Multi-institutional phase II study of ultra-hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer in Japan: Kyoto Radiation Oncology Study Group (UPBEAT study).

Purpose: The UK-FAST-Forward study showed that ultra-hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (ultra-HF-WBI) involving five fractions of 26 Gy radiation over 1 week was not inferior to HF-WBI. However, it is not used in Japan due to safety concerns. In April 2022, we commenced a multi-institutional, single-arm, phase II trial.

Correction to: Disruption of hypoxia-inducible fatty acid binding protein 7 induces beige fat-like differentiation and thermogenesis in breast cancer cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40170-020-00219-4.].

Disruption of hypoxia-inducible fatty acid binding protein 7 induces beige fat-like differentiation and thermogenesis in breast cancer cells.

Background: Humans produce heat through non-shivering thermogenesis, a metabolic process that occurs in inducible beige adipocytes expressing uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). UCP1 dissipates the proton gradient of the mitochondrial inner membrane and converts that energy into heat. It is unclear whether cancer cells can exhibit autonomous thermogenesis.

High-resolution imaging mass spectrometry combined with transcriptomic analysis identified a link between fatty acid composition of phosphatidylinositols and the immune checkpoint pathway at the primary tumour site of breast cancer.

Background: The fatty acid (FA) composition of phosphatidylinositols (PIs) is tightly regulated in mammalian tissue since its disruption impairs normal cellular functions. We previously found its significant alteration in breast cancer by using matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionisation imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS).

Methods: We visualised the histological distribution of PIs containing different FAs in 65 primary breast cancer tissues using MALDI-IMS and investigated its association with clinicopathological features and gene expression profiles.

Evaluation of health-related quality of life via the Computer-Based Health Evaluation System (CHES) for Japanese metastatic breast cancer patients: a single-center pilot study.

Background: The main purposes of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treatment are to prolong survival and maintain health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Compliance with the HRQOL assessment can be poor, particularly among patients who receive long-term treatment. One possible solution to overcoming this problem is to engage in real-time home monitoring by having patients report outcomes on their personal electronic devices.

Vascular branching point counts using photoacoustic imaging in the superficial layer of the breast: A potential biomarker for breast cancer.

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of the vascular network in the superficial subcutaneous layer of the breast and to analyze differences between breasts with cancer and contralateral unaffected breasts using vessel branching points (VBPs) detected by three-dimensional photoacoustic imaging with a hemispherical detector array. In 22 patients with unilateral breast cancer, the average VBP counts to a depth of 7 mm below the skin surface were significantly greater in breasts with cancer than in the contralateral unaffected breasts (p < 0.01).

Photoacoustic mammography capable of simultaneously acquiring photoacoustic and ultrasound images.

We have constructed a prototype photoacoustic mammography system (PAM-02) capable of simultaneously acquiring photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) images. Each PA, US, and fused PA/US image can be acquired over a wide area of the breast using the scanning module of a US transducer, a PA detector, and optical prisms. The resolution of the PA images exhibits improvement from 2 to 1 mm compared to images acquired using our previous prototype.

Serum immunoglobulin G Fc region N-glycosylation profiling by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry can distinguish breast cancer patients from cancer-free controls.

Herein, we report that breast cancer (BC) patients can be distinguished from cancer-free (NC) controls by serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) crystallizable fragment (Fc) region N-glycosylation profiling using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Recently, there has been much progress in the field of tumor immunology. However, to date, the role and biomarker potential of IgG Fc region N-glycosylation, which affects the function of antibodies, have not been examined in BC.