Long-Term Outcomes of Adjuvant Trastuzumab for 9 Weeks or 1 Year for ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of the SOLD Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The standard adjuvant treatment for patients with ERRB2-positive breast cancer is chemotherapy plus 1 year of trastuzumab. Shorter durations of trastuzumab administration improve cardiac safety, but more information is needed about their effect on survival.

Objective: To compare survival outcomes after 9-week vs 1-year administration of trastuzumab with the same adjuvant chemotherapy.

A David and Goliath set-up: a qualitative study of the challenges of ensuring the introduction of cost-effective new cancer medicines in Finland.

Background: To combat the global challenge of cancer, priority has been placed on the research and development of new cancer medicines (NCMs). NCMs are often approved for marketing in accelerated processes. Despite significant advances in treating cancer, the overall added value and high prices of NCMs has been questioned.

Effect of Adjuvant Trastuzumab for a Duration of 9 Weeks vs 1 Year With Concomitant Chemotherapy for Early Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer: The SOLD Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Trastuzumab plus chemotherapy is the standard adjuvant treatment for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer. While the standard duration of trastuzumab treatment is 12 months, the benefits and harms of trastuzumab continued beyond the chemotherapy are unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant trastuzumab continued beyond chemotherapy in women treated with up-front chemotherapy containing a taxane and trastuzumab.

Hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer - first Nordic clinical experience.

Background: The use of hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as primary treatment modality in clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) is emerging, because the low α/β-ratio favors the use of high dose per fraction in PCa. There is a need for more data about SBRT, especially in high-risk PCa patients. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety and the short-term efficacy of robotic SBRT in a clinical patient cohort with localized PCa including also high-risk patients (D'Amico risk stratification).

Dosimetric Comparison and Evaluation of 4 Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Techniques for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare dosimetric characteristics, monitor unit, and delivery efficiency of 4 different stereotactic body radiotherapy techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Methods: This study included 8 patients with localized prostate cancer. Dosimetric assets of 4 delivery techniques for stereotactic body radiotherapy were evaluated: robotic CyberKnife, noncoplanar intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and 2 intensity-modulated arc therapy techniques (RapidArc and Elekta volumetric-modulated arc therapy).

[Stereotactic radiotherapy is established treatment in localized non-small cell lung cancer].

Surgery has been the standard treatment in localized non-small cell lung cancer. Some of the early stage lung cancer patients are not suitable for surgery owing to associated diseases or refusing surgery. Ninety percent of untreated patients die within five years.

Breast cancer biological subtypes and protein expression predict for the preferential distant metastasis sites: a nationwide cohort study.

Introduction: Some molecular subtypes of breast cancer have preferential sites of distant relapse. The protein expression pattern of the primary tumor may influence the first distant metastasis site.

Methods: We identified from the files of the Finnish Cancer Registry patients diagnosed with breast cancer in five geographical regions Finland in 1991-1992, reviewed the hospital case records, and collected primary tumor tissue.

Development and evaluation of a virtual microscopy application for automated assessment of Ki-67 expression in breast cancer.

Background: The aim of the study was to develop a virtual microscopy enabled method for assessment of Ki-67 expression and to study the prognostic value of the automated analysis in a comprehensive series of patients with breast cancer.

Methods: Using a previously reported virtual microscopy platform and an open source image processing tool, ImageJ, a method for assessment of immunohistochemically (IHC) stained area and intensity was created. A tissue microarray (TMA) series of breast cancer specimens from 1931 patients was immunostained for Ki-67, digitized with a whole slide scanner and uploaded to an image web server.

NCT01110291: induction of CYP3A activity and lowered exposure to docetaxel in patients with primary breast cancer.

Purpose: To study the CYP3A activity before and after docetaxel administration. Furthermore, it was investigated whether peroral midazolam could predict docetaxel exposure and adverse events.

Methods: Twenty patients with primary high risk breast cancer were given docetaxel as a 1-h infusion 80 mg/m(2) in a 21-day cycle in 3 cycles followed by 3 cycles of cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and fluorouracil.

Molecular subtypes of breast cancers detected in mammography screening and outside of screening.

Purpose: The frequency and significance of gene expression profile-derived molecular subtypes of breast cancers found in mammography screening are unknown.

Experimental Design: We identified breast cancers diagnosed in women of any age living in defined geographic regions in Finland in 1991 to 1992 and collected clinical and pathologic data. Surrogates for the molecular subtypes were determined for 247 cancers found in organized mammography screening and 989 cancers detected outside of screening using immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization.