Improvement in the prognosis of Japanese breast cancer patients from 1946 to 2001--an institutional review.

Background: Breast cancer has emerged as one of the most frequent malignancies among Japanese women; however, the long-term survival of Japanese breast cancer patients is uncertain.

Methods: We analyzed the chronological changes in the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment procedures and the long-term prognosis of 15 416 Japanese women with 16 217 primary breast cancers treated in the Cancer Institute Hospital in Tokyo between 1946 and 2001.

Results: Our analysis revealed a chronological increase in the mean patient age, postmenopausal patients and non-invasive carcinomas.

CD9 expression in gastric cancer and its significance.

Background: The tetraspanin transmembrane protein CD9 is known to be involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, and cell motility. Previous studies have reported that reduced expression of CD9 is related to aggressive behavior of cancer cells. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between the CD9 expression level and the state of malignancy remains unclear.