Long-term follow-up of nipple-sparing mastectomy without radiotherapy: a single center study at a Japanese institution.

Recent reports have suggested that nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is a potential alternative to mastectomy (MT). The aim of our study was to investigate the oncological and technical outcomes of NSM compared with MT using long-term follow-up data. A total of 932 patients between April 1985 and March 2004 were enrolled in our study.

[Three cases effectively treated with S-1 therapy for liver metastasis of breast cancer in long term].

We experienced 3 cases of anti-cancer drug-resistant recurrent breast cancer with liver metastasis showing significant improvement by S-1. Almost all patients maintained the full dose through the whole course of treatment, and the drug showed good tolerability. Furthermore, long-term therapeutic efficacy(more than 2 years)and QOL have been maintained for all patients.

[Nineteen years postoperatively, anastrozole, UFT and cyclophosphamide combination therapy remained effective against recurrent hormone responsive breast cancer with intraabdominal lymphnode, pleural, skin and bone metastases in old age following sixteen-year tamoxifen treatment - a case report].

We report an 89-year-old patient with recurrent hormone-responsive breast cancer who presented with pleural, skin and bone metastases. Nineteen years previously, she had undergone a mastectomy and then for 16 years received adjuvant hormone therapy. The patient was orally administered a combination therapy of anastrozole, UFT and cyclophosphamide.

[Doxifluridine, medroxyprogesterone acetate and cyclophosphamide (DMpC) combination therapy is effective against recurrent triple negative breast cancer--a case report].

We report a postmenopausal recurrent breast cancer patient with triple negative disease who presented with right recurrent nerve palsy. Nine years previously, she had undergone a mastectomy. FDG-PET scan revealed neck lymph node metastases from the breast cancer.

Calcitonin receptor gene and breast cancer: quantitative analysis with laser capture microdissection.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that calcitonin (CT) and its receptor (CTR) is involved in cell growth, differentiation and tissue development. Using laser capture microdissection (LCM) and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR), we have investigated CTR mRNA expression in 60 primary breast cancers, including 14 pairs of matched cancers and unaffected ductal epithelia from the same patients. Our results demonstrate that CTR mRNA was constantly expressed in normal ductal epithelium and in breast cancer.

Magnetic resonance axillography for preoperative diagnosis of the axillopectoral muscle (Langer's axillary arch): a case report.

The axillary arch of Langer is the most common muscular variation in the axilla. Recognition of anatomic variations is important for surgeons to perform safe axillary surgery. We describe a case of a woman with breast cancer, in whom sentinel lymph node biopsy was successfully performed and the presence of this anomaly preoperatively diagnosed by magnetic resonance axillography.

Anastrozole-induced remission of diaphragmatic paralysis from metastatic breast cancer treated with multiple prior therapies.

We describe a woman with metastatic breast cancer treated with multiple rounds of prior cytotoxic and endocrine therapies, who presented with ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. The use of anastrozole, a highly selective nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (1 mg daily), successfully induced remission of metastatic tumors in our patient, who is partially recovering from diaphragmatic paralysis.

Correlation between BRCA1 expression and apoptosis-related biological parameters in sporadic breast carcinomas.

BRCA1 is a tumor suppressor gene that is responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Increased evidence suggests that BRCA1 protein is involved in mammary carcinogenesis in sporadic and hereditary forms. Recent experimental results suggest that BRCA1 plays a role in the regulation of apoptosis.

5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine induces retinoic acid receptor beta 2 demethylation, cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition in breast carcinoma cells.

Like all cancers, breast cancer is considered to result in part from the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations leading to oncogene overexpression and tumor suppressor loss. More recently, CpG island hypermethylation is known to be associated with gene silencing in cancer, and these silenced genes can be reactivated by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR). Retionoic acid receptor beta 2 gene is a tumor suppressor gene and the chemopreventive effects of retinoids are due to induction of RAR beta 2.

Loss of Msh2 is not associated with FHIT deletion in breast carcinomas.

The FHIT gene is a candidate tumor suppressor gene that has been implicated in the development and progression of breast carcinoma. Recent studies have suggested that Fhit inactivation can be a consequence of defects in mismatch repair proteins, particularly Msh2. Fifty-three breast carcinomas were evaluated for Fhit and Msh2 expression by immunohistochemical staining.

Prognostic value of Bcl-2 in invasive breast cancer receiving chemotherapy and endocrine therapy.

Apoptosis induced by anticancer agents is a mechanism of treatment activity, overexpression of antiapoptotic genes could produce drug resistant tumors. We have demonstrated that the susceptibility of Bcl-2-negative tumors to a series of anticancer drugs was significantly higher than that of Bcl-2-positive tumors. The purpose of this study was to examine if negative Bcl-2 expression has treatment benefit in breast cancer patients received chemotherapy and endocrine treatment.

BRCA1 in non-inherited breast carcinomas (Review).

Breast cancer occurs in hereditary and sporadic form. Breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1) is known to be responsible for hereditary breast cancer. BRCA1 mutations are rare in sporadic cancers, but loss of BRCA1 resulting from reduced expression or incorrect subcellular localization is postulated to be important in non-familial breast cancers.

Loss of cell cohesion in breast cytology as a characteristic of neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Objective: To characterize a specific group of breast cancers displaying a scattered single cell pattern in cytology and correlate it with histologic and immunohistochemical findings.

Study Design: Of 135 consecutive malignant breast cytologic specimens, 12 cases were selected for their scattered single cell pattern on aspiration cytology. Immunohistochemical staining for neuroendocrine markers and prognostic parameters was performed on paraffin sections of corresponding primary breast carcinomas.

Two-hit inactivation of FHIT by loss of heterozygosity and hypermethylation in breast cancer.

Purpose: The FHIT gene, which spans the FRA3B fragile site at chromosome 3p14.2, is a candidate tumor suppressor gene in breast carcinomas. In this study, we would like to delineate more precisely its role in breast tumorigenesis.

Chromosome 3p and breast cancer.

Solid tumors in humans are now believed to develop through a multistep process that activates oncogenes and inactivates tumor suppressor genes. Loss of heterozygosity at chromosomes 3p25, 3p22-24, 3p21.3, 3p21.

MR-axillography oriented surgical sampling for assessment of nodal status in the selection of patients with breast cancer for axillary lymph nodes dissection.

Background: We have reported that magnetic resonance axillography (MR-axillography) is the best method for assessing lymph node size and representing the relation of the lymph node to normal anatomy.

Methods: The four largest nodes on MR-axillography were sampled in 62 consecutive patients with breast cancer undergoing axillary clearance. Axillary clearance yielded a mean of 17.

Thymidine phosphorylase and breast carcinoma.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), also known as platelet-derived endothelial-cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dephosphorylation of thymidine, deoxyguridine and their analogs. TP also has angiogenic properties, although the precise mechanism by which it promotes angiogenesis is not known. TP expression is elevated in many solid tumors including ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma of the breast.

Correlation of prostate-specific antigen promoter polymorphisms with clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer.

We have identified two novel polymorphisms in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene promoter regions, the A-AA allele and G-A allele. Furthermore, we have found that A-AA occurred frequently in tumors with higher PSA expressions. We hypothesize that allelic differences may be associated with different phenotypes of breast cancer.

The Fragile Histidine Triad gene and breast cancer.

The Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT) Gene, encompassing the FRA3B fragile site at chromosome 3p14.2, is a tumor suppressor gene involved in different tumor types. Abnormalities of the FHIT locus were found in many established cancer cell lines and tumors including breast cancer.

Prognostic value of thymidine phosphorylase expression in breast carcinoma.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), also known as platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dephosphorylation of thymidine, deoxyuridine and their analogs. TP has also angiogenic properties, although the precise mechanism by which it promotes angiogenesis is not known. We examined TP expression using immunohistochemistry (654-1 Mab) in 182 invasive breast carcinomas (67 N0 and 115 N1/2; median follow-up 78 months [range, 3-177]; 51 patients treated with adjuvant systemic cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil [CMF] chemotherapy and 82 with tamoxifen).