[Efficacy and toxicity of lapatinib plus capecitabine therapy in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer].

We retrospectively investigated the efficacy and toxicity of lapatinib plus capecitabine in 45 HER2-positive breast cancer patients. The median number of treatment courses was 6(1-22). Brain metastasis developed in 18 cases(40%), and 19 cases(42.

Randomized phase II study of primary systemic chemotherapy and trastuzumab for operable HER2 positive breast cancer.

Background: In primary systemic therapy in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2(+)) breast cancer, improvements in pathologic complete response (pCR) rate have been achieved by administering trastuzumab.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stage II or IIIA HER2(+) operable breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive four 3-weekly cycles of FEC (5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 100 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2)) followed by 4 cycles of 3-weekly trastuzumab (8 mg/kg week 1 and then 6 mg/kg) with either 12 weekly doses of paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) (FEC-PH) or 4 cycles of 3-weekly docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) (FEC-DH).

Results: Between March 2007 and June 2008, 102 patients were enrolled.

[A case of metastatic breast cancer with liver metastasis effectively treated with capecitabine and vinorelbine].

A 31-year-old woman with cancer of the right breast underwent surgery in 1996. Histological examination demonstrated a solid tubular carcinoma that was positive lymph node metastasis and hormonal receptor, but negative for HER2 expression. The patient underwent adjuvant therapy with CAF and tamoxifen.

Vitamin E malabsorption and neurological consequences after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Background/aims: In order to clarify vitamin E malabsorption after gastric surgery, we evaluated serum vitamin E level and neurological consequences in patients who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methodology: We studied forty-eight patients (30 men, 18 women) with a mean age of 68.0 years, who had previously undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer and had no evidence of recurrence.