Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marina Ibragimova, Matvey Tsyganov, Nikolai Litviakov
Summary: This review discusses the main mechanisms of CSCs in breast cancer, including markers and signaling pathways, heterogeneity, plasticity, and ecological behavior. The study also considers the significance of dynamic heterogeneity of CSCs and dynamic transitions between CSCs and non-CSCs for metastasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Amelia J. Rushton, Georgios Nteliopoulos, Jacqueline A. Shaw, R. Charles Coombes
Summary: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed from tumors into the bloodstream and have the potential to provide important insights into cancer detection and monitoring. CellSearch is the only FDA-approved technology for determining the prognosis of patients with advanced breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers, but new label-free enrichment technologies are emerging.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Belinda Kingston, Rosalind J. Cutts, Hannah Bye, Matthew Beaney, Giselle Walsh-Crestani, Sarah Hrebien, Claire Swift, Lucy S. Kilburn, Sarah Kernaghan, Laura Moretti, Katie Wilkinson, Andrew M. Wardley, Iain R. Macpherson, Richard D. Baird, Rebecca Roylance, Jorge S. Reis-Filho, Michael Hubank, Iris Faull, Kimberly C. Banks, Richard B. Lanman, Isaac Garcia-Murillas, Judith M. Bliss, Alistair Ring, Nicholas C. Turner
Summary: Genomic profiling of advanced breast cancer using plasma circulating tumour DNA sequencing revealed diverse subclonal resistance mutations, with distinct mutational processes identified in ER-positive breast cancer. This study highlights the importance of subclonal diversification in pre-treated advanced breast cancer, presenting novel therapeutic opportunities.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Keely Tan, Matthew J. Naylor
Summary: Breast cancer is a complex disease characterized by heterogeneity, which is influenced by various mechanisms. The tumor microenvironment (TME), consisting of different components, plays a crucial role in promoting cancer cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis through the release of environmental cues. Targeting the TME holds therapeutic potential for breast cancer treatment.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jouni Kujala, Jaana M. Hartikainen, Maria Tengstrom, Reijo Sironen, Paivi Auvinen, Veli-Matti Kosma, Arto Mannermaa
Summary: The study evaluated the concordance between cfDNA and tumor DNA genetic profiles, showing that liquid biopsy can reflect the heterogeneity and clonal evolution of BC, potentially identifying driver variants and therapeutic targets that may be missed in tumor DNA sequencing. Liquid biopsy may aid in the early detection of metastatic BC and support clinical decision-making, despite observed discordance between the two sources of DNA.
Review
Oncology
Fabiana Luond, Stefanie Tiede, Gerhard Christofori
Summary: Tumour heterogeneity, arising from intrinsic and extrinsic factors, has negative impacts on therapy response and prognosis. Cancer cell plasticity enables rapid adaptation to microenvironmental cues, playing a critical role in tumour progression and heterogeneity.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Ilona Krol, Fabienne D. Schwab, Roberta Carbone, Mathilde Ritter, Sabrina Picocci, Marzia L. De Marni, Grazyna Stepien, Gian M. Franchi, Andrea Zanardi, Marco D. Rissoglio, Alfredo Covelli, Guido Guidi, Daniele Scarinci, Francesc Castro-Giner, Luca Mazzarella, Claudio Doglioni, Francesca Borghi, Paolo Milani, Christian Kurzeder, Walter P. Weber, Nicola Aceto
Summary: By utilizing nanostructured titanium oxide-coated slides for shear-free CTC identification, this study detected clustered CTCs in multiple early breast cancer patients prior to surgical treatment, indicating their presence at early stages of the disease. These results emphasize the importance of understanding metastasis biology and the potential for anti-cluster therapeutics intervention even during the early manifestation of breast cancer.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Alexander Ring, Bich Doan Nguyen-Straeuli, Andreas Wicki, Nicola Aceto
Summary: In recent years, advancements in technology have allowed for the identification and study of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples, leading to new research fields and potential clinical applications in liquid biopsies. Analysis of CTCs has revealed unique biological characteristics, such as the presence of CTC clusters and interactions with immune or stromal cells, impacting metastasis formation and providing insights for cancer vulnerabilities. This review discusses progress in understanding the biological features of CTCs and explores the potential for designing future clinical tools to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.
NATURE REVIEWS CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Emanuela Fina, Loredana Cleris, Matteo Dugo, Mara Lecchi, Chiara Maura Ciniselli, Daniele Lecis, Giulia Valeria Bianchi, Paolo Verderio, Maria Grazia Daidone, Vera Cappelletti
Summary: The study highlights the importance of understanding the hematogenous phase of breast cancer metastasis and identifies genes associated with metastasis through transcriptome analysis of circulating tumor cells. These findings provide valuable information on disease progression and potential therapeutic targets.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ori Maller, Allison P. Drain, Alexander S. Barrett, Signe Borgquist, Brian Ruffell, Igor Zakharevich, Thanh T. Pham, Tina Gruosso, Hellen Kuasne, Johnathon N. Lakins, Irene Acerbi, J. Matthew Barnes, Travis Nemkov, Aastha Chauhan, Jessica Gruenberg, Aqsa Nasir, Olof Bjarnadottir, Zena Werb, Peter Kabos, Yunn-Yi Chen, E. Shelley Hwang, Morag Park, Lisa M. Coussens, Andrew C. Nelson, Kirk C. Hansen, Valerie M. Weaver
Summary: Stromal stiffening in malignant tumours is associated with poor treatment outcomes and increased tumour aggression. Identifying factors that regulate stromal stiffening could lead to biomarkers for patient stratification and interventions to improve outcomes. Experimental studies have shown that therapeutic targeting of tumour-associated macrophages and collagen crosslinking enzymes can reduce metastasis and stromal stiffening in aggressive breast cancer subtypes with stiff stroma. Additionally, the expression of lysyl hydroxylase 2 in the stroma has been linked to disease-specific mortality in breast cancer patients, indicating its potential as a stromal biomarker.
Article
Oncology
Yauheni A. Shliakhtunou, Valery M. Siamionau, Vyacheslau V. Pobyarzhin
Summary: This study demonstrates the impact of transcription phenotype of circulating tumor cells on prognosis in non-metastatic breast cancer, which can contribute to improving the treatment efficacy of breast cancer.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Chengjun Zhu, Jing Xu, Jinyu Sun, Shiyun Cui, Yue Sun, Tao Yu, Cenzhu Wang, Tianyao Wang, Yufeng Wu, Feng Ju, Jiafeng Yao, Kai Liu, Wenwen Zhang, Xiaoxiang Guan
Summary: This study investigates the association between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and breast cancer metastasis. The results show that CTC enumeration is significantly associated with liver metastasis in breast cancer patients, and CTCs >= 5 are a risk factor for tumor metastasis. Furthermore, high CTC levels may be associated with an increased risk of liver metastasis in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Federica Zilli, Pedro Marques Ramos, Priska Auf Der Maur, Charly Jehanno, Atul Sethi, Marie-May Coissieux, Tobias Eichlisberger, Loic Sauteur, Adelin Rouchon, Laura Bonapace, Joana Pinto Couto, Roland Rad, Michael Rugaard Jensen, Andrea Banfi, Michael B. Stadler, Mohamed Bentires-Alj
Summary: NFIB is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in promoting primary mammary tumor growth and lung metastatic colonization by increasing the expression of ERO1A. Its high expression is associated with poor prognosis in basal-like breast cancer patients.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Joanna Kapeleris, Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani, Arutha Kulasinghe, Ian Vela, Liz Kenny, Rahul Ladwa, Kenneth O'Byrne, Chamindie Punyadeera
Summary: Despite efforts to improve early diagnosis of NSCLC, most patients still present with advanced stage disease. Liquid biopsy, as an emerging method, provides remarkable advantages in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, offering earlier monitoring and evaluation.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Emanuela Fina
Summary: This review summarizes the current state of research on gene expression analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer, addresses technical and clinical issues related to the application of CTC-derived signatures, and discusses potential research directions.
Article
Oncology
C. C. Kirwan, T. Descamps, J. Castle
CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Hudhaifah Shaker, Nigel J. Bundred, Goran Landberg, Susan A. Pritchard, Harith Albadry, Sarah L. Nicholson, Lauren J. Harries, Jing Y. E. Heah, John Castle, Cliona C. Kirwan
Article
Oncology
John F. R. Robertson, Abigail Evans, Stephan Henschen, Cliona C. Kirwan, Ali Jahan, Laura M. Kenny, J. Michael Dixon, Peter Schmid, Ashutosh Kothari, Omar Mohamed, Peter A. Fasching, Kwok-Leung Cheung, Rachel Wuerstlein, Danielle Carroll, Teresa Klinowska, Justin P. O. Lindemann, Alexander MacDonald, Richard Mather, Rhiannon Maudsley, Michele Moschetta, Myria Nikolaou, Martine P. Roudier, Tinnu Sarvotham, Gaia Schiavon, Diansong Zhou, Li Zhou, Nadia Harbeck
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Adrian Murray Brunt, Joanne S. Haviland, Duncan A. Wheatley, Mark A. Sydenham, Abdulla Alhasso, David J. Bloomfield, Charlie Chan, Mark Churn, Susan Cleator, Charlotte E. Coles, Andrew Goodman, Adrian Harnett, Penelope Hopwood, Anna M. Kirby, Cliona C. Kirwan, Carolyn Morris, Zohal Nabi, Elinor Sawyer, Navita Somaiah, Liba Stones, Isabel Syndikus, Judith M. Bliss, John R. Yarnold
Article
Surgery
A. Gandhi, P. Duxbury, J. Murphy, P. Foden, F. Lalloo, T. Clancy, J. Wisely, C. C. Kirwan, A. Howell, D. G. Evans
Summary: This study investigated the patient reported outcomes of women undergoing bilateral risk reducing mastectomies (BRRM) and breast reconstruction. The findings showed high levels of patient satisfaction with the surgery, but a cancer diagnosis had a negative impact on quality of life outcomes and higher preoperative anxiety levels affected postoperative psychosocial well-being.
JOURNAL OF PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE AND AESTHETIC SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Primary Health Care
Rajiv Dave, Hannah Bromley, Vicky P. Taxiarchi, Elizabeth Camacho, Sumohan Chatterjee, Nicola Barnes, Gillian Hutchison, Paul Bishop, William Hamilton, Cliona C. Kirwan, Ashu Gandhi
Summary: More than 20% of breast clinic attendees have breast pain. Referring women with breast pain to a breast diagnostic clinic is an inefficient use of limited resources.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Rebecca L. Wilson, Cliona C. Kirwan, Joe M. O'Donoghue, Richard A. Linforth, Richard K. Johnson, James R. Harvey
Summary: The study compared the long-term outcomes of breast reconstructions using ADM and submuscular techniques, showing improved aesthetic outcomes and reduced capsular contracture in the ADM group.
Article
Hematology
Sukhraj Pal Singh Dhami, Sean Patmore, Claire Comerford, Ciara M. Byrne, Brenton Cavanagh, John Castle, Cliona C. Kirwan, Martin Kenny, Ingmar Schoen, James S. O'Donnell, Jamie M. O'Sullivan
Summary: Breast cancer patients with elevated plasma VWF levels are associated with poorer survival. Breast cancer cells induce ECs to secrete VWF and other substances, and this effect is enhanced by the presence of platelets. VEGF-A plays a crucial role in modulating breast cancer-induced VWF release, and VEGF-A released by breast tumor cells also promotes angiogenesis in ECs. LMWH can inhibit VWF-breast tumor adhesion and transendothelial migration.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Ashu Gandhi, Paula Duxbury, Tara Clancy, Fiona Lalloo, Julie A. Wisely, Cliona C. Kirwan, Philip Foden, Katie Stocking, Anthony Howell, D. Gareth Evans
Summary: The study examined the surgical outcomes of risk-reducing mastectomy and breast reconstruction in 445 women with a high risk of developing breast cancer. It found that women diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of surgery were older, required more planned procedures, and had similar complication rates compared to those without malignancy. Approximately one in five women overall required revision surgery.
PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Rajiv Dave, Beatrix Elsberger, Vicky Taxiarchi, Ashu Gandhi, Cliona Kirwan, Baek Kim, Elizabeth Camacho, Charlotte Coles, Ellen Copson, Alona Courtney, Kieran Horgan, Patricia Fairbrother, Chris Holcombe, Jamie Kirkham, Daniel Leff, Stuart B. McIntosh, Rachel O'Connell, Ricardo Pardo, Shelley Potter, Tim Rattay, Nisha Sharma, Raghavan Vidya, Ramsey Cutress
Summary: The B-MaP-C study examined changes in breast cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It found that bridging endocrine therapy (BrET) is safe and effective in reducing tumor size and improving prognosis during the waiting period for surgery.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Oncology
L. Ballance, R. L. Wilson, C. C. Kirwan, G. Boundouki, V. P. Taxiarchi, B. G. Baker, V. Rusius, M. Rowland, J. R. Henderson, N. Marikakis, J. Mcaleer, J. R. Harvey
Summary: This study aimed to assess the time taken to return to activities of daily living (ADLs) after breast surgery, and found that patients undergoing breast reconstruction took a longer time to recover, especially for strength-based activities. The recovery time for autologous reconstruction was also slower compared to implant reconstruction.
Article
Oncology
Peter Adam Rees, John Castle, Hamish William Clouston, Rebecca Lamb, Urvashi Singh, Sarah Elizabeth Duff, Cliona Clare Kirwan
Summary: In this study, we investigated the effects of clotting factors on proliferation and migration in colorectal cancer cell lines. We also examined whether their direct inhibitors could attenuate these effects.
Article
Surgery
Hannah L. Bromley, Rajiv Dave, Chris Holcombe, Shelley Potter, Anthony J. Maxwell, Cliona Kirwan, Senthurun Mylvaganam, Suzanne Elgammal, Jenna Morgan, Sue Down, Tahir Masudi, Amtul Sami, Nicola Barnes, James Harvey
Summary: This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of novel breast localisation devices with traditional wire-guided lesion localisation for wide local excision, using a national collaborative approach in the UK. Data will be collected via an online database and shared learning events will be recorded to inform future study arms. Results will be disseminated at national and international conferences, with a focus on refining breast localisation techniques and identifying potential issues early on.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SURGERY PROTOCOLS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
George Boundouki, Rebecca Wilson, Paula Duxbury, Julia Henderson, Laura Ballance, Julie Wray, Vivienne Appanah, Ibrahim Ibrahim, James Harvey, Cliona Clare Kirwan
Summary: Through "listening events", the study found that female participants consistently focused on improving methods of information dissemination and education on breast cancer symptoms, which differed from the research priorities identified by scientists and healthcare professionals. There was also a strong emphasis on quality of life-related issues such as treatment side effects.
Review
Oncology
R. E. Clifford, D. Bowden, E. Blower, C. C. Kirwan, D. Vimalachandran
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY-OXFORD
(2020)