Predicting response to primary chemotherapy: gene expression profiling of paraffin-embedded core biopsy tissue.

Purpose: Primary chemotherapy provides an ideal opportunity to correlate gene expression with response to treatment. We used paraffin-embedded core biopsies from a completed phase II trial to identify genes that correlate with response to primary chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed stage II or III breast cancer were treated with sequential doxorubicin 75 mg/M2 q2 wks x 3 and docetaxel 40 mg/M2 weekly x 6; treatment order was randomly assigned.

beta-Tubulin mutations are associated with resistance to 2-methoxyestradiol in MDA-MB-435 cancer cells.

2-Methoxyestradiol is an estradiol metabolite with significant antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity independent of estrogen receptor status. To identify a molecular basis for acquired 2-methoxyestradiol resistance, we generated a stable 2-methoxyestradiol-resistant (2ME2R) MDA-MB-435 human cancer cell line by stepwise exposure to increasing 2-methoxyestradiol concentrations. 2ME2R cells maintained in the presence of the drug and W435 cells maintained in the absence of the drug showed 32.

Randomized phase II trial of the anti-angiogenic potential of doxorubicin and docetaxel; primary chemotherapy as Biomarker Discovery Laboratory.

Purpose: Primary chemotherapy provides an ideal opportunity to correlate potential non-invasive surrogate markers of angiogenesis with tumor microvessel density (MVD) and response.

Patients And Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed stages II or III breast cancer were treated with sequential doxorubicin 75 mg/M2 q2 wks x 3 and docetaxel 40 mg/M2 weekly x 6; treatment order was randomly assigned. Potential serologic and imaging markers of angiogenesis were obtained pre-treatment, at crossover and completion of chemotherapy.

When not to treat--chemotherapy for small (< or = 1 cm) breast cancers.

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in treatment of breast cancers < or = 1.0 cm is controversial. Careful consideration must be given to the patient's overall risk of recurrence and death given her tumor size and lymph node status.

A phase II study of 9-nitro-camptothecin in patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer.

Aims: This Phase II study was conducted to determine the efficacy and toxicity of 9-nitro-camptothecin (9-NC) in patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer. Pharmacokinetic samples were obtained to investigate the correlation of plasma 9-NC exposure with clinical response and toxicity.

Patients And Methods: Eligible patients had histologically confirmed metastatic breast cancer with measurable or evaluable disease.