Trastuzumab plus paclitaxel or docetaxel in HER-2-negative/HER-2 ECD-positive anthracycline- and taxane-refractory advanced breast cancer.

Trastuzumab is considered effective against human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2-positive breast cancer as assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence or chromogenic in situ hybridization (FISH/CISH) on biopsy material. Trastuzumab is now approved in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings for this patient population. Because HER-2 extracellular domain (ECD) levels have been correlated with disease progression in the metastatic setting, we considered trastuzumab salvage therapy plus a taxane in heavily pretreated trastuzumab-naive relapsed breast cancer patients with high serum levels of HER-2 ECD (> or =15 ng/ml).

Non-allergic nature of docetaxel-induced acute hypersensitivity reactions.

Based on observations of a discrepancy between 'hypersensitivity' reactions to docetaxel (DT) and the clinical features of allergic reactions, we explored the hypothesis that DT-induced acute hypersensitivity reactions (AHRs) have a non-allergic origin. Forty cancer patients receiving DT and 16 patients receiving other potentially allergenic chemotherapeutic agents were included in the study. All DT patients received standard pre- and post-medication.

Cathepsin D may help in discriminating node-negative breast cancer patients at risk for local-regional recurrence.

Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to define the prognostic value of cathepsin D (CD) in the node-negative (N-) and node-positive (N+) subsets of breast cancer (BC) patients.

Patients And Methods: In primary tumor cytosols of 348, stage I-III, BC patients, with a complete standard histological examination and a 56 months mean follow-up, the ER, PR and CD concentrations were measured by standardized assays. CD values were then compared to the classical prognostic factors, the type of treatment and the outcome, in terms of Disease-Free-Survival (DFS) and type of Relapse, after stratification according to the nodal status.

Relationships between cathepsin-D, pS2 protein and hormonal receptors in breast cancer cytosols: inconsistency with their established prognostic significance.

In this study the unexpected findings from the analysis of 278 breast cancer tissue specimens are reported. A surprising strongly positive correlation between an unfavourable and a favourable prognosis with markers cathepsin D and pS2 respectively, was revealed by linear regression analysis (Pearson, Student-T-Test). In the relevant literature reviewed only one similar, although indirect, observation was found.

Cathepsin D concentration in tumor cytosols improves the accuracy of prognostic evaluation of primary breast cancer.

One hundred and seventy three women were followed-up for a median of 62 months after surgery for Stage I-III breast cancer. The concentration of cathepsin D (CD) in tumor cytosols was compared to the standard prognostic factors for the disease and related to relapse free and overall survival and type of relapse. Three groups were identified with different prognostic profile.