Ki67 and lymphocytes in the pretherapeutic core biopsy of primary invasive breast cancer: positive markers of therapy response prediction and superior survival.

Background Core needle biopsy plays a crucial role as diagnostic tool for BC. Both Ki67 and likely tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the near future are determining the kind of systemic therapy. The role of TILs in BC is still an issue for clinical research, albeit preliminary results of neoadjuvant and adjuvant clinical studies already now highlight the crucial impact of TILs on therapy response and survival.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer with weekly nab-paclitaxel followed by epirubicin and cyclophosphamide--results of a case series.

Background/aim: To substitute paclitaxel in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer by nab-paclitaxel due to its improved efficacy and safety profile.

Patients And Methods: Sixteen patients with primary breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of nab-paclitaxel at 150 mg/m(2) (d1, 8, 15, every 28 days followed by 4 cycles of epirubicin at 90 mg/m(2) d1, every 21 days and cyclophophosphamide at 600 mg/m(2) (d1, every 21 days plus, if human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, trastuzumab, and in 2 cases trastuzumab and lapatinib. End-points were the rate of pathological complete response (pCR) and safety.

Squalene epoxidase, located on chromosome 8q24.1, is upregulated in 8q+ breast cancer and indicates poor clinical outcome in stage I and II disease.

Gains of chromosomes 7p and 8q are associated with poor prognosis among oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) stage I/II breast cancer. To identify transcriptional changes associated with this breast cancer subtype, we applied suppression subtractive hybridisation method to analyse differentially expressed genes among six breast tumours with and without chromosomal 7p and 8q gains. Identified mRNAs were validated by real-time RT-PCR in tissue samples obtained from 186 patients with stage I/II breast cancer.

Molecular targeted therapies for breast cancer treatment.

Targeting the oestrogen receptor, HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) and vascular endothelial growth factor has markedly improved breast cancer therapy. New targeted therapeutic approaches to induction of apoptosis or inhibition of anti-apoptosis, cell cycle progression, signal transduction and angiogenesis are described. The molecular pathways and their inhibitory or repair mechanisms are discussed in the preclinical and clinical settings.

Whole genome expression analysis for biologic rational pathway modeling: application in cancer prognosis and therapy prediction.

Using semi-quantitative microarray technology, almost every one of the approximately 30 000 human genes can be analyzed simultaneously with a low rate of false-positives, a high specificity, and a high quantification accuracy. This is supported by data from comparative studies of microarrays and reverse-transcription PCR for established cancer genes including those for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2/ERBB2), estrogen receptor (ESR1), progesterone receptor (PGR), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (PLAU), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (SERPINE1). As such, semi-quantitative expression data provide an almost completely comprehensive background of biological knowledge that can be applied to cancer diagnostics.

Breast tumour growth inhibition in vitro through the combination of cyclophosphamide/metotrexate/5-fluorouracil, epirubicin/cyclophosphamide, epirubicin/paclitaxel, and epirubicin/docetaxel with the bisphosphonates ibandronate and zoledronic acid.

Breast cancer has a significant capacity to metastasize to bone. Bisphosphonates are the standard treatment for hypocalcaemia of malignancy (HCM), which is a common complication of bone metastasis. The combination of bisphosphonates with standard anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel or tamoxifen results in a synergistic apoptotic effect greater than that produced by either single agent alone.

[Impact of DNA image cytometry (ICM) parameter and established prognostic factors on disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) patients].

Objective: DNA ICM allows measurement of nuclear DNA content and genotypical grading of malignancy. The aim of this study was to prove the prognostic value of DNA parameter in comparison to established prognostic factors for DFS and OS.

Patients And Methods: Cytological imprints of 177 unselected primary NNBC patients were subjected to ICM.

C-myc, not HER-2/neu, can predict recurrence and mortality of patients with node-negative breast cancer.

Background: At present, node-negative, high-risk breast cancer patients cannot be identified with sufficient accuracy. Consequently, further strong prognostic factors are needed.

Methods: Among 181 node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) patients, c-myc and HER-2/neu oncogenes were identified prospectively using double differential PCR.

[Comparability of obstetric and perinatal data from England and Germany using standard-primip-groups - maternal and neonatal outcome].

Objective: Aim of the study was to assess whether different birth management of an english and german department can influence the maternal and neonatal outcome.

Material And Methods: The database consisted of routinely published data from 1986-95 for two clinical units in Solihull (England) and Ibbenbueren (Germany) comprising 34 820 and 9 053 deliveries respectively. In order to standardise the obstetric risk profiles the heterogeneous primary groups were subdivided into "standard primip groups".

Human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical cancer with different histological features.

We report the case of a 32-year-old woman having developed two cervical cancers synchronously, an adenocarcinoma and a squamous cell carcinoma. Polymerase chain reaction with the general primers GP5/GP6 and a subsequent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect human papillomaviruses (HPV) resulted in isolation of HPV 33 in the squamous cell carcinoma and HPV 18 in the adenocarcinoma. This is the first reported case of two histologically different synchronous cervical cancers with this distinct HPV expression pattern, and further confirms the association of certain 'high-risk' HPV genotypes to different histological features of carcinoma.

Relationship of c-myc and erbB oncogene family gene aberrations and other selected factors to ex vivo chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer in the modified ATP-chemosensitivity assay.

A pilot study on relationships of selected molecular factors [erbB-1, erbB-2, erbB-3, and c-myc oncogene average gene copy numbers (AGCN); steroid receptors and pS2 gene expression; tumor cells' DNA values] to the ex vivo chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer in a modified adenosine triphosphate cell viability chemosensitivity assay (ATP-CVA), was performed. Despite the relatively small number of patients, numerous correlations among the factors tested were found. Nevertheless, only c-myc gene dosage positively affected ex vivo chemosensitivity of tumors tested.

c-myc oncogene gene dosage, serum CEA and CA-15.3 antigen levels, and cellular DNA values in relation to ex vivo chemosensitivity of primary human breast cancer.

A pilot study on relationships of selected molecular factors (c-myc oncogene average gene copy numbers (AGCN); serum CEA and CA 15.3 antigen levels; tumor cells' DNA values), to the ex vivo chemosensitivity of primary female human breast cancer in a modified adenosine triphosphate cell viability chemosensitivity assay (ATP-CVA), was performed. Four drug combinations were tested.

[Clinical importance of histology, grading and ploidies in primary breast cancer].

Objective: In order to characterise carcinoma of the breast the determination of ploidy can be used in addition to established prognostic factors such as histology and grading. The aim of the investigation was to establish the association between histology, grading and ploidy and to indicate the prognostic and predictive value of these parameters in relation to disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Material And Methods: 125 consecutive cases of primary breast carcinoma occurring between the years 1992-1995 were surveyed.

Amplification of erbB-4 oncogene occurs less frequently than that of erbB-2 in primary human breast cancer.

ErbB-4 protein is a recently discovered member of the ErbB family. The role of ErbB-4 protein in mammary-gland tissue has not been definitively established. To date, the expression of erbB-4 in breast tissue has been determined in only a few cases and, to the best of our knowledge, its amplification has not been examined.

[Pre-pathologic-pathologic cardiotocographic pattern in second stage of labor. Analysis of the incidence of acidosis and recommendations for fetal blood gas analysis].

Fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns from 746 consecutive, documented vaginal deliveries within a 1 year period were reported on using the Hammacher Score. Characteristic FHR patterns were described and the frequency of acidosis calculated. FHR score, the single FHR parameters, baseline (BL), floatingline (FL) and oscillation type (OT) and the acid-base balance of the neonate were submitted to a correlation analysis according to Spearman.

Prognostic relevance of aberrations in the erbB oncogenes from breast, ovarian, oral and lung cancers: double-differential polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) for clinical diagnosis.

We have determined the average gene copy numbers (AGCN) of the erbB-1 gene, encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), the erbB-2 and the erbB-3 genes in breast, ovarian, oral, and lung cancer tissue by using double-differential PCR (ddPCR). The ddPCR method comprises the co-amplification of the single-copy gene HBB, the erbB-1, erbB-2 and erbB-3 oncogenes and the second single-copy reference gene SOD2 under equal reaction conditions. In a retrospective study the AGCN of the erbB genes and the time up to the appearance of metastases were subjected to life-table analysis in 128 women with primary breast cancer.

[Exposure of the fetoplacental unit, breast milk and cow's milk to radionuclides 1 year after Chernobyl].

Placenta, umbilical cord with membranes, amniotic fluid, foetal blood (from the umbilical vein), maternal urine and breast milk were examined for the non-natural radioisotopes 131iodine, 103ruthenium, 134caesium, 137caesium originating mainly from the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl compared with 40potassium existent in the natural environment. Apart from amniotic fluid, all samples contained considerable traces of caesium-radioisotopes. 131iodine and 103ruthenium could not be identified at the time of our survey due to their short half-life.

[Difficulties in interpreting the cardiotocogram in atrioventricular arrhythmia of the fetal heart].

During a routine screening examination of a pregnancy during the 28th gestational week, a pericardial effusion and ascites were recognized in the fetus. Ultrasound B- and M-mode evaluation (echocardiography) revealed an atrio-ventricular block grade III with commencing cardiac insufficiency. Cardiac monitoring (CTG) by ultrasound (HP 8040A Fetal Monitor) documented primarily the fetal atrial activity when the logic switch was turned off, but after it was turned on there was no continuous recording.

[Acceleration behavior in the antepartum cardiotocogram and the condition of the newborn infant].

The prognostic value of fetal heart accelerations in the antepartal cardiotocogram (CTG) is analyzed with regard to fetal outcome. A total of 560 CTGs made one week before delivery were divided into five groups: newborns with cord around the neck, newborns with acidosis, newborns with fetal growth retardation, newborns with low Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes (Apgar-7), normal newborns as control group. In contrast to other publications, the present authors did not find accelerations in the antepartal CTG to be a definite positive prognostic sign.

[Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of achondroplasia].

The pregnancy of a woman with achondroplasia was monitored by ultrasound from the 29th to the 38th week of gestation. Starting with the 29th week of gestation, there was a suspicion of the foetus having the same skeletal dysplasia. The following measurements were in the pathological range: the length of the upper arm, the humerus, the lower arm, the thigh, the femur, the leg, the tibia, as well as the maximal thigh diameter, the ratios of thigh diameter to crown-rump length and maximal thigh diameter to the biparietal diameter.

[Uterus septus with adenocarcinoma of one half of the uterus].

The authors demonstrate a rare case of an adenocarcinoma of the uterus associated with a uterus septus. The concomitance of carcinoma and congenital uterine anomalies is coincidental and has no causal connection. Congenital anomalies of the uterus which remain undetected can be responsible for serious delay in diagnosis of carcinoma and may adversely interfere with treatment efforts.

Evaluation of infants with acidosis using a perinatal "negative factor" score.

Using Prechtl's concept of optimal conditions as modified by Michaelis et al. [7] we analysed the case records of 50 acidotic newborn infants (umbilical artery pH of 7,250 or less) and of 34 controls. Acidotic infants had a significantly higher negative (or adverse) factor score.

[Experiences in the assessment of the subpartal cardiotocogram (author's transl)].

750 cardiotocographic curves of the last 30 minutes prior to vaginal delivery were assessed retrospectively according to the CTG score after Hammacher et al. (6). The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic value of the CTG score with regard to the foetal acid-base stains.