Conventional benign tumor excision leaves scars on the skin surface of the breast, which is unacceptable for young patients. The feasibility and clinical results of endoscopic resection of benign breast tumors through a single axillary incision via an inflatable method were evaluated.
METHODS: Clinicopathological data from 62 patients who underwent this procedure from June 2022 to July 2023 were retrospectively collected. The surgical success rate, number of tumors excised, operative time, intraoperative conditions, postoperative complications, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.
RESULTS: A total of 144 benign tumors were resected, and the surgical success rate was 100% (62/62). The time required to resect tumors located in the inner quadrant with larger diameters was shorter than the time to resect tumors located in the outer quadrant with smaller tumors. Sixty-two patients experienced reduced intraoperative bleeding and did not experience skin burns, incision infections, or poor healing. However, all patients experienced varying degrees of subcutaneous emphysema during the postoperative period. Fourteen patients experienced minor local effusions, and 3 patients experienced mild upper limb dysfunction, which resolved within one month. During the six-month follow-up period, there were no cases of tumor recurrence or new tumors. The ABNSW score was above 14 points, and patient satisfaction was high.
CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection of benign breast tumors through a single incision in the axilla via the inflatable method could quickly remove lesions larger than 3.0 cm. This method also results in hidden scars and good cosmetic effects on the shape of the breast. This is a new and effective treatment for benign breast tumors.
BACKGROUND: This retrospective study was registered in the National Medical Research Registry filing system ( https://www.medicalresearch.org.cn ) (No. MR-44-22-007981) and recorded in the Medical Research Division of our hospital (No. NYXJS-22-021).

UNASSIGNED: Endoscopic curative excision of benign breast diseases (BBDs) can preserve the cosmetic appearance of the breast. However, endoscopic surgery is not feasible, and some challenges still need to be addressed. Traditional line marker localization methods cannot visualize tumors, and the exploration of deep tumors may lead to certain risks of accidental injury. This study aimed to investigate the value of the methylene blue location (MBL) technique in endoscopic resection of deep-seated benign breast tumors.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 217 patients with benign deep breast tumors admitted to the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between November 2017 and June 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 107 patients underwent endoscopic resection with a MBL, in which methylene blue was injected to guide the tumor resection endoscopically, whereas 110 patients underwent endoscopic resection with a skin mark location (SML), in which the tumor was located by a marking line on the skin. We compared patient characteristics, surgery-related data, complications, and cosmetic outcomes between the two groups.
UNASSIGNED: Endoscopic breast tumor resection was successfully performed in 217 patients, none of whom had undergone open surgery. The mean operation time was significantly different between the MBL and SML groups (45.70±12.508 and 49.59±10.997 min, respectively; P=0.008<0.05), and blood loss in the MBL group was significantly reduced compared with that in the SML group (11.07±5.665 and 13.83±7.918 mL, respectively; P=0.004<0.05). There were no significant differences in drainage volume, length of hospital stay, or postoperative complications between the MBL and SML groups (P>0.05). The postoperative cosmetic outcomes of the patients were noteworthy, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups.
UNASSIGNED: The methylene blue positioning technique is safe and effective for the endoscopic treatment of deep breast tumors. It shortens operation time, reduces surgical complications, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

BACKGROUND: Benign breast lumps affect 10% of women in their lifetimes. Endoscopic surgery could be an alternative surgical technique for benign breast tumors because it is performed through small wounds hidden in inconspicuous areas. The aim of this study was to explore the safety and esthetic effects of endoscopic surgery in the treatment of benign breast disease.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 363 patients with benign breast tumors from August 2021 to December 2023 in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, of whom 118 underwent transaxillary single-port endoscopic surgery and 245 underwent traditional open surgery. Clinicopathologic characteristics, surgery type, hospital stay, and complications were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the procedure for benign breast tumors.
RESULTS: Breast tumor resection was successfully performed in 363 patients by endoscopic surgery or traditional open surgery. Endoscopic procedures demonstrated longer durations of surgery (98.54 ± 35.17 min vs. 70.28 ± 26.06 min, p < 0.01) and postoperative drainage (64.30 ± 34.92 mL vs.18.49 ± 19.86 mL, p < 0.01), but there was less blood loss. The nipple-areolar complex of the patients who underwent endoscopic resection was significantly more sensitive than the traditional open surgery group. Patients in the endoscopic group reported higher satisfaction with surgical outcome (13.10 ± 1.97 vs. 12.63 ± 1.90, p < 0.01). And there was a significant difference in the wound scar and cosmetic outcome total score between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Transaxillary single-port endoscopic surgery is effective and safe and improves postoperative nipple-areolar sensation and cosmetic outcome, as compared to the conventional technique.

Myofibroblastoma (MFB) is a rare but benign mesenchymal tumor most commonly appearing within breast tissue. Most cases of MFB occur in postmenopausal women and are treated by surgical excision. The diagnosis of MFB is made through immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis, with the most common biomarkers being CD34+, desmin+, smooth muscle actin+, and vimentin+. In this article, we describe a case of an MFB in a premenopausal female with variance from classic IHC findings. We also performed a systemic review of the MFB of the breast. The systemic review compiles the most common IHC findings of MFB, patient demographics, treatment methods, lesion size, and the presence or absence of pain associated with the lesion. As MFB can share many features with other breast lesions, including potentially malignant ones, this article sought to underline the most common IHC findings and characteristics of MFB to aid in the proper diagnosis of MFB.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a pathophysiological role in cancer initiation and progression. Numerous studies have examined an association between MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-11 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer (BC); however, no research has been done on the MMP expression levels in BC cases from Ethiopia.
METHODS: A total of 58 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast tissue samples encompassing 16 benign breast tumors and 42 BC were collected. The RNA was extracted and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR was performed. GraphPad Prism version 8.0.0 was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: The MMP-11 expression levels were significantly higher in breast cancer cases than in benign breast tumors (P = 0.012). Additionally, BC cases with positive lymph nodes and ER-positive receptors had higher MMP-11, MMP-9, and MMP-2 expression than cases with negative lymph nodes and ER-negative, respectively. The MMP-11 and MMP-9 expressions were higher in grade III and luminal A-like tumors than in grade I-II and other subtypes, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The MMP-11 expression was higher in BC than in benign breast tumors. Additionally, MMP-11, MMP-9, and MMP-2 were higher in BC with positive lymph nodes and estrogen receptors. Our findings suggest an important impact of MMPs in BC pathophysiology, particularly MMP-11.

This nonrandomized prospective clinical trial aimed to assess the efficacy, safety and follow-up outcomes of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) surgery in patients with breast fibroadenoma.
With the approval of the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent, a total of 113 patients diagnosed with breast fibroadenoma by core-needle biopsy in our hospital were recruited. USgHIFU surgery was performed under local anesthesia. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) or contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI) was performed to evaluate the nonperfused volume (NPV). The patients were followed up with physical examination and ultrasound imaging.
The clinical outcome of 85 patients with 147 fibroadenomas with a follow-up time of more than 3 months was analyzed in this study. Fifty-two patients had one lesion, twenty-one patients had two lesions and twelve patients had more than two lesions. During USgHIFU, the median localization time for all fibroadenomas was 3 (interquartile range: 1, 5) min, and the median treatment time was 9 (interquartile range: 5, 15) min. Under local anesthesia, all the patients tolerated the treatment well. No serious epidermal burns were observed in any of the patients. Based on CEUS or CEMRI imaging evaluation, the median NPV ratio was 100% (interquartile range: 79.2%, 116.8%). The VRR were 26.77 ± 50.05%, 50.22 ± 42.01% and 72.74 ± 35.39% at 3-6 months, 6-12 months and >12 months, respectively, which showed significant statistical difference (p < .001).
Ultrasound-guided HIFU surgery is an effective and safe noninvasive alternative technique for the treatment of breast fibroadenoma.

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness, safety, and reliability of the breast biopsy and circumferential excision system.
It was designed as a multicenter, randomized, open-label, positive control, noninferiority trial. A total of 168 subjects who met the breast lesion screening requirements of the clinical trial protocol were randomly divided into a breast biopsy and circumferential excision dual cutting system test group or Mammotome control group. The main outcome was the successful removal rate of suspected lumps during surgery. Secondary outcomes included the operative times for individual lumps, weight of removed cord tissue, and several indicators of device performance. Safety indicators, including routine blood, blood biochemical and electrocardiogram examinations, were measured at baseline and 24 hours and 48 hours after the operation. Postoperative complications and combined medication use were observed and recorded until 7 days after the operation.
The results showed no significant differences in efficacy and safety between the 2 groups (main efficacy, P = .7463; all secondary efficacy indicators, P > .05, except weight of removed cord tissue [P = .0070] and touch sensitivity of the device interface [P = .0275]; all safety indicators, P > .05). The results suggested that the test device is effective and is acceptable safe for use in breast lesion biopsy.
For patients with a high incidence of breast lesions, the results of this study provide a safe, effective, sensitive and accessible option for the removal of breast mass biopsies at a price much lower than that of imported devices.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the application of ultrasound-guided thoracic nerve block (TNB) in the operation of benign breast tumors.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 69 patients who underwent resection of benign breast tumors (fibroma, segment) in the Maternity and Child Care Center of Qinhuangdao from January 2021 to June 2022. Among them, 33 patients who received TNB were assigned to an observation group, and 36 patients who received local infiltration anesthesia were assigned to a control group. The heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of patients were recorded before anesthesia (T0), at skin incision (T1), at 0.5 h after operation (T2) and before leaving the operating room (T3). We also recorded the operation indexes, comprising operation time, total propofol dosage administered during operation, anesthesia recovery time and extubation time. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score was evaluated at 0.5, 2, 4 and 6 h after the operation. The two groups were also compared in terms of the levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The postoperative adverse reactions in the two groups were statistically analyzed.
RESULTS: Compared with the observation group, the control group experienced a longer operation time, anesthesia recovery time and extubation time and consumed more propofol (P < 0.001). At T0 and T1, the two groups were not notably different in SBP, DBP and HR (P > 0.05), but at T2 and T3, the control group showed higher SBP, DBP and HR than the observation group (P < 0.001). The control group exhibited notably higher VAS scores than the observation group (P < 0.001). Before operation, the differences in the levels of IgA, IgG, IL-6 and TNF-α were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05), while after operation and at 24 h after operation, the control group showed higher levels of IgA, IgG, IL-6 and TNF-α in comparison to the observation group (P < 0.01). The incidences of adverse reactions were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided TNB can substantially reduce both the operation time and the postoperative pain in patients with benign breast tumors, without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions.

BACKGROUND: Neurofibroma of the breast is extremely rare, with only a few reported cases. Here, we report a case of solitary neurofibroma of the breast in a 95-year-old woman.
METHODS: A 95-year-old woman presented with a palpable mass in the left breast. Mammography revealed a well-defined mass. A 1.6-cm round mass was found in the lower outer quadrant of the left breast on ultrasonography. The internal echo of the tumor was a mixture of relatively uniform hypoechoic areas with posterior enhancement and heterogeneous hyperechoic areas. She underwent a core needle biopsy. The pathological findings revealed a spindle cell lesion with no malignant findings. At 2 months follow-up, repeat breast ultrasonography showed that the mass had enlarged to be 2.7 cm in size. A repeat core needle biopsy, however, revealed no particularly new information. Because the tumor was growing and a definite diagnosis was not made, lumpectomy was performed. We found bland-spindled cells with shredded-carrot collagen bundles. Immunohistochemical antibody markers (S100, SOX10, and CD34) were positive for the spindle cells. Some of the tumors maintained the bilayer nature of luminal cells and myoepithelial cells, which might be the reason for internal heterogeneity on ultrasound. A histological diagnosis of neurofibroma with adenosis was made. At 6 months follow-up, no recurrent lesions were found.
CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound and pathological images revealed an extremely rare case of neurofibroma combined with adenosis. Tumor resection was performed because it was difficult to make a definitive diagnosis using needle biopsy. Even when a benign tumor is suspected, short-term follow-up is necessary, and if an enlargement is observed, early tumor resection is recommended.

High-risk benign breast tumors are known to develop breast cancer at high rates. However, it is still controversial whether they should be removed during diagnosis or followed up until cancer development becomes evident. Therefore, this study sought to identify circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) that could serve as detection markers of cancers arising from high-risk benign tumors. Small RNA-seq was performed using plasma samples collected from patients with early-stage breast cancer (CA) and high-risk (HB), moderate-risk (MB), and no-risk (Be) benign breast tumors. Proteomic profiling of CA and HB plasma was performed to investigate the underlying functions of the identified miRNAs. Our findings revealed that four miRNAs, hsa-mir-128-3p, hsa-mir-421, hsa-mir-130b-5p, and hsa-mir-28-5p, were differentially expressed in CA vs. HB and had diagnostic power to discriminate CA from HB with AUC scores greater than 0.7. Enriched pathways based on the target genes of these miRNAs indicated their association with IGF-1. Furthermore, the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis performed on the proteomic data revealed that the IGF-1 signaling pathway was significantly enriched in CA vs. HB. In conclusion, these findings suggest that these miRNAs could potentially serve as biomarkers for detecting early-stage breast cancer from high-risk benign tumors by monitoring IGF signaling-induced malignant transformation.