Phase III randomized trial of toremifene versus tamoxifen for Japanese postmenopausal patients with early breast cancer.

Background: Toremifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, is used as adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal patients with breast cancer in Japan. For Japanese patients, however, only limited data are available on the efficacy and safety profile of toremifene. To establish the long term efficacy and safety of toremifene for Japanese patients, we conducted a prospective, multicenter, randomized phase III trial comparing toremifene and tamoxifen.

Predictive value of MGMT, hMLH1, hMSH2 and BRCA1 protein expression for pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in basal-like breast cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the importance of biological markers to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with locally advanced basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs).

Patients And Methods: Thirty-two BLBC patients receiving NACT with an anthracycline-based regimen plus taxane were included in this study. The immunoreactivities of MGMT, MLH1, MSH2 and BRCA1 before and after NACT were evaluated.

An osteogenesis imperfecta case with breast cancer.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare connective tissue disease characterized by abnormalities of type 1 collagen and an increased risk of bone fractures. Several OI cases with malignancies have been reported. Herein, we describe an OI case with breast cancer.

Aberrant expression of tumor suppressors CADM1 and 4.1B in invasive lesions of primary breast cancer.

Background: The tumor suppressor genes CADM1/TSLC1 and DAL-1/4.1B are frequently inactivated by promoter methylation in non-small cell lung cancer. The proteins they encode, CADM1 and 4.

Post-operative breast cancer patients diagnosed with skeletal metastasis without bone pain had fewer skeletal-related events and deaths than those with bone pain.

Background: Skeletal metastases are often accompanied by bone pain. To investigate the clinical meaning of bone pain associated with skeletal metastasis in breast cancer patients after surgery, we explored whether the presence of bone pain was due to skeletal-related events (SREs) or survival (cause specific death, CSD), retrospectively.

Methods: Consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing surgery between 1988 and 1998 were examined for signs of skeletal metastasis until December 2006.

An open cohort study of bone metastasis incidence following surgery in breast cancer patients.

Background: To help design clinical trials of adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy for breast cancer, the temporal incidence of bone metastasis was investigated in a cohort of patients. We have tried to draw the criteria to use adjuvant bisphosphonate.

Methods: Consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing surgery between 1988 and 1998 (5459 patients) were followed up regarding bone metastasis until December 2006.

Effects of toremifene and tamoxifen on lipid profiles in post-menopausal patients with early breast cancer: interim results from a Japanese phase III trial.

Objective: Toremifene and tamoxifen have been used for adjuvant therapy in post-menopausal patients with breast cancer in Japan. Dyslipidemias are common in post-menopausal women. However, limited data are available on the effects of these agents on lipid profiles in Japanese patients.

Significance of HER2 protein examination in ductal carcinoma in situ.

Background: HER2 expression is routinely checked in ductal carcinoma in situ, as in invasive ductal carcinoma. However, the effect of HER2 status in ductal carcinoma in situ on the development of malignancy and the significance of overexpression of HER2 are still not clear.

Materials And Methods: We experienced 103 cases that were diagnosed as pure ductal carcinoma in situ from operative specimens in the 2-y period from 2006 to 2007.

Arthralgia in 329 Patients Taking Aromatase Inhibitors.

Background: Arthralgia is common in post-menopausal women taking aromatase inhibitors. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively examined the records of outpatients taking aromatase inhibitors to ascertain the frequency and severity of arthralgia.

Cross-sectional analysis of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Japanese patients suspected to have hereditary breast/ovarian cancer.

The prevalence of BRCA1/2 germline mutations in Japanese patients suspected to have hereditary breast/ovarian cancer was examined by a multi-institutional study, aiming at the clinical application of total sequencing analysis and validation of assay sensitivity in Japanese people using a cross-sectional approach based on genetic factors estimated from personal and family histories. One hundred and thirty-five subjects were referred to the genetic counseling clinics and enrolled in the study. Full sequencing analysis of the BRCA1/2 gene showed 28 types of deleterious mutations in 36 subjects (26.

Bilateral Nonsynchronous Male Breast Cancer: Two Case Reports.

SUMMARY: BACKGROUND: Bilateral male breast cancer (MBC) is relatively rare. CASE REPORTS: We report 2 bilateral nonsynchronous MBC cases. Second cancers developed during endocrine therapy with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) after the initial surgeries.

Favourable long-term results after surgical removal of lung metastases of breast cancer.

We retrospectively evaluated whether a surgical strategy benefits patients with operable lung metastasis of breast cancer. Between 1960 and 2000, 90 patients (mean age 55.1; range 32-77) with lung metastasis (79 solitary, 11 multiple) underwent surgery as follows: wedge resection (n = 10), segmental resection (n = 11), lobectomy (n = 68) and pneumonectomy (n = 1).

Diagnostic mammography and ultrasonography for palpable and nonpalpable breast cancer in women aged 30 to 39 years.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the tumor size of breast cancer by palpation and the sensitivity of mammography (MMG) and ultrasonography (US), and which modality can detect nonpalpable breast cancer in women aged 30 to 39 years.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the tumor size by palpation, breast density, and the sensitivity of MMG and US in 165 patients aged 30 to 39 years. Palpation, US, and MMG were performed with prior knowledge of the results of other modalities.

Diagnostic ultrasonography and mammography for invasive and noninvasive breast cancer in women aged 30 to 39 years.

Purpose: To confirm which modality, ultrasonography (US) or mammography (MMG), is useful to detect breast cancer in women aged 30 to 39 years, and to compare the sensitivity and findings of these two modalities for invasive carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the diagnostic setting.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the sensitivity and findings of these two modalities in 165 patients aged 30 to 39 years, who underwent surgery at the Cancer Institute Hospital between 2001 and 2003. US or MMG were performed after obtaining information on the other modalities previously used and physical examination.

Expression of oestrogen receptor-beta in apocrine carcinomas of the breast.

Aims: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast seldom expresses oestrogen receptors (ER) or progesterone receptors (PR), but frequently expresses androgen receptors (AR). Because of this unusual hormone receptor status, it has been suggested that oestrogens have a less important role in the pathogenesis of apocrine carcinoma. The ER status of apocrine carcinoma has been studied for one kind of ER, the classic receptor now named ER-alpha; however, the status of ER-beta, a secondary oestrogen receptor, has not been examined systematically in apocrine carcinoma.

Efficacy and safety of combined trastuzumab and Paclitaxel therapy as a second-line treatment in women with metastatic breast cancer: a single institutional experience.

Background: In breast cancer, HER-2 overexpression suggests s poor prognosis. Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody with specificity to the HER-2 protein. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of combined trastuzumab and paclitaxel therapy in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Comparative study of monoclonal antibody B72.3 and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 as markers of apocrine carcinoma of the breast.

Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15) is a commonly used apocrine marker; however, its expression was recently found to decrease in infiltrating, larger, or metastasizing apocrine carcinomas of the breast. In the breast, monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3 has been reported to be useful as an apocrine marker although it is used for that purpose much less frequently than GCDFP-15.

Endoscopic and histologic findings of intraductal lesions presenting with nipple discharge.

To improve the utility of mammary ductoscopy, we investigated the correlation between endoscopic findings and histologic findings using intraductal biopsy specimens. Seventy-one intraductal biopsy specimens obtained from 63 patients between October 2001 and March 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. All specimens were obtained from monotonous intraductal lesions immediately after observation by mammary ductoscopy and were composed of a pure histologic subtype.

CIH-Tokyo experience with breast-conserving surgery without radiotherapy: 6.5 year follow-up results of 1462 patients.

When breast-conserving therapy was introduced at the Cancer Institute Hospital (CIH) in Tokyo in 1986, we instituted our own strategy as follows: 1) every effort is to be made for complete tumor resection while avoiding deformity of the breast, and 2) radiotherapy (RT) is applied only to the patients with positive surgical margins. This is, in turn, to clarify the group of patients in whom postoperative RT can be safely spared. Among 9670 patients operated on for primary breast cancer during the 16.

Tolerability and safety of classic cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil treatment in Japanese patients with early breast cancer.

Background: Few reports have addressed the feasibility and safety of classic Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and Fluorouracil (CMF) therapy in Japanese female breast cancer patients.

Methods: Twenty-four Japanese patients who received classic CMF, identical to the originally described treatment regimen were studied in terms of treatment dose, treatment delay, and toxicity.

Results: Classic CMF was not discontinued in any of the cases.

Experience with intradermal injection and intradermal-plus-deep injection in the radioguided sentinel node biopsy of early breast cancer patients.

Aims: Methods of administering (99m)Tc-phytate during sentinel node biopsy of early breast cancer patients were compared to improve the sensitivity of the technique.

Methods: Two injection methods, intradermal vs. intradermal-plus-deep injection, were compared in 648 early breast cancer patients.