Articles

Incidence of breast cancer subtypes in Belgium: a population-based study

BJMO - volume 14, issue 6, october 2020

L. van Walle MD, J. Vandeven , C. Colpaert MD, PhD, FP. Duhoux MD, PhD, P. Neven MD, PhD, L. Van Eycken MD, N. van Damme PhD

SUMMARY

The aim of this study is to provide a reference for the Belgian breast cancer population, offering detailed information on various patient and tumour characteristics for the breast cancer population as a whole, as well as for the different molecular subtypes. Incidence data for primary invasive breast cancer in females diagnosed in 2014 were selected in the Belgian cancer registration database and underwent individual manual reviewing of the pathology protocols. Subsequently, in 95% of the study population a surrogate molecular subtype was successfully derived, using the combined expression of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, and tumour differentiation grade as surrogate for the proliferation marker Ki67, in conformity with the 2011 St Gallen surrogate classification. Ultimately, differences between the molecular subtypes regarding initial presentation and histopathological features were evaluated by means of a Pearson Chi-squared test for independence. Furthermore, relative survival was calculated for the different molecular subtypes. Histologically, the large majority of the Belgian breast cancer population presents with invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (NST), formerly called invasive ductal carcinoma (75.2%), 14.5% with invasive lobular carcinoma and 5.8% with mixed ductal/lobular invasive carcinoma. Less than five percent of the population harbours less frequently occurring histological subtypes. The Belgian breast cancers are predominantly of the luminal A-like subtype (54.4%), followed by the luminal B-like HER2 negative (14.7%) and the luminal B-like HER2 positive subtype (12.2%). The mean age at diagnosis is 62 years, with almost a third of the patients being 70 years or older. One out of five patients is younger than 50 years, and in the triple negative population this group counts for 31.9%, compared to 16.6% in the luminal A-like breast carcinomas. Most patients (69.4%) are diagnosed with early stage breast cancer (clinical stage 0-II); six percent of the breast cancers are clinically metastasised at the time of diagnosis. For 19% of the patients, information on clinical stage was lacking or staging was not applicable. The unadjusted five-year relative survival proportion for the Belgian cohort is 91.4%. Luminal A-like breast cancer opposed to triple negative breast cancer have the best and worst relative survival, with respectively 96.8% and 77.4% five-year relative survival proportions.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(6):263-73)

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Molecular test algorithms for breast tumours

BJMO - volume 13, issue 2, march 2019

Ir A. Hébrant PhD, K. Punie MD, F.P. Duhoux MD, PhD, C. Colpaert MD, PhD, G. Floris MD, PhD, K. Lambein MD, PhD, P. Neven MD, PhD, M. Berlière MD, PhD, R. Salgado MD, PhD, M. Chintinne MD, PhD, K. Dahan MD, PhD, S. Dedeurwaerdere MD, J. De Grève MD, PhD, A. de Leener MD, PhD, H. Denys MD, PhD, R. de Putter MD, L. Desmyter PhD, M. Baldewijns MD, PhD, D. Feret MD, C. Fontaine MD, C. Galant MD, P. Hilbert PhD, J. Janssens MD, PhD, D. Larsimont MD, PhD, P. Lefesvre MD, PhD, T. Sticca PhD, M-D. Tkint de Roodenbeke MD, G. Van Den Eynden MD, PhD, I. Vanden Bempt MD, PhD, C. Van den Broecke MD, I. Vandernoot MD, C. Sotiriou MD, PhD, J. van Dorpe MD, PhD, H.A. Poirel MD, PhD, E. Van Valckenborgh PhD, G. Raicevic PhD, M. Van den Bulcke PhD, P. Aftimos MD

SUMMARY

In order to advise the Federal Government on all matters related to personalised medicine in oncology, including the reimbursement of molecular tests, the Commission of Personalized Medicine (ComPerMed) has applied, for the breast tumours, the same methodology as previously applied for the digestive tumours. Meaning, the different molecular tests, represented in the shape of algorithms, are annotated with test levels — which aim to reflect their relevance based on current available data and to define the reimbursement — and are documented with recent literature, guidelines and a brief technical description.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2019;13(2):40–45)

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Update of the Belgian guidelines for HER2 testing in breast cancer

BJMO - volume 8, issue 4, september 2014

K. Lambein MD, PhD, Y. Guiot PhD, C. Galant MD, R. Salgado MD, PhD, C. Colpaert MD, PhD

This update of the Belgian guidelines for HER2 testing is based on the updated recommendations recently published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the College of American Pathologists.1–3

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2014;8(4):109–15)

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Concerning a previously published practice guidelines article

BJMO - volume 6, issue 5, october 2012

C. Colpaert MD, PhD, K. Lambein MD, PhD, on behalf of the Belgian Working Group for Breast Pathology

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2012;6:183-184)

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