Frontiers in Oncology最新文献

{"title":"Recombinant human adenovirus type 5 administration for the treatment of malignant ascites or pleural effusion in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.","authors":"Changsong Duan, Xue Liu","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1592995","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1592995","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>H101 (recombinant human adenovirus type 5) has favorable efficacy and safety in cancer patients with malignant ascites (MA) or pleural effusion (MPE). However, a comprehensive evaluation has not yet been conducted. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively investigate the efficacy and safety of H101 in these patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251052407). A comprehensive study search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wan Fang, CNKI, and SinoMed until October 2024. Studies reporting on the remission and safety results in cancer patients with MA/MPE treated with H101 were screened. The overall remission rates (ORRs) of ascites or pleural effusion and adverse reactions were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 13 studies involving 993 patients were included. The pooled ORR was 69.9% (95%CI = 63.5%-76.4%). The pooled rates of fever, nausea or vomiting, and leukopenia were 22.5% (95%CI = 10.2%-34.9%), 14.0% (95%CI = 6.8%-21.2%), and 24.3% (95%CI = 9.6%-39.1%), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that the ORR was higher in studies with a single cancer type than in those with multiple cancer types (<i>p</i> = 0.012). There was no publication bias in the ORR, the rate of nausea or vomiting, or the rate of leukopenia. The publication bias in the rate of fever was corrected using the trim-and-fill method, and the adjusted rate was 5.4% (95%CI = 0.0%-22.0%). All of the included studies were of high-quality, with a low risk of bias. The sensitivity analysis revealed high robustness of the results.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>H101 is effective and safe for the treatment of MA/MPE in patients with cancer and may be a promising modality for their clinical management.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1592995"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483890/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Case Report: En bloc resection of inferior vena cava and renal cell carcinoma with level IV tumor thrombus associated with tumor thrombus embolization to the pulmonary arteries: presence of blood vessels inside the tumor thrombus.","authors":"Juan Dugarte, Daniel H Buitrago, Ramona Nicolau-Raducu, Joshua P Raber, Hugo Kaneku, Angel Alvarez, Gaetano Ciancio","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1511980","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1511980","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an aggressive kidney cancer often diagnosed at an advanced stage. This type of kidney tumor can be associated with tumor thrombus (TT), which can extend into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and, in severe cases, into the right side of the heart. Managing RCC with TT is particularly complex when extension of the TT into the right heart is present, as the use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) aid in performing a complete TT surgical resection. In terms of tumor neo-vessels, solid tumors such as RCC-TT depend on a vascularized connective tissue stroma for growth, proliferation and malformation which are supported by various factors promoting these processes. Herein, we present the case of a 69-year-old patient with a right renal tumor with a TT extending through the IVC up into the right side of the heart. During the surgery, a segment of the TT embolized into the pulmonary arteries, highlighting the surgical challenges, the use of CPB, and TEE in managing such cases, as well as discussing the implications of finding blood vessels inside the TT.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1511980"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12484219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of systemic immune inflammation index in predicting melanoma.","authors":"Qingxiu Tao, Chunli Wang, Long Zeng, Mengjie Mao, Yingchun Lu, Chunyu Wang, Bin Liu","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1612579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1612579","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many malignancies arise in the context of chronic infection, persistent irritation, or unresolved inflammation, and the inflammatory environment is closely associated with tumor cell proliferation and metastatic spread. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), calculated from peripheral lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts, has been investigated as a prognostic biomarker in several solid tumors, but its role in melanoma is not well defined. Data from the 2003-2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between SII and melanoma. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to sex, age, marital status, body mass index, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. A cross-sectional study including 39,200 participants from eight NHANES cycles (2003-2018) was conducted, and logistic regression was applied to quantify the association between SII and melanoma. After categorizing SII into tertiles, the unadjusted model indicated that individuals in the highest tertile had a 57% higher melanoma risk compared with those in the lowest tertile (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.06-2.34; p = 0.024). After adjusting for potential confounders, the highest SII tertile remained associated with a 48% increased risk (OR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.01-2.01; p = 0.047). Higher SII levels were also significantly associated with increased risk in the hypercholesterolemia subgroup (OR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08-1.64; p = 0.008). These findings indicate a moderate positive association between SII and melanoma incidence, suggesting that SII may be a simple and accessible biomarker for early detection. To address the limitations of cross-sectional analysis, an external validation cohort was established at our tertiary oncology center. Between 2017 and 2018, 101 pathologically confirmed melanoma patients and 207 contemporaneous non-melanoma controls were recruited. In multivariable logistic regression, the highest SII tertile was associated with a 2.6-fold higher melanoma risk compared with the lowest tertile (OR = 2.60; 95% CI, 1.19-5.69; p = 0.017). These external data support SII as a potential indicator of melanoma risk; however, further validation in prospective cohort studies is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1612579"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483850/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenomenological insights into the FLASH radiotherapy-induced abscopal effect.","authors":"Paolo Castorina, Gianluca Ferini, Francesco Romano","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1657392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1657392","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The abscopal effect suggests that the impact of radiotherapy extends beyond the direct tumor local regression, due to activation of the immune response. Its effectiveness may vary depending on whether high- or low-radiation doses are used. In FLASH therapy, the high-dose rate treatment induces systemic effects that may trigger an abscopal response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We discuss a phenomenological, computational model, based on available <i>in vivo</i> FLASH radiotherapy data, to quantitatively analyze the possible synergistic effects with the immune system to produce a systemic effect.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The method enables a quantitative assessment of the interaction between FLASH radiotherapy and the activated immune response, based on observations of metastatic shrinkage due to the FLASH treatment of the primary tumor.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1657392"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cardiovascular comorbidities and cancer-directed therapies in Hispanic breast cancer patients: a two-center analysis from the Southwestern U.S.","authors":"Tomas Escobar Gil, Emily Sherry, Oscar Felipe Borja Montes, Alexandra Claire Millhuff, Valeria Guadalupe Hanson, Victoria Ayodele, Aymen Baig, Jacklyn Marie Nemunaitis, Marcela Mazo Canola","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1637171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1637171","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality among breast cancer survivors, particularly affecting Hispanic women due to a high burden of comorbidities and treatment-related toxicities. However, real-world cardiovascular risk and treatment patterns in this population remain under-characterized.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective review of 394 Hispanic patients with stage I-III breast cancer treated with curative intent between 2022 and 2023 at two institutions in the Southwestern U.S. Data included demographics, cancer therapy, cardiovascular comorbidities, and medication use.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cohort had a mean age of 59.9 years and a mean BMI of 30.1 kg/m². Cardiovascular comorbidities were present in 57.5% of patients, which appears numerically higher than rates reported in prior breast cancer cohorts (~40%). Hypertension (45.7%) and diabetes (24.3%) also appeared numerically more common than prior national estimates. Among hypertensive patients, 73.9% were receiving antihypertensives, which is numerically lower than previously published rates (~77%). In contrast, 94.2% of patients with hyperlipidemia were on statins, numerically higher than prior reports (~70%). All patients with CVD were receiving aspirin. Chemotherapy was administered to 66% of the cohort, a numerically higher rate than prior Hispanic breast cancer studies (~48%). Anthracycline use (19.2%) aligned with national de-escalation trends.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hispanic patients with breast cancer in the Southwestern U.S. face a high burden of cardiovascular disease and numerically lower rates of antihypertensive use. These findings support the need for regionally tailored, integrated cardio-oncology approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1637171"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12484042/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of autophagy-related genes and immune dysregulation reveals a prognostic landscape in multiple myeloma.","authors":"Yibo Xia, Dong Zheng, Xinyi Zhang, Shuxia Zhu, Enqing Lan, Hansen Ying, Zixing Chen, Bingxin Zhang, Shujuan Zhou, Yu Zhang, Xuanru Lin, Qiang Zhuang, Honglan Qian, Xudong Hu, Yan Zhuang, Qianying Zhang, Xiangjing Zhou, Zuoting Xie, Songfu Jiang, Yongyong Ma, Zhouxiang Jin, Sisi Zheng","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1635596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1635596","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Autophagy is a self-renewal mechanism in which cells degrade damaged organelles or abnormal proteins through lysosomes. This process eliminates harmful components within the cell and maintains energy homeostasis. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by uncontrolled plasma cell proliferation. Autophagy plays a dual role in tumorigenesis, yet its prognostic implications in MM remain underexplored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Transcriptomic and clinical data from 1,386 MM patients (training cohort: GSE136337, n = 415; validation cohorts: GSE24080, n = 558; GSE4581, n = 413) were analyzed. A seven-gene signature (ATIC, CDKN1A, DNAJB9, EDEM1, GABARAPL1, RAB1A, VAMP7) was identified using LASSO-Cox regression. Predictive performance of the autophagy-related model was assessed via Kaplan-Meier analysis, ROC curves, and nomograms. Immune infiltration, drug sensitivity, and functional pathways of the autophagy-related model were evaluated using CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, and GSEA. The gene expression in the autophagy prognostic model was verified by qRT-PCR in the U266 and RPMI8226 cell lines and blood samples of multiple myeloma patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The autophagy-related risk score stratified patients into high-risk and low-risk groups with distinct survival outcomes (high-risk HR = 0.391, 95%CI:0.284-0.540, p < 0.001). The model demonstrated robust predictive accuracy (5-year AUC = 0.729) and was independently validated. High-risk patients exhibited elevated immune checkpoint expression (CD48, CD70, BTLA), stromal infiltration, and drug resistance. Functional enrichment linked high-risk profiles to MYC activation and oxidative phosphorylation. Through qRT-PCR, the accuracy of the autophagy-related model has been verified in the U266 and RPMI8226 cell lines, as well as in the blood samples of multiple myeloma patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This autophagy-related gene signature provides a reliable prognostic tool for MM, highlighting immune dysregulation and therapeutic resistance mechanisms. Its integration with clinical parameters enhances risk stratification and treatment planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1635596"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perioperative immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients with resectable NSCLC: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Yue Cao, Yumeng Tian, Lin Li","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1589846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1589846","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Perioperative immunotherapy has shown promising results in patients with resectable stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its benefits for the specific subgroup of elderly patients remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative immunotherapy in elderly NSCLC patients aged 65 and above, focusing on key metrics such as pathological complete response (pCR), event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials that reported subgroup data on elderly patients regarding pCR rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for EFS and OS. Data were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, and proceedings of oncology conferences from January 2020 to June 2025.A fixed effects model was used for the meta-analysis. Aggregated pooled HRs for time-to-event outcomes (EFS and OS), odds ratios (OR) and risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous outcomes (pCR) were calculated specifically for patients aged ≥65 years who received perioperative immunotherapy or placebo.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 8 randomized controlled trials involving 1561 patients aged ≥65 years with resectable NSCLC were included. A significant benefit was observed in terms of pCR (risk ratio, 5.26; 95% CI, 3.54 - 7.82; I² = 0%) and EFS (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.55 - 0.74; I² = 7%) for patients aged ≥65 years who received perioperative immunotherapy compared with placebo.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that perioperative immunotherapy was superior to placebo in terms of pathological and event-free survival for patients aged ≥65 years. These findings provide age-specific evidence to inform precision decision-making for treating the elderly patients.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420250654072.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1589846"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483896/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ectopic breast fibroadenoma of the vulva: a case report.","authors":"Yixiao He, Gang Xie, Yuzhu Ji, Yu Shi, Yushuang He, Xue Lei","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1602250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1602250","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vulvar ectopic breast fibroadenoma (EBF) is an exceptionally rare benign neoplasm that lacks distinctive clinical or radiological features rendering pre-operative differentiation from other vulvar masses challenging. Definitive diagnosis requires histopathological confirmation. Two non-exclusive histogenetic hypotheses have been proposed: (1) derivation from ectopic breast tissue along the embryonic \"milk line,\" (2) origin from hormonally responsive anogenital mammary-like glands with latent potential for benign or malignant transformation.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 41-year-old woman presented with an incidentally discovered, slowly enlarging, painless right vulvar mass. Ultrasonography revealed a well-circumscribed hypoechoic nodule. Complete surgical excision was performed, and histopathological evaluation-including immunohistochemistry for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, GATA3, and p63-confirmed ectopic breast fibroadenoma. No recurrence was detected at 3-month follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite its rarity, vulvar EBF must be considered in the differential diagnosis of vulvar masses in reproductive-age women. En-bloc excision is curative; however, long-term surveillance is warranted to monitor for hormone-driven recurrence or malignant evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1602250"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483864/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Etoposide and cisplatin in combination with anlotinib for lung NUT carcinoma: a case report.","authors":"Yuxing Sun, Jiangyu Bian, Linfeng Wang, Tong Zhang","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1632133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1632133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lung NUT carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor, which is highly aggressive, poorly differentiated, and difficult to recognize at an early stage, and is associated with very rare reports and extremely poor prognosis, with some reports showing a mOS of only 2.2 months. In this paper, we report the treatment of a rare case of primary lung NUT cancer. After surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, the patient's progression-free survival is now more than 4 months, which provides a feasible treatment option for lung NUT cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1632133"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483845/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The clinicopathological characteristics, oncologic outcomes and costs of \"HER2-low\" early breast cancer compared to HER2-zero and HER2-positive: a single-centre retrospective analysis.","authors":"Patrícia Rafaela Rodrigues, Luísa Lopes-Conceição, Virgínia Sousa, Andreia Coutada, Maria José Bento, Nuno Coimbra, Conceição Leal, Deolinda Pereira, Ana Magalhães Ferreira","doi":"10.3389/fonc.2025.1579602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1579602","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease commonly classified based on hormone receptor (HR) status and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression. Recently, an intermediate category termed \"HER2-low\" has drawn attention for its potential prognostic and therapeutic implications. This study aimed to characterize the clinicopathological features, oncologic outcomes, and costs of \"HER2-low\" early breast cancer (eBC) in comparison with HER2-zero (HER2-0) and HER2-positive eBC.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A single-center, retrospective analysis included patients with stage I-IIIA eBC diagnosed from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were categorized into HER2-0, \"HER2-low\" (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-negative), or HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or IHC 2+/ISH-positive). Clinicopathological data, direct medical costs, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were examined. Kaplan-Meier analyses compared survival outcomes among groups, and Chi-square tests assessed differences in clinical characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 1,138 patients, 35.1% were HER2-0, 45.3% were \"HER2-low\", and 19.5% were HER2-positive. \"HER2-low\" eBC showed higher rates of HR positivity compared with HER2-0 (94% vs. 89%, p=0.018) and more frequent nodal involvement (39% vs. 30%, p=0.014). Compared with HER2-positive disease, \"HER2-low\" tumors presented at earlier stages, had fewer grade 3 tumors, and were less frequently treated with chemotherapy (56% vs. 83%, p<0.001). No significant differences were observed in DFS or OS among the three groups within the study's follow-up period. Costs were highest for patients with HER2-positive eBC, primarily driven by targeted therapies (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, T-DM1).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While \"HER2-low\" eBC demonstrates distinct clinicopathological features-particularly in terms of HR positivity and histological grade-this intermediate phenotype did not exhibit worse oncologic outcomes compared with HER2-0 or HER2-positive disease in the observed timeframe. Further research is needed to validate these findings and clarify the prognostic and therapeutic significance of \"HER2-low\" eBC, especially as new HER2-targeting agents emerge.</p>","PeriodicalId":12482,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Oncology","volume":"15 ","pages":"1579602"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483866/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145212206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}