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Background The features and survival of stage IV breast cancer patients with different metastatic sites are poorly understood. This study aims to examine the clinicopathological features and survival of stage IV breast cancer patients according to different metastatic sites. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we restricted our study population to stage IV breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 to 2015. The clinicopathological features were examined by chi-square tests. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) were compared among patients with different metastatic sites by the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable analyses were also performed using the Cox proportional hazard model to identify statistically significant prognostic factors. Results A total of 18,322 patients were identified for survival analysis. Bone-only metastasis accounted for 39.80% of patients, followed by multiple metastasis (33.07%), lung metastasis (10.94%), liver metastasis (7.34%), other metastasis (7.34%), and brain metastasis (1.51%). The Kaplan-Meier plots showed that patients with bone metastasis had the best survival, while patients with brain metastasis had the worst survival in both BCSS and OS ( p  < 0.001, for both). Multivariable analyses showed that age, race, marital status, grade, tumor subtype, tumor size, surgery of primary cancer, and a history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion Stage IV breast cancer patients have different clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes according to different metastatic sites. Patients with bone metastasis have the best prognosis, and brain metastasis is the most aggressive subgroup.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women globally. The tumor microenvironment (TME), comprising epithelial tumor cells and stromal elements, is vital for breast tumor development. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification plays a key role in RNA metabolism, influencing its various aspects such as stability and translation. There is a notable link between m6A methylation and immune cells in the TME, although this relationship is complex and not fully deciphered. In this research, BC expression and clinicopathological data from TCGA were scrutinized to assess expression profiles, mutations, and CNVs of 31 m6A genes and immune microenvironment-related genes, examining their correlations, functions, and prognostic impacts. Lasso and Cox regression identified prognostic genes for constructing a nomogram. Single-cell analyses mapped the distribution and patterns of these genes in BC cell development. We investigated associations between gene-derived risk scores and factors like immune infiltration, TME, checkpoints, TMB, CSC indices, and drug response. As a complement to computational analyses, in vitro experiments were conducted to confirm these expression patterns. We included 31 m6A regulatory genes and discovered a correlation between these genes and the extent of immune cell infiltration. Subsequently, a 7-gene risk score was generated, encompassing HSPA2, TAP1, ULBP2, CXCL1, RBP1, STC2, and FLT3. It was observed that the low-risk group exhibited better overall survival (OS) in BC, with higher immune scores but lower tumor mutational burden (TMB) and cancer stem cell (CSC) indices, as well as lower IC50 values for commonly used drugs. To enhance clinical applicability, age and stage were incorporated into the risk score, and a more comprehensive nomogram was constructed to predict OS. This nomogram was validated and demonstrated good predictive performance, with area under the curve (AUC) values for 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS being 0.848, 0.807, and 0.759, respectively. Our findings highlight the profound impact of prognostic-related genes on BC immune response and prognostic outcomes, suggesting that modulation of the m6A-immune pathway could offer new avenues for personalized BC treatment and potentially improve clinical outcomes.

The breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) benefits of Neoadjuvant therapy (NeoAT) for triple-negative metaplastic breast cancer (TNMpBC) was uncertain. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for assessing the BCSS for TNMpBC patients with NeoAT. The primary cohort of 1163 patients with TNMpBC, from which a nomogram was established based on the results of a LASSO regression analysis, was derived from multi-centers data in China and the SEER database. This model was further validated by an independent cohort of 155 TNMpBC patients with NeoAT, with discrimination and calibration assessed. Totally 155 (13.3%) TNMpBC patients received NeoAT, with 45 (29.0%) cases demonstrating pathologic complete response (pCR), were enrolled. Subjects acquired pCR had superior BCSS. Four variables significantly associated with BCSS were incorporated in the establishment of model: age at diagnosis, T stage, N stage, and response to NeoAT. This model was well validated, with a C-index of 0.82, and area under the curves of 0.838, 0.866 in training cohort, respectively, for 3- years and 5-years BCSS. Based on the cutoff scores from the TNMpBC-NeoBCSS model and calculated by X-tile analysis, patients in high risk group had a inferior BCSS (HR = 6.77, P  < 0.0001) when compared with those in low-risk group. TNMpBC-NeoBCSS model provides a favorable tool for assessing the BCSS for the TNMpBC patients with NeoAT and may help doctors and TNMpBC patients optimally make decision on the necessity of neoadjuvant therapy on the basis of individual BCSS.

In the Loess Plateau region, loess, as a widely distributed building material, is often used as a filling material for dams. When the water level reaches a certain height, the body of a dam is prone to shear failure due to the penetration of water. The change in the shear performance of local loess filler can affect the overall strength of loess dams. Therefore, the filler of a loess dam is selected to study the shear performance. The progressive failure process of a loess dam is simulated. The shear failure characteristics of loess filler under the influence of water content, confining pressure, and dry density were explored. The characteristics of the shear failure of a loess dam were analyzed. The remolded loess is prone to shear expansion failure under low confining pressure, low water content, and high dry density, and is prone to shear shrinkage failure under high confining pressure, high water content, and low dry density. When the water content is constant, the cohesion increases with the increase in dry density. When the dry density is constant, the internal friction angle generally increases with the increase in water content. However, when the dry density is high, the permeability of the remolded loess is weakened, resulting in uneven water distribution under a low water content, which affects the test results. The failure process of the loess dam is a progressive shear failure, which is affected by the water level and water pressure, and is destroyed under the action of pore water pressure and water body lateral pressure.

Objective Body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor associated with breast cancer in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to identify the associations of BMI with clinical characteristics and management of breast cancer in female Chinese patients. Methods Clinicopathological information on 1296 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer was collected at our hospital. We recorded the clinicopathological characteristics, molecular phenotypes, manner of diagnosis, implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and surgical method used. Results Significant differences were found in the tumor size, disease stage, manner of diagnosis, implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and the surgical method among different BMI groups. In premenopausal patients, significant differences were found in the distribution of molecular phenotypes and surgical approach among different BMI groups. In postmenopausal patients, different BMI groups showed significant differences in the tumor size, disease stage, distribution of molecular phenotypes, manner of diagnosis, rate of implementation of preoperative mammography, and surgical method. Conclusion Higher BMI is associated with a larger tumor size, more advanced disease stage, diagnosis by physical examination, higher implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and lower radical surgery rate in Chinese women with breast cancer. However, the relationship between BMI and molecular phenotypes differs between pre- and postmenopausal women.

The homeobox gene family, encoding a specific nuclear protein, is essential for embryonic development, differentiation, and homeostasis. The role of the HOXB3 protein varies in different tumors. This study aims to explore the role of the HOXB3 gene in breast cancer. Differentially expressed genes were screened by analyzing metastatic breast cancer gene chip data from TCGA and GEO databases. The function of the selected HOXB3 gene was also analyzed in different databases and through molecular biology methods, such as qRT-PCR, western blot and IF to verify bioinformatics findings. Both bioinformatics analyses and western blot showed that HOXB3 was lost in breast cancer compared to normal breast tissue. Survival analysis also showed that lower expression of HOXB3 was associated with poor prognosis. Bioinformatics analyses further showed that HOXB3 was positively correlated with hormone receptors. Metascape for GO analysis of GEO data provided possible mechanisms that HOXB3 could positively regulate cell adhesion, inhibit cell proliferation and activate immune response in breast cancer; moreover, GSEA included several cancer-associated pathways. In summary, HOXB3 expression was decreased in breast cancer, and it was associated with poor prognosis. It might become a new biomarker to predict prognosis of breast cancer.

Breast cancer, as the most common malignancy, is the second leading cause of cancer‐related death in women. One of the kelch family member ENC1 is involved in various pathophysiologic processes. But the role of ENC1 in breast cancer has not been investigated. The present study value the feature, clinical significance and the molecular mechanisms of ENC1 in breast cancer. The expression and prognosis value of ENC1 expression among breast cancer and normal breast tissue were investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas database and human samples. ENC1 was knockdown to explore its function in various breast cancer cell lines. Western blot was performed to explore the potential molecular mechanisms. We observed that ENC1 was overexpressed in breast cancer tissues. ENC1 overexpression was associated with high metastasis and predicted a poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. ENC1 Knockdown inhibits the growth, clone formation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Mechanism analysis revealed ENC1 was strong associated with the metastasis by modulating β‐catenin pathway. Our study emphasizes that ENC1 is a potential prognostic and metastasis‐related marker of breast cancer, and may function as a possible therapeutic target against breast cancer.

The majority of advanced breast cancers exhibit strong aggressiveness, heterogeneity, and drug resistance, and currently, the lack of effective treatment strategies is one of the main challenges that cancer research must face. Therefore, developing a feasible preclinical model to explore tailored treatments for refractory breast cancer is urgently needed. We established organoid biobanks from 17 patients with breast cancer and characterized them by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and next generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, we in the first combination of patient‐derived organoids (PDOs) with mini‐patient‐derived xenografts (Mini‐PDXs) for the rapid and precise screening of drug sensitivity. We confirmed that breast cancer organoids are a high‐fidelity three‐dimension (3D) model in vitro that recapitulates the original tumour's histological and genetic features. In addition, for a heavily pretreated patient with advanced drug‐resistant breast cancer, we combined PDO and Mini‐PDX models to identify potentially effective combinations of therapeutic agents for this patient who were alpelisib + fulvestrant. In the drug sensitivity experiment of organoids, we observed changes in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling axis and oestrogen receptor (ER) protein expression levels, which further verified the reliability of the screening results. Our study demonstrates that the PDO combined with mini‐PDX model offers a rapid and precise drug screening platform that holds promise for personalized medicine, improving patient outcomes and addressing the urgent need for effective therapies in advanced breast cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) accounts for 90% of all ovarian cancer, which is the third most common gynaecological malignancy worldwide. Dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in the development of different types of EOC. The present study was designed to investigate the role of abnormal expression of miR-215 in the development of EOC and to elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms. mRNA expression of miR-215 was significantly decreased in EOC tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of miR-215 inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs in EOC cells. In contrast, downregulation of miR-215 increased cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs in EOC cells. In addition, the X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) expression was significantly increased in EOC tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of XIAP inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs in EOC cells. Upregulation of miR-215 notably inhibited the expression of XIAP. Moreover, over-expression of XIAP significantly inhibited miR-215-exerted decrease of proliferation, increase of apoptosis and increase of sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. In conclusion, we identified miR-215 as a potential tumor suppressor in patients with EOC downregulating expression of the oncogenic regulator XIAP. The data demonstrate that miR-215/XIAP pathway may serve as novel therapeutic targets and prognostic markers in patients with EOC.

Background The features and survival of stage IV breast cancer patients with different metastatic sites are poorly understood. This study aims to examine the clinicopathological features and survival of stage IV breast cancer patients according to different metastatic sites. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we restricted our study population to stage IV breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 to 2015. The clinicopathological features were examined by chi‐square tests. Breast cancer‐specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) were compared among patients with different metastatic sites by the Kaplan‐Meier method with log‐rank test. Univariable and multivariable analyses were also performed using the Cox proportional hazard model to identify statistically significant prognostic factors. Results A total of 18,322 patients were identified for survival analysis. Bone-only metastasis accounted for 39.80% of patients, followed by multiple metastasis (33.07%), lung metastasis (10.94%), liver metastasis (7.34%), other metastasis (7.34%), and brain metastasis (1.51%). The Kaplan‐Meier plots showed that patients with bone metastasis had the best survival, while patients with brain metastasis had the worst survival in both BCSS and OS ( p < 0.001, for both). Multivariable analyses showed that age, race, marital status, grade, tumor subtype, tumor size, surgery of primary cancer, and a history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion Stage IV breast cancer patients have different clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes according to different metastatic sites. Patients with bone metastasis have the best prognosis, and brain metastasis is the most aggressive subgroup.