Adding Ovarian Suppression to Tamoxifen for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Randomized Phase III Trial.

Purpose: The addition of ovarian function suppression (OFS) for 5 years to tamoxifen (TAM) for treatment of premenopausal patients with breast cancer after completion of chemotherapy has beneficial effects on disease-free survival (DFS). This study evaluated the efficacy of adding 2 years of OFS to TAM in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who remain in a premenopausal state or resume ovarian function after chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 1,483 premenopausal women (age ≤ 45 years) with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer treated with definitive surgery after completing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Five-Year Overall Survival of Interval Breast Cancers is Better than Non- Interval Cancers from Korean Breast Cancer Registry.

Objective: Interval breast cancer (IC) is a limitation of breast cancer screening. We investigated data from a large scaled breast cancer dataset of patients with breast cancer who underwent breast cancer screening in order to recapitulate the overall survival (OS) of patients with ICs compared to those with non-ICs. Methods: A total of 27,141 patients in the Korean breast cancer registry with breast cancer who had ever participated in biannual national breast cancer screening programs between 2009 and 2013 were enrolled.

T-Cell Immunoglobulin Mucin 3 Expression on Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes as a Positive Prognosticator in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Purpose: T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) is an emerging immune response molecule related to T-cell anergy. There has been tremendous interest in breast cancer targeting immune checkpoint molecules, especially in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study was designed to investigate TIM-3 expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), its relationships with clinicopathological para-meters and expression of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1)/programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1), and its prognostic role.

Education Level Is a Strong Prognosticator in the Subgroup Aged More Than 50 Years Regardless of the Molecular Subtype of Breast Cancer: A Study Based on the Nationwide Korean Breast Cancer Registry Database.

Purpose: This study investigated the role of the education level (EL) as a prognostic factor for breast cancer and analyzed the relationship between the EL and various confounding factors.

Materials And Methods: The data for 64,129 primary breast cancer patients from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry were analyzed. The EL was classified into two groups according to the education period; the high EL group (≥ 12 years) and low EL group (< 12 years).

The role of the addition of ovarian suppression to tamoxifen in young women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer who remain premenopausal or regain menstruation after chemotherapy (ASTRRA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial and progress.

Background: Ovarian function suppression (OFS) has been shown to be effective as adjuvant endocrine therapy in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, it is currently unclear if addition of OFS to standard tamoxifen therapy after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy results in a survival benefit. In 2008, the Korean Breast Cancer Society Study Group initiated the ASTRRA randomized phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy of OFS in addition to standard tamoxifen treatment in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients who remain or regain premenopausal status after chemotherapy.

Malignant Adenomyoepithelioma of the Breast and Responsiveness to Eribulin.

Adenomyoepithelioma (AME) of the breast is an uncommon tumor characterized by its dual differentiation into luminal cells and myoepithelial cells. In most cases these tumors have a benign clinical course, but distant metastases have been reported. We present the case of a 51-year-old woman diagnosed with malignant AME.

Treatment and survival of patients with occult breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis: a nationwide retrospective study.

Background And Objectives: Occult breast cancer (OBC) accounts for 0.3-1.0% of all breast cancers and is a rare presentation of the disease.

US screening for detection of nonpalpable locoregional recurrence after mastectomy.

Purpose: To assess the value of screening ultrasonography (US) in the detection of nonpalpable locoregional recurrence following mastectomy for breast cancer and to describe the US appearances of occult recurrent cancers.

Materials And Methods: During a 36-month period, 1180 consecutive US screenings were performed for mastectomy sites and ipsilateral axillary fossae in 468 asymptomatic women who had undergone mastectomy for breast cancer. All US results were divided into three groups: negative findings, probably benign nodules, and suspicious for malignant nodules.

Reliability of reconstructed breast flap after chemotherapy and radiotherapy in immediate breast reconstruction.

Background: Postmastectomy adjuvant therapy is used to prevent locoregional recurrence and improve overall breast cancer specific survival rates. However, it can adversely affect the cosmetic results of reconstruction. Therefore, the authors examined flap stability and patients' satisfaction with immediate breast reconstruction after adjuvant therapy.

Application of an endo-GIA for ligation of the cystic duct during difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background/aims: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard modality for treating gallbladder disease. There are many techniques for the ligation of a dilated and inflamed cystic duct. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and applicability of an Endo-GIA for dilated cystic duct ligation.

Quantitative DNA methylation and recurrence of breast cancer: a study of 30 candidate genes.

Background: The need for new prognostic factors in breast cancer is ever increasing as breast cancer management evolves. Aberrant DNA methylation plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression; DNA methylation-based biomarkers may provide independent prognostic information. We used pyrosequencing to investigate the prognostic potential of quantitative DNA methylation of a large set of candidate genes in a Korean single-institution series of operable breast cancer.

Susceptibility for breast cancer in young patients with short rare minisatellite alleles of BORIS.

In this study, we characterized two blocks of minisatellites in the 5' upstream region of the BORIS gene (BORIS-MS1, -MS2). BORIS-MS2 was found to be polymorphic; therefore, this locus could be useful as a marker for DNA fingerprinting. We assessed the association between BORIS-MS2 and breast cancer by a case-control study with 428 controls and 793 breast cancers cases.

Clinical outcomes and breast cancer subtypes in patients with brain metastases.

Background: The principal objective of this study was to assess clinical outcomes by breast cancer subtype in patients with brain metastases.

Methods: Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining. Four survival time intervals were compared according to the subtype (ER+/HER2-, HER2+, triple negative (TN)).

Metaplastic breast carcinoma with extensive osseous differentiation: a case report.

We present a case of a 77-year-old female who had a metaplastic breast carcinoma with extensive osseous differentiation. Her mammogram showed a largely calcified mass, but the pathology revealed that the calcification was ossification. The radiologic differentiation between an osteoid matrix and a dense calcification is discussed.

Sutureless intestinal anastomosis with the biofragmentable anastomosis ring: experience of 632 anastomoses in a single institute.

Purpose: Uncertainty with the safety of the biofragmentable anastomosis ring makes surgeons hesitate in its widespread use in intestinal surgery. This study was designed to evaluate the validity of the biofragmentable anastomosis ring as a routine anastomotic device in enterocolic surgery.

Methods: The study analyzed the nine-year experience of 632 biofragmentable anastomosis ring anastomoses performed in 617 patients: 525 (83 percent) as elective procedures and 107 (17 percent) as emergency.

Gene expression profiling of breast cancers with emphasis of beta-catenin regulation.

To gain molecular understanding of carcinogenesis of breast cancer, gene expression profiles were analyzed using cDNA microarray representing 4,600 cDNAs in 10 breast cancer samples and the adjacent noncancerous breast tissues from the same patients. The alterations in gene expression levels were confirmed by reversetranscription PCR in four randomly selected genes. Genes that were differently expressed in cancer and noncancerous tissues were identified.