Expression of phospholipase C isozymes in human breast cancer and their clinical significance.

Phospholipase C (PLC) regulates a number of cellular behaviours including cell motility, cell transformation, differentiation and cell growth. PLC plays a regulatory role in cancer cells partly by acting as signalling intermediates for cytokines such as EGF and interleukins. The current study examined the expression of the PLC isozymes in human breast cancer and corresponding clinical relevance.

Tumour suppressor function of MDA-7/IL-24 in human breast cancer.

Introduction: Melanoma differentiation associated gene-7 (MDA-7), also known as interleukin (IL)-24, is a tumour suppressor gene associated with differentiation, growth and apoptosis. However, the mechanisms underlying its anti-neoplastic activity, tumour-specificity and efficacy across a spectrum of human cancers have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, the biological impact of MDA-7 on the behavior of breast cancer (BC) cells is evaluated.

Analysis of histological features in needle core biopsy of breast useful in preoperative distinction between fibroadenoma and phyllodes tumour.

Aims: Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has been replaced by Needle core biopsy (NCB) as the pathological investigation of choice in pre-operative diagnosis of breast lesions. Despite the greater yield of material with spatial information, the distinction between fibroepithelial lesions of the breast, fibroadenoma (FA) and benign phyllodes tumour (PT), remains problematic. The aim of this study was to confirm a set of histological features which may assist in the pre-operative distinction between FA and PT on NCB and to explore novel strategies to refine the analysis of the data.

Transforming acidic coiled-coil-containing protein 2 (TACC2) in human breast cancer, expression pattern and clinical/prognostic relevance.

TACC2 is a member of the transforming acidic coiled-coil-containing protein family and is associated with the centrosome-spindle apparatus during cell cycling. The TACC2 gene is expressed in various splice forms predominantly in postmitotic tissues, including heart, muscle, kidney, and brain. Recent work has shown that members of this family, including TACC2, may be involved in the progression of certain solid tumours.

Metastasis of Primary Colon Cancer to the Breast - Leave Well Alone.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis to the breast is rare. Its management differs from that of primary breast cancer, as illustrated by this case of a colonic metastasis to the breast. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old woman presented with a breast lump 16 months after a palliative colonic resection for an obstructing colon cancer (T4 N0 M1).

Axillary node staging by ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration cytology in patients with breast cancer.

Background: This study evaluated the role of axillary ultrasonography (AUS) and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in preoperative staging of the axilla in patients with invasive breast cancer.

Methods: Between October 2006 and March 2009, 502 patients scheduled to undergo surgery for invasive breast cancer had preoperative AUS. All patients with suspicious nodes on ultrasonography underwent FNAC, and those with positive cytology proceeded directly to axillary node clearance.

Measurement of lymph node function from the extraction of immunoglobulin in lymph.

Background: We aimed to measure the extraction fraction of human immunoglobulin G (HIG) by the 1st echelon lymph node (sentinel node) following intradermal injection in patients with breast cancer undergoing axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and examine its association with node size and presence and extent of nodal metastatic disease.

Materials And Methods: HIG labelled with either In-111 (n = 21) or Tc-99m (n = 9) was injected intradermally at the areolar. ALND was performed 2-4 h later.

Expression of the ERM family members (ezrin, radixin and moesin) in breast cancer.

The ERM family is composed of the proteins ezrin, moesin and radixin, which are cell structure-related proteins. Despite the detection of viable roles of ERM family proteins, the impact of these molecules in cancer pathogenesis has yet to be investigated. Evidence emerging from clinical and translational studies showed that the ERM family is linked to disease progression in clinical cancers.

PGF isoforms, PLGF-1 and PGF-2 and the PGF receptor, neuropilin, in human breast cancer: prognostic significance.

Placenta growth factor (PLGF) is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family, a group of angiogenic growth factors. Recently, isoforms have been identified. This study examined PLGF-1, PGF-2 and its receptor neuropilin-1 levels in human breast cancer in relation to patient's clinical parameters and how changes in expression may be linked to prognosis of the disease.

Transcript analyses of stromal cell derived factors (SDFs): SDF-2, SDF-4 and SDF-5 reveal a different pattern of expression and prognostic association in human breast cancer.

Stromal derived factors, SDFs, are a loosely defined group of molecules that may be generated by stromal cells. Two of the stromal derived factors, SDF-1 and SDF-4 belong to the chemokine family. Other SDFs, such as SDF-2 and SDF-5 are not well defined and their biological functions are less known.

Molecular assessment of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer management.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is becoming accepted as standard of care for axillary staging in breast cancer. World Health Organization (WHO) re-classification of axillary metastases into macrometastases, micrometastases and individual tumour cells has highlighted the issues of sampling and further histological examination of the initially negative SLNB. Molecular detection of metastatic breast cancer cells in lymph nodes is now available as a commercial kit for intraoperative use and can resolve the sampling issue.

Axillary lymph node drainage pathways from intradermal and intraparenchymal breast planes.

Background: To compare functional anatomy of breast peri-areolar and peri-tumoral lymphatic drainage basins.

Methods: Fifteen breast cancer patients received simultaneous peri-areolar (intradermal) and peri-tumoral (intraparenchymal) injections of human polyclonal immunoglobulin (HIG) labeled with (99m)Tc and (111)In 2 to 4 h before axillary lymph node clearance surgery. Resected nodes (range 5-20; median 16) were individually counted for (99m)Tc and (111)In in a well-counter and ranked according to activity content (echelon).

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitor treatment regresses autochthonous Brca2/p53-mutant mammary tumors in vivo and delays tumor relapse in combination with carboplatin.

Germ-line heterozygosity of the BRCA2 gene in women predisposes to breast and ovarian cancers. Successful therapies targeted specifically at these neoplasms have thus far remained elusive. Recent studies in mice have shown that inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) targets cells lacking Brca2 and xenografts derived from BRCA2-deficient ES cells or Chinese hamster ovary cells.

A pilot study of dual-isotope lymphoscintigraphy for breast sentinel node biopsy comparing intradermal and intraparenchymal injection.

Aims: Identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) may depend on the tissue plane of tracer injection. To explore this, we developed a dual-isotope technique to compare the lymphatic drainage basins accessed by intradermal and parenchymal injections.

Methods: Fifteen breast cancer patients had simultaneous parenchymal and intradermal injections of (99m)Tc-labelled human immunoglobulin G (HIG) and (111)In-HIG, respectively, 2-4h before axillary lymph node clearance surgery.

Bone morphogenetic proteins 1 to 7 in human breast cancer, expression pattern and clinical/prognostic relevance.

Background And Aims: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have a diverse role and they act in a time, concentration and cell type specific manner. They regulate cellular motility and the cells ability to invade. Recently, BMP molecules have further been shown to have an impact on the biological behaviour of breast cancer cells.

Retained surgical swab following breast augmentation: a rare cause of a breast mass.

Retained surgical swab or sponge following surgery is an uncommon finding seen most commonly following abdominal and pelvic procedures. Reports of such lesions in the breast are particularly rare with only two previously published cases. We report here the first case of a retained swab following breast augmentation where unique diagnostic problems are encountered because of the presence of implants.

Eplin-alpha expression in human breast cancer, the impact on cellular migration and clinical outcome.

Introduction: To investigate the expression of EPLIN-alpha, epithelial protein lost in neoplasm, in human breast cancer tissues/cells and investigate the cellular impact of EPLIN-alpha on breast cancer cells.

Experimental Design: EPLIN-alpha was determined in tumour (n = 120) and normal mammary tissues (n = 32), and cancer cell lines (n = 16). Cell invasion, in vitro and in vivo growth of cells transfected with EPLIN-alpha were evaluated using in vitro invasion assay, in vitro and in vivo tumour model.

Detection of breast cancer metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes using intra-operative real time GeneSearch BLN Assay in the operating room: results of the Cardiff study.

Background: Intra-operative assessment is not routinely performed in the UK due to poor sensitivity of available methods and overburdened pathology resources. We conducted a prospective clinical feasibility study of the GeneSearch Breast Lymph Node (BLN) Assay (Veridex, LLC, Warren, NJ) to confirm its potential usefulness within the UK healthcare system.

Methods: In the assay 50% of the lymph node was processed to detect the presence of cytokeratin-19 and mammaglobin mRNA.

Expression of the WASP verprolin-homologues (WAVE members) in human breast cancer.

Background: The WASP family proteins have been indicated to play a vital role in the formation of membrane protrusions required for cell locomotion. WAVE proteins are an important subfamily that also plays a crucial role in actin polymerisation, which is vital to cell migration. However, not much is known about the clinical significance of this subfamily in cancers.

Angiopoietins lack of prognostic significance in ductal mammary carcinoma.

Angiopoietins (Ang) have been shown to regulate the process of vasculature and angiogenesis in tumour. Different angiopoietins have different roles during the angiogenic process. The current study sought to examine the levels of the expression of Ang-1, Ang-2, Ang-3 and their receptor Tie-2 in mammary ductal carcinoma and to assess their relevance to prognosis.

Expression of breast cancer specific gene-1 (BCSG-1/gamma-synuclein) is associated with tumour grade but not with clinical outcome of patients with breast cancer.

This study examined the expression and distribution of BCSG-1 in human breast cancer tissue. IHC revealed that BCSG-1 was primarily seen as a cytosolic protein, weakly staining normal mammary epithelial cells but increased in breast tumour cells. Q-PCR revealed that node negative and positive tumours had similar levels of BCSG-1 transcript and BCSG-1/CK19 ratio.

Radial scar lesions of the breast diagnosed by needle core biopsy: analysis of cases containing occult malignancy.

Aim: To identify and review cases of false negative needle core biopsy (NCB) in the preoperative investigation of radial scar/complex sclerosing lesion (RS/CSL) lesions - that is, benign NCB from RS/CSL which contained malignancy on excision.

Methods And Results: A total of 11 false negative NCB in RS/CSL lesions from 281 (3.9%) were identified (6 cases: B1, 2 cases: B2 and 3 cases: B3).

Immunohistochemistry increases the accuracy of diagnosis of benign papillary lesions in breast core needle biopsy specimens.

Aims: Recent studies have suggested that benign papillary lesions without atypia [benign papilloma (BP)] diagnosed on breast core needle biopsy (CNB) may not require excision. However, most have studied only small numbers of cases and scant data are available on the utility of immunohistochemistry in the categorization of papillary lesions on CNB. In the largest published series of BP identified on CNB, we studied the impact of immunohistochemistry on the accuracy of a CNB diagnosis of BP.

Intraoperative evaluation of axillary sentinel lymph nodes using touch imprint cytology and immunohistochemistry. Part II. Results.

Aim: In order to operate selectively on positive axillae during the initial operative session for early breast cancer, an accurate and rapid intraoperative method to examine an axillary node sample (ANS) or a sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is required. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and accuracy of Immunohistochemistry (IHC)-stained touch imprints in detecting metastatic axillary nodes intraoperatively.

Material And Methods: Four hundred and thirty-two axillary nodes from 52 patients (23 axillary node clearance (ANC), 15 ANS and 14 SNB) were bisected, imprinted and stained with anti-cytokeratin 19 IHC.