Longitudinal Trajectories of Memory Performance in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Background: While breast cancer and its treatments may affect cognition, the longitudinal trajectories of cognition among those receiving differing cancer treatment types remain poorly understood. Prior research suggests hippocampal-prefrontal cortex network integrity may influence cognition, although how this network predicts performance over time remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a prospective trial including 69 patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant therapy and 12 controls.

Phase II study of irinotecan and temozolomide in breast cancer patients with progressing central nervous system disease.

Purpose: Breast cancer patients with progressing central nervous system (CNS) disease have limited treatment options. Few chemotherapy drugs with activity in breast cancer have well-documented CNS penetration. This phase 2 trial evaluated efficacy and safety of irinotecan 125 mg/m on days 1 and 15 with temozolomide 100 mg/m days 1-7 and days 15-21 of a 28 day cycle.

Registry study to assess hair loss prevention with the Penguin Cold Cap in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a distressing side effect of cancer treatment. The aim of this registry study was to assess efficacy and tolerability of scalp hypothermia using Penguin Cold Caps (Penguin) in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Hair loss was assessed by patients using a 100-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and by physicians using the 5-point Dean Scale at baseline, every 3-4 weeks during chemotherapy, and at least 1 month after completion of chemotherapy.

Circulating tumor cell analysis in metastatic triple-negative breast cancers.

Purpose: Recent developments in rare-cell technology have led to improved blood-based assays that allow for the reliable detection, enumeration, and more recently, genomic profiling of circulating tumor cells (CTC). We evaluated two different approaches for enumeration of CTCs in a prospective therapeutic study of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Experimental Design: The CellSearch system, a commercially available and U.

Tracking cognitive change over 24 weeks with longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Previous studies have revealed that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in specific brain regions correlates with cross-sectional performance on standardized clinical trial measures in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the relationship between longitudinal change in fMRI-BOLD signal and neuropsychological performance remains unknown.

Objective: To identify changes in regional fMRI-BOLD activity that tracks change in neuropsychological performance in mild AD dementia over 6 months.

Methods: Twenty-four subjects (mean age 71.

Test-retest reliability of memory task functional magnetic resonance imaging in Alzheimer disease clinical trials.

Objective: To examine the feasibility and test-retest reliability of encoding-task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in mild Alzheimer disease (AD).

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Setting: Memory clinical trials unit.