Randomized phase II study evaluating weekly oral vinorelbine versus weekly paclitaxel in estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative patients with advanced breast cancer (NorBreast-231 trial).

Background: Single-agent paclitaxel and vinorelbine are recommended treatments for advanced breast cancer (ABC) non-responsive to hormone therapy and without visceral crisis. This phase II trial compared first-line oral vinorelbine versus weekly paclitaxel for ABC.

Methods: Eligible female patients had measurable locally recurrent/metastatic estrogen receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer and had received prior endocrine therapy (any setting) but no chemotherapy for ABC.

Characteristics and prognosis of stage I-III breast cancer subtypes in Brazil: The AMAZONA retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To describe stage I-III breast cancer (BC) molecular subtypes and outcomes among a cohort of patients from Brazil.

Methods: AMAZONA study is a retrospective cohort conducted from June 2008 to January 2009 including women of at least 18 years old, with histologically proven breast cancer, diagnosed in 2001 (n = 2198) and 2006 (n = 2714). In this analysis, we included patients who underwent surgery, had stage I-III disease and available pathological information (n = 2296).

Melanoma patterns of distant relapse: a study of 108 cases from a South Brazilian center.

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has increased over the last decades. Recurrences occur most frequently within the first 2-3 years after diagnosis but patients carry a lifelong risk of relapse. Nevertheless, there is no consensus in the literature on what screening tests patients should undergo.

Safety and efficacy of the combination of T-DM1 with radiotherapy of the central nervous system in a patient with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: case study and review of the literature.

Approximately 35% of patients with confirmed HER2 breast cancer progress to metastases of the central nervous system (CNS). Total cerebral radiotherapy is considered as standard treatment for these cases; however, studies have shown that some chemotherapy drugs can be used during radiotherapy without significantly increasing its toxicity. In this article, we report the case of a patient with HER2-positive breast cancer who showed isolated progression of the illness in the CNS, which was observed during the treatment period using T-DM1 concomitantly with radiotherapy of the CNS without apparent toxicity of the combination and keeping the illness controlled.