be reduced if cancer is diagnosed early and with appropriate treatment. Health Literacy (HL) about cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment is important in reducing mortality, but there is little understanding about HL levels, experiences of patients diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer and the contexts in which they make decisions. In this study, health …