Long-term prognosis of early-onset breast cancer in a population-based cohort with a known BRCA1/2 mutation status.

All women in the South Sweden Health Care Region with breast cancer diagnosed aged less than 41 during the period between 1990 and 1995 were contacted in 1996 and offered germline mutation analysis of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutation carriers (n = 20) were compared with noncarriers (n = 201) for overall survival (OS) and risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). Mutation carriers were younger at diagnosis and more likely to have ER-negative, PgR-negative and grade III tumors.

Histopathological risk factors for ipsilateral breast events after breast conserving treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast--results from the Swedish randomised trial.

Aim: The primary aims were to study risk factors for an ipsilateral breast event (IBE) after sector resection for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (DCIS) in a trial comparing adjuvant radiotherapy to no therapy and to assess predictive factors for response to radiotherapy. Secondary aims were to analyse reproducibility of the histopathological evaluation and to estimate correctness of diagnosis in the trial.

Setting: A randomised trial in Sweden (the SweDCIS trial), including 1046 women with a median of 5.

Differential effects of estrogen on DNA synthesis in human periodontal ligament and breast cancer cells.

Background: It is important to clarify the biological function of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in periodontal ligament cells, as these hormones may affect periodontal health. We have previously shown that human periodontal ligament cells express estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) but not ERalpha, whereas human breast cancer cells (MCF7) express both ERalpha and ERbeta. Data on progesterone receptor (PgR) expression in human periodontal ligament cells have not been reported.

Histopathological and cell biological characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast-a comparison between the primary DCIS and subsequent ipsilateral and contralateral tumours.

The rate of ipsilateral local recurrence after ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) varies (between 5% and 30%) and depends on the type of operation (mastectomy vs. breast-conserving operation), and whether postoperative radiotherapy has been used. Ipsilateral local recurrence can either emanate from the primary lesion or be a new primary tumour.

Comparison of immunohistochemical and biochemical assay of steroid receptors in primary breast cancer--clinical associations and reasons for discrepancies.

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) status was analysed in paraffin-embedded breast cancer material with immunohistochemical (IHC) technique and compared with corresponding analyses in cytosols (CYT). ER showed the same status (positive/negative) with both methods in 88% of the samples (352/402). The concordance was also high for PgR status (81% [321/394]).

Risk factors for local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery.

Background: It is not clear whether risk factors for local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery differ in women having surgery for in situ or invasive cancer. Furthermore, the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) and Nottingham Histological Grade (NHG) have been little studied as determinants of local recurrence risk.

Method: In a case-control study (491 cases and 1098 controls) nested within a cohort of 7502 women who had surgery for in situ or invasive cancer of the breast, patient characteristics, tumour characteristics and treatment-related variables were evaluated as risk factors for local recurrence.

Psychological profile in patients with Stages I and II breast cancer: associations of psychological profile with tumor biological prognosticators.

We have earlier shown that breast cancer patients with moderately or well differentiated tumors seem to be able to inhibit stress evoked from anger in a successful manner, while those with poorer prognosis do not. We now report a study with an enlarged group of patients, investigating associations between tumor biological factors and psychological profile. 129 patients with Stages I and II breast cancer undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy were interviewed and tested with three projective personality tests assessing attitude to aggression and coping with stress and anxiety.

Are cellular polarisation and mitotic frequency prognostic factors for local recurrence in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast?

There is still no generally accepted histopathological classification system for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. Nuclear grade, with or without other histopathological parameters (i.e.

Histopathological and cell biological factors of ductal carcinoma in situ before and after the introduction of mammographic screening.

With the introduction of mammographic screening the incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased to 10-15% of all breast cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any morphological and cell biological differences between DCIS detected during the pre-screening (n = 39) as opposed to the screening period (n = 120). We could not demonstrate any statistically significant differences between the pre-screening and the screening period with regard to nuclear grade, presence of necrosis, the Van Nuys classification system, growth pattern, or cell biological factors (estrogen and progesterone receptors, c-erbB-2, p53, DNA ploidy status, Ki67, and Auer classes).

Cell biological factors in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast-relationship to ipsilateral local recurrence and histopathological characteristics.

All cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) diagnosed from 1987 to 1991 in the Southern Health Care Region of Sweden, and operated upon with breast conserving treatment (BCT) with (n=66) or without (n=121) postoperative radiation (RT) were clinically followed, morphologically re-evaluated and analysed for cell biological factors (immunohistochemical assays or DNA flow cytometry). Median age at diagnosis was 58 years (range 29--83 years) and median follow-up was 62 months. Oestrogen (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-negativity, c-erbB-2 overexpression, low bcl-2 expression, p53 accumulation, DNA non-diploidy and high Ki67, were strongly associated with high grade DCIS, and comedo-type necrosis.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of oestrogen receptor beta in blood vessels of the female rat.

The role of oestrogen receptor (ER) beta in vascular function remains unclear. With the use of a specific ERbeta antibody we have now, using immunocytochemistry, visualized ERbeta in different parts of the vascular tree. In about 70% of medial smooth muscle cells of female rat aorta, tail artery and uterine artery, nuclear immunoreactivity to ERbeta was observed.

S-phase fraction and urokinase plasminogen activator are better markers for distant recurrences than Nottingham Prognostic Index and histologic grade in a prospective study of premenopausal lymph node-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Histologic grade, Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) status, and tumor size have previously been shown to be important prognostic indicators for distant recurrence of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the prognostic value of these factors with flow cytometric S-phase fraction (SPF), urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in premenopausal patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: In 237 consecutive premenopausal patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer and freshly frozen tumor material available, SPF, ER and PgR status, uPA and its inhibitor PAI-1, histologic grade, and NPI were evaluated.

Histologic grading in breast cancer--reproducibility between seven pathologic departments. South Sweden Breast Cancer Group.

Histologic grade, including tubular formations, nuclear grade, and mitotic activity, is a well-documented prognostic factor in breast cancer. In comparison with other prognostic parameters, the evaluation of histologic grade is cheap and can be performed, in principle, in all cases of breast cancer. One possible disadvantage is that the evaluation may vary between different pathological departments.

Ipsilateral local recurrence in relation to therapy and morphological characteristics in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Method And Results: A standardized histopathological protocol has been designed, in which different histological characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are reported: nuclear grade (ng), growth pattern according to Andersen et al., necrosis, size of the lesion, resection margins and focality. Using this protocol a re-evaluation of a population-based consecutive series of 306 cases of DCIS has been done as well as a thorough clinical follow-up.

Different patterns of chromosomal imbalances in metastasising and non-metastasising primary breast carcinomas.

In an attempt to identify chromosomal abnormalities that may be associated with a metastatic phenotype, we investigated the pattern of chromosomal gains and losses in 66 node-positive and 63 node-negative primary breast carcinomas. For both subgroups of tumours, losses were more common than gains and the losses were most often the result of structural aberrations. The exceptions were the long arm of chromosome 1, and chromosomes 7, 8, 12, 18 and 20, which were more often gained than lost.

Multiple polysomies in breast carcinomas: preferential gain of chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Chromosome G-banding analysis of metaphase cells from 16 primary breast carcinomas revealed the presence of multiple polysomies in near-diploid as well as in polyploid cells. Chromosome 17 was preferentially gained in 7 tumors, followed in frequency by chromosomes 1, 12, and 19 (5 tumors each), and chromosomes 5, 6, 7, 16, and 18 (4 tumors each). Eleven of the 16 carcinomas had, apart from the clones exhibiting the numerical gains, other unrelated clones.

Cytogenetic changes in benign proliferative and nonproliferative lesions of the breast.

Cytogenetic analysis of short-term cultures from 69 cases of fibrocystic breast changes and 10 samples of normal mammary tissue revealed clonal chromosome aberrations in six fibrocystic lesions. All the histologically normal tissue samples had a normal karyotype. The frequency of cytogenetically abnormal cases seems to correlate with the degree of histopathologic changes of the tissue; nonproliferative lesions may have clonal chromosome alterations, but at a low frequency.

Psychological profile related to malignant tumours of different histopathology.

In a previous preoperative study of patients with gliomas, we made the original observation that patients with high grade as opposed to those with low-grade gliomas have a psychological profile marked by extreme emotional reactivity. In this postoperative study of the psychological profiles of patients with breast cancer, the main funding was unexpectedly analogous with the findings in the brain tumour study. The patients with poorly differentiated ductal carcinomas showed a specific and, compared to the patients with well differentiated carcinomas, outstanding psychological profile marked by extreme emotional reactivity as well as by genuine creativity.

Cytogenetic findings in invasive breast carcinomas with prognostically favourable histology: a less complex karyotypic pattern?

Seventeen invasive primary breast carcinomas of histological types usually considered to be prognostically favourable (2 medullary, 3 papillary, 3 tubular, and 9 mucinous carcinomas) were analysed as part of an ongoing study of the cytogenetics of breast cancer. Thirteen of the tumours (7 mucinous, 2 medullary, 2 papillary, and 2 tubular carcinomas) showed clonal chromosome aberrations. Trisomy 7 and i(1q) were present as sole and recurrent aberrations in the mucinous tumours.

Proliferative index obtained by DNA image cytometry. Does it add prognostic information in Auer IV breast cancer?

Objective: To investigate whether the S + G2/M fraction (proliferative index) is a prognostic determinant in breast cancers classified as Auer IV.

Study Design: Prognostic evaluation of Auer IV DNA histograms with respect to the high versus low S + G2/M fraction, obtained by image cytometry on consecutive breast cancer imprint preparations.

Results: When studying recurrence-free survival (n = 136), the prognostic value of S + G2/M was found to vary with time: it was negligible before the median time to relapse (1.

Clinical multi-colour fluorescence imaging of malignant tumours--initial experience.

Purpose: The detection of malignant tumours relies on a variety of diagnostic procedures including X-ray images and, for hollow organs, endoscopy. The purpose of this study was to present a new technique for non-invasive tumour detection based on tissue fluorescence imaging.

Material And Methods: A clinically adapted multi-colour fluorescence system was employed in the real-time imaging of malignant tumours of the skin, breast, head and neck region, and urinary bladder.

Cytogenetic findings in phyllodes tumors of the breast: karyotypic complexity differentiates between malignant and benign tumors.

Clonal karyotypic abnormalities were detected in short-term cell cultures from six phyllodes tumors of the breast. Whereas all five benign tumors had simple chromosomal changes, the highly malignant one had a near-triploid stemline, indicating that karyotypic complexity is a marker of malignancy in phyllodes tumors. Interstitial deletions of the short arm of chromosome 3, del(3)(p12p14) and del(3)(p21p23),were the only aberrations in two benign tumors.

Tumour biological features of BRCA1-induced breast and ovarian cancer.

BRCA1 mutations, although implicated in disease predisposition in a major part of the hereditary breast cancer population, do not seem to be crucially involved in tumorigenesis of sporadic breast and ovarian cancers. This suggests that tumours arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers may differ from BRCA1 negative hereditary and sporadic cancer in genetic and biological features, as well as in clinical behaviour. Prior to BRCA1 analysis, 79 breast and 19 ovarian tumours from 57 breast and breast-ovarian cancer families, and 170 tumours from a comparison group of stage II breast cancers were studied with regard to histopathological features; immunohistochemistry [c-erbB-2, p53, oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)], DNA flow cytometry and S-phase fraction.

Karyotypic abnormalities in fibroadenomas of the breast.

Short-term cultures of 50 fibroadenomas of the breast were cytogenetically analyzed. Nine tumors were found to display clonal chromosome aberrations. One had multiple, cytogenetically unrelated clones, whereas the others had a single abnormal clone each.