Desire for pregnancy and fertility preservation in young patients with breast cancer.

Background: Data on the desire for pregnancy and the status of fertility preservation (FP) in patients with breast cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the status of patients with breast cancer who desired pregnancy and FP implementation before systemic therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study surveyed the institutional clinical databases and electronic medical records of patients aged < 43 years with stages 0-III primary breast cancer during surgery and treated between April 2020 and March 2021.

Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproduction in Patients With Breast Cancer Interrupting Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy to Attempt Pregnancy.

Purpose: We investigated time to pregnancy, efficacy and safety of fertility preservation, and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in women with early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) desiring future pregnancy.

Patients And Methods: POSITIVE is an international, single-arm, prospective trial, in which 518 women temporarily interrupted adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy. We evaluated menstruation recovery and factors associated with time to pregnancy and investigated if ART use was associated with achieving pregnancy.

Primary ovarian insufficiency associated with lenvatinib therapy in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report.

The therapeutic effects of molecular targeted drugs are, in some cases, more pronounced than those of conventional chemotherapy, and their introduction as a standard treatment is increasing. The present report describes a case of ovarian insufficiency in a young woman caused by tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib. The 25-year-old woman received lenvatinib (8 mg/day) for 98 days as preoperative chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Interrupting Endocrine Therapy to Attempt Pregnancy after Breast Cancer.

Background: Prospective data on the risk of recurrence among women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer who temporarily discontinue endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a single-group trial in which we evaluated the temporary interruption of adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy in young women with previous breast cancer. Eligible women were 42 years of age or younger; had had stage I, II, or III disease; had received adjuvant endocrine therapy for 18 to 30 months; and desired pregnancy.

Oncofertility-related psycho-educational therapy for young adult patients with breast cancer and their partners: Randomized controlled trial.

Background: A couples' psycho-educational program called Oncofertility! Psycho-Education and Couple Enrichment (O!PEACE) therapy was created and its effect when provided before cancer treatment was examined.

Methods: This multicenter randomized controlled trial with nonmasking, parallel two-group comparison enrolled women aged 20 to 39 years with early-stage breast cancer and their partners. They were randomly assigned to receive O!PEACE (37 couples) or usual care (37 couples).

Childbirth after perioperative systemic therapy in patients with breast cancer: a retrospective single institutional study in Japan.

Background: The number of breast cancer patients of childbearing age has been increasing. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics and the childbearing status of the patients who received systemic therapy for breast cancer during their childbearing age to better understand the clinical impact of childbirth.

Methods: Female patients with breast cancer younger than 40 years old who underwent surgery and received perioperative systemic therapy from 2007 to 2014 were included in this study.

The impact of obesity and endocrine therapy on the prognosis of premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: A single-institute retrospective study.

Background: Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with worse prognosis in pre- and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer (BC). However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the optimal adjuvant endocrine therapy for obese premenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive BC.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of obesity and adjuvant endocrine therapy on prognosis in premenopausal patients with BC.

Who are the women who enrolled in the POSITIVE trial: A global study to support young hormone receptor positive breast cancer survivors desiring pregnancy.

Background: Premenopausal women with early hormone-receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer receive 5-10 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) during which pregnancy is contraindicated and fertility may wane. The POSITIVE study investigates the impact of temporary ET interruption to allow pregnancy.

Methods: POSITIVE enrolled women with stage I-III HR + early breast cancer, ≤42 years, who had received 18-30 months of adjuvant ET and wished to interrupt ET for pregnancy.

Physician's knowledge, attitudes and practice pattern for breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy: a survey among breast care specialists in Japan.

Background: Breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy (BCP) is uncommon, and thus there is limited evidence on its treatment. However, the incidence of BCP is increasing probably due to women having children at an older age. We aimed to clarify the practice patterns and limitations in treatment for BCP in Japan.

Surgical excision without whole breast irradiation for complete resection of ductal carcinoma in situ identified using strict, unified criteria.

Background: The definition of complete resection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is difficult to standardize because of the high variety of surgical breast conserving procedures, specimen handling, and pathological examinations. Using strictly controlled criteria in a single institute, the present study aimed to determine the ipsilateral breast cancer rate when radiotherapy is omitted following complete resection of DCIS.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 363 consecutive DCIS patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery, and of these, 125 (34.

Young adult breast cancer patients have a poor prognosis independent of prognostic clinicopathological factors: a study from the Japanese Breast Cancer Registry.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether young age at onset of breast cancer is an independent prognostic factor in patients from the Japanese Breast Cancer Registry, after adjustment of known clinicopathological prognostic factors.

Methods: Of the 53,670 patients registered between 2004 and 2006 and surveyed after a 5-year follow-up prognosis, 25,898 breast cancer patients (48.3 %), who were obtained prognostic data, were examined.

Decreased hormonal sensitivity after childbirth rather than the tumor size influences the prognosis of very young breast cancer patients.

Purpose: There is a significant difference in the mean tumor size between very young breast cancer patients and their elder counterparts. A simple comparison may show obvious prognostic differences. We investigated the prognostic impact of age by reducing the influence of the tumor size, which is thought to be a confounding factor.

No increase in breast cancer risk in Japanese women taking oral contraceptives: a case-control study investigating reproductive, menstrual and familial risk factors for breast cancer.

Background: Low-dose oral contraceptives (OC) were approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 1999, yet despite their contraceptive and non-contraceptive health benefits, only 5% of the target population use them. Fear of increased cancer risk, particularly breast cancer, is one reason for this. Due to low OC uptake and low screening participation, a paucity of data is available on the risk of OC use and breast cancer in Japanese women.

Unmet Information Needs and Quality of Life in Young Breast Cancer Survivors in Japan.

Background: Young breast cancer survivors have specific needs related to age. Clarifying the relationships between unmet information needs and quality of life (QOL) in young breast cancer survivors can contribute to constructing a support system to enhance QOL in patients.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the unmet information needs and examine the relationships between unmet information needs and QOL in young breast cancer survivors in Japan.

Clinicopathological features of young patients (<35 years of age) with breast cancer in a Japanese Breast Cancer Society supported study.

Background: To clarify the clinicopathological features of breast cancer in young females, surveillance data of the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society were analyzed.

Methods: The clinicopathological characteristics were compared between young (<35) patients and non-young (≥35) patients among 109,617 records registered between 2004 and 2009.

Results: The numbers of young and non-young patients were 2,982 (2.

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 mRNA overexpression in peripheral blood as a useful prognostic marker in breast cancer.

Introduction: Identification of useful markers associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients is critically needed. We previously showed that expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 mRNA in peripheral blood may be useful to predict distant metastasis in gastric cancer patients. However, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 mRNA in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients has not yet been studied.

Identification of recurrence-related microRNAs in the bone marrow of breast cancer patients.

Recently, bone marrow has been considered as playing a critical role in the generation of both metastasis and recurrent disease. The accumulation of a single microRNA in the bone marrow has the potential to regulate the translation of multiple genes in cancer metastasis and may therefore serve as a prognostic marker for cancer recurrence. MicroRNA microarray analysis was performed to compare microRNA levels in bone marrow from 4 breast cancer patients with recurrent disease and 4 patients without recurrence.

Correlated expression of CD47 and SIRPA in bone marrow and in peripheral blood predicts recurrence in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: CD47 plays a variety of roles in intercellular signaling. Herein, we focused on the clinicopathologic significance of CD47 expression in human breast cancer. Our data suggest that the correlation between CD47 and signal regulatory protein α (SIRPA) expression may play a key role in the progression of breast cancer.

Preoperative u-PAR gene expression in bone marrow indicates the potential power of recurrence in breast cancer cases.

Introduction: The clinical significance of isolated tumor cells (ITC) in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) as predictive markers in the recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer has not yet been determined. In the current study, we focused on the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (u-PAR) gene as a powerful indicator of the potential to relapse after surgery.

Patients And Methods: We examined CK-7 and CK19 as an ITC marker and u-PAR as a candidate indicator for metastasis in PB and BM from 800 cases of breast cancer by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Evaluation of circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancer: multi-institutional clinical trial in Japan.

Background: With the development of the CellSearch System, it has become possible to measure circulating tumor cell (CTC) levels with high reproducibility, and the CTC test is currently being used clinically for patients with metastatic breast cancer in the United States. It is imperative that the clinical significance of the CTC test also be examined in Japan.

Methods: Using the CellSearch System, CTC levels were evaluated in 57 healthy individuals and patients with benign breast disease; 30 patients with primary breast cancer (stages 1-3); and 38 patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Impact of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment on women's sexuality: a survey of Japanese patients.

Objective: Research on the impact of breast cancer on Asian women's sexual lives is extremely scarce. This study investigated the sexual changes experienced by breast cancer patients in Japan following surgery, and their sexuality-related information needs.

Methods: An anonymous, cross-sectional survey of breast cancer out-patients was conducted in 2005.

Activation of PI3K/Akt signaling and hormone resistance in breast cancer.

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that has been demonstrated to play an important role in survival when cells are exposed to different apoptotic stimuli. Recent studies show that aberrant activation of Akt in breast carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis and resistance to endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. The Akt signaling pathway is currently attracting considerable attention as a new target for effective therapeutic strategies.