Background For patients with melanoma, if there has been no recurrence of disease 10 years after initial treatment, additional disease is felt to be very unlikely. However, such late recurrence are known to occur. The frequency of this phenomenon and its clinical significance are not well characterized due to the difficulty in obtaining relevant data. We examined a large, mature, institutional database to evaluate late recurrence. Study Design The late recurrence cohort was defined as having a DFI of ≥10 years after potentially curative treatment and was compared to an early recurrence cohort recurring within 3 years. Actuarial late recurrence frequency and factors associated with late recurrence were examined. Post-recurrence overall and melanoma-specific survival and prognostic variables were analyzed. Results Among all patients, 408 exhibited late recurrence (mean DFI 15.7 years). For patients who received primary treatment at our institution with ≥10 years follow-up, 327/4731 (6.9%) showed late recurrence. On an actuarial basis, late recurrence rates were 6.8% and 11.3% at 15 and 20 years respectively for those with no recurrence at 10 years. Late recurrence was associated with both tumor (thin, non-ulcerated, non-head/neck, node negative) and patient (younger age, less male predominant) characteristics. Multivariate analysis confirmed younger age, thinner and node negative tumors in the late recurrence group. Late recurrences were more likely to be distant, but were associated with better post-recurrence survival on univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusions Late melanoma recurrence is not rare. It occurs more frequently in certain clinical groups and is associated with improved post-recurrence survival.

Immunohistochemical detection of FOXC1 expression in TNP invasive breast cancer is an independent prognostic indicator that is superior to conventional immunohistochemical surrogates of BLBC. Prospective validation is warranted to further define the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive utility of FOXC1 in breast cancer management and clinical trial design.

Melanoma is a prevalent and deadly disease with limited therapeutic options. Current prognostic factors are unable to adequately guide treatment. Circulating tumor cells are a disease-specific factor that can be used as a prognostic variable to guide therapy. Most research to date has focused on identification of circulating tumor cells using various methods, including polymerase chain reaction. These techniques, however, have poor sensitivity and variable specificity and predictive significance. A recently developed technology to identify circulating tumor cells is the CellSearch system. This system uses immunomagnetic cell labeling and digital microscopy. This technology may provide an alternative method to identify circulating tumor cells in patients with advanced-stage melanoma and function as a prognostic factor. We review the literature on circulating tumor cells in melanoma and present data collected at our institution using the CellSearch system in nine patients with stage III or IV melanoma.

Accurate determination of the size or extent of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by imaging is uncertain, and incomplete resection of tumor results in involved margins in up to 81% of cases. This study examined the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessment of DCIS size, and evaluated the effect of preoperative breast MRI on achievement of tumor-free surgical margins after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). One-hundred and fifty-eight female patients with DCIS were identified from a prospective database: 60 patients (62 cases) had preoperative breast MRI, and 98 patients did not have MRI. The accuracy of tumor size assessed by MRI was determined by comparison with histopathologic size. All patients underwent BCS initially. The rate of involved margins after resection was compared in MRI and no-MRI groups. The overall correlation between MRI size and histopathologic size was high (p < 0.0001). MRI assessment of size was significantly more accurate when DCIS was high grade (p < 0.0001) or intermediate grade (p = 0.005) versus low grade (p = 0.187). The rate of tumor-involved margins was not significantly different in MRI and no-MRI groups (30.7% and 24.7%, respectively; p = 0.414). The rate of mastectomy was significantly higher in the MRI group than the no-MRI group (17.7% versus 4.1%; p = 0.004). These findings indicate that MRI can detect DCIS, especially when lesions are high or intermediate grade, but that MRI does not accurately predict the size of DCIS. In this study, MRI did not improve the surgeon's ability to achieve clear margins following BCS.

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Key Clinical MessageWe present a case of hepatocellular carcinoma located within the pancreas. These tumors occur in the body and tail of the pancreas, with a male predominance, and at a younger age. Tumors with pure hepatocellular histopathology have better survival and recurrence rates and should be offered surgical therapy if possible.

The purpose of this study was to identify patients at risk for hypocalcemia after parathyroid surgery. The charts of 99 patients who underwent parathyroid surgery over a 2-year period using a rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) assay were retrospectively reviewed. Data for patient demographics, preoperative parathyroid hormone and calcium levels, IOPTH levels, and postoperative calcium levels were reviewed, and trends were analyzed for patients who had postoperative hypocalcemia. Of the 99 patients, 91 had one gland excised and 8 had two glands excised. Preoperative calcium levels ranged from 8.9 to 15.6 mg/dL. Sixty-seven of the patients had a >50% drop in IOPTH at 5 minutes, and 82 had a >50% drop in IOPTH by 10 minutes. Twelve patients had early hypocalcemia. Parathyroid weight and surgery type were not significant factors in predicting postoperative hypocalcemia. A drop of >80% in IOPTH at 10 minutes was a significant factor for postoperative hypocalcemia (P = 0.02). In addition, having normal or only minimally elevated preoperative calcium was an independent risk factor for postoperative hypocalcemia (P = 0.05). Our study has shown that postoperative calcium supplementation and in-hospital monitoring should be considered in patients with a preoperative calcium level in the normal range and with an IOPTH that has dropped by >80%.

40 Background: Preoperative assessment of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) is invaluable when considering nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). We hypothesized that breast MRI could predict involvement of the NAC with tumor. Methods: We compiled clinical, pathologic and imaging data for patients who underwent preoperative breast MRI followed by mastectomy or NSM between 2006 and 2009. Blinded rereview of all MRI studies was performed by a breast MRI imager and compared to initial MRI findings. Multivariate analysis identified variables predicting NAC involvement with tumor. Results: Of 77 breasts, 18 (23%) had tumor involving or within 1 cm of the NAC. The sensitivity of detecting pathologically confirmed NAC involvement was 61% with history and/or physical exam, and 56% with MRI. Univariate analysis identified the following variables as significant for NAC involvement: large tumors close to the nipple on preoperative MRI, node-positive disease, invasive lobular carcinoma, advanced pathologic T stage, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. On multivariate analysis, only tumor size > 2 cm and distance to the NAC < 2 cm on MRI maintained significance. Pearson correlation coefficient for MRI size compared to pathologic size was 0.53 (p<0.0001). Conclusions: MRI is not superior to thorough clinical evaluation for predicting tumor in or near the NAC. However, MRI-measured tumor size and distance from the NAC are correlated with increased risk of NAC involvement. Preoperative history and physical examination, tumor characteristics, plus breast MRI can aid the surgeon in planning for successful NSM.