Estrogen receptors evolution in neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy for breast cancer in elderly women: stability of hormonal receptor expression during treatment.

Unlabelled: In France, 20% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 70 and 10% in women over the age of 80. As these women are not included in screening programs, breast cancer is often diagnosed later, at the stage of a large tumor.

Purpose: To analyze clinical response, possibilities of conservative treatment and course of hormonal receptors in patients receiving neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy for at least 6 months.

Sentinel node biopsy or limited oriented axillary dissection (LOAD) in early breast cancer.

Aims: The value of the sentinel node biopsy technique is recognised by the majority of surgical teams as an alternative to conventional axillary lymph node dissection for the treatment of small breast cancers. Secondary procedures are necessary when lymph node invasion not detected by frozen section examination is discovered post-operatively. In order to avoid or limit these reoperations, our sentinel node biopsy technique has gradually been transformed into limited oriented axillary dissection (LOAD), which avoids secondary procedures in the majority of patients.

Neo adjuvant Tamoxifen in post menopausal patients with operable breast cancer.

Aims: Tamoxifen is widely used as adjuvant therapy in receptor positive post menopausal breast cancer. Little is known about its efficacy as neo adjuvant therapy in terms of breast conservation and improved survival.

Methods: We analyzed the tumour response to 20-30 mg Tamoxifen for 6 months in post menopausal patients with oestrogen receptor positive tumours.

[Sentinel node and operable breast cancer: utilization of blue dye injection. Pilot study].

Study Aim: Sentinel node detection in breast cancer can be realized with colorimetric and isotopic procedures often associated. The aim of this study was to report results obtained with blue dye injection only.

Patients And Method: From September 1998 to July 1999, blue dye injection was performed in 73 consecutive patients (mean age: 51 years, range: 36-71 years); 51/70 70% were post-menopausal and half of them were under substitute hormonal treatment; 70% of cancers were discovered through routine mammography.

Clinical and biological characteristics of breast cancers in post-menopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy for menopause.

The paradox of an excess breast cancer incidence among current users of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) without excess in breast cancer mortality raises the question of possible differences in the clinical and biological characteristics of cancers in current HRT users compared to non-users. A consecutive series of 129 post-menopausal patients under HRT for at least 6 months, in whom an operable breast cancer was diagnosed from January 1992 to December 1996, were identified retrospectively. In most cases women had received combination HRT (estrogen and progestative) and the mean duration was 60.