Real-time quantitative PCR determination of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression of isolated micrometastatic cells from bone marrow of breast cancer patients.

Disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in bone marrow are independently related to poor outcome in patients with breast cancer. Phenotypic characterization of DTC may be useful to improve evaluation of the metastasizing potential of DTC and also to more accurately target aggressive tumor cells. DTC were screened in bone marrow aspirates from breast cancer patients by immunocytochemistry with an anticytokeratin (anti-CK) antibody (A45B/B3).

Enrichment methods to detect bone marrow micrometastases in breast carcinoma patients: clinical relevance.

Introduction: Improving technologies for the detection and purification of bone marrow (BM) micrometastatic cells in breast cancer patients should lead to earlier prognosis of the risk of relapse and should make it possible to design more appropriate therapies. The technique used has to overcome the challenges resulting from the small number of target cells (one per million hematopoietic cells) and the heterogeneous expression of micrometastatic cell markers. In the present study, we have assessed the clinical relevance of current methods aimed at detecting rare disseminated carcinoma cells.

Breast cancer associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: a single center series of 10 cases.

The aim of this study was to define the characteristics of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and breast cancer and discuss the relationship between these two diseases. Ten patients treated for breast cancer and presenting with ITP were screened for this study. The diagnosis of breast cancer was confirmed by biopsy or surgical sample.

[Update on docetaxel and breast cancer].

Docetaxel (Taxotère) has been developed in breast cancer during the last decade. First its activity in monotherapy was proven in metastatic setting after failure of anthracycline therapy. Then the association with anthracycline demonstrated substantial activity leading to its development in early stages of breast cancer and its incorporation in adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings.

Clinical significance of immunocytochemical detection of tumor cells using digital microscopy in peripheral blood and bone marrow of breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The presence of tumor cells in bone marrow has been reported to represent an important prognostic indicator in breast cancer, but the clinical significance of circulating cells in peripheral blood is less well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of identifying cytokeratin (CK)-expressing cells in peripheral blood with an automat-assisted immunohistochemical detection system and to compare it with detection of tumor cells in bone marrow samples.

Experimental Design: Cytospun Ficoll fractions of peripheral blood and bone marrow were obtained simultaneously in 114 breast cancer patients at different stages of the disease (I to IV) before treatment with chemotherapy.

[Targeting epidermal growth factor receptor in cancer of the breast].

The erbB receptor family is part of the receptor tyrosine kinase superfamily and consists of four members erbB. The erbB receptor family has been shown to play an important role in both the development of the normal breast and the pathogenesis and progression of breast cancer. Receptor overexpression has also been shown to be a negative prognostic indicator and to correlate with both tumor invasiveness and a lack of responsiveness to standard treatment, both chemotherapy and hormonotherapy.

[At last, an effective therapy for non-differentiated GI sarcomas (gastro intestinal stromal tumor)].

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are non differentiated sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract and have for a long time been confused with well differentiated tumors and classified as leiomyosarcoma. These tumors are characterized immunohistochemically by CD 117 staining. This marker represents the expression of c-kit which is a receptor for growth factor with enzymatic activity (tyrosine kinase).