Flaming portal vein as a new color Doppler sign of portal gas: report of two cases.

Portal gas is relatively rare, and the majority of reported cases have shown it to have a close relation to bowel diseases. At present, portal exploration usually begins with color Doppler sonography, and clinicians now possess a good understanding of color Doppler findings of a wide spectrum of portal abnormalities. However, the color Doppler sign we present in this article has not been reported before.

Clear cell hidradenoma of the breast: a case report with review of the literature.

Clear cell hidradenoma of the breast is rare. A 55-year-old woman demonstrated a left breast tumor during follow-up examination of the right breast. Focal asymmetric density was shown on mammogram, and ultrasonography showed an intracystic tumor.

[A case of inflammatory breast cancer achieving pathological complete response by primary systemic therapy with CEF (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil) followed by docetaxel].

A 48-year-old woman noticed her right breast swelling since a few weeks earlier. Rigidity in the AC area, hotness, swelling and peau d'orange appearance of the right whole breast were recognized. She was diagnosed as inflammatory breast cancer clinically and invasive ductal carcinoma with lymphatic invasion pathologically.

[Preoperative therapy with trastuzumab and paclitaxel in a stage IV advanced breast cancer with complete pathologic response].

A 53-year-old woman had a 105x100 mm tumor on her right breast with a 55x36 mm-sized bleeding ulcer of the skin and ipsilateral axillary and cervical lymph nodes swelling (T4bN3cM1, Stage IV). Core needle biopsy and immunohistochemistry of breast tumor showed invasive ductal carcinoma with negative hormone receptor (ER-, PgR-) and overexpression of HER 2 (Hercep Test score 3+). She was treated with weekly trastuzumab (initially 4 mg/kg followed by 2 mg/kg every week), and a combination of tri-weekly paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2), 6 courses).

[Markedly effective regimen using bi-weekly trastuzumab and paclitaxel in an advanced breast cancer with multiple liver metastases].

A 69-year-old woman had a 7 x 6 cm tumor on her left breast with ipsilateral axillary lymph node swelling and multiple liver metastases as detected on CT scan (T 3 N 2 M 1 b, Stage IV). Core needle biopsy and immunohistochemistry of breast tumor showed invasive ductal carcinoma with negative hormone receptor and overexpression of HER 2. After a treatment failure of 3 months weekly trastuzumab monotherapy, a combination of bi-weekly trastuzumab and paclitaxel (weekly 6, bi-weekly 9 courses), was given.

Expression of wild-type estrogen receptor beta protein in human breast cancer: specific correlation with HER2/neu overexpression.

Expression of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) protein in human breast cancer and correlation with clinicopathological factors have been reported by many investigators, but many of them used ERbeta antibodies that react with both wild-type ERbeta (ERbetawt) and splicing variant isoform. Therefore, the frequency and correlation with clinicopathological factors of ERbetawt expression remain to be established. In the present study a monoclonal antibody EMR02, specific for ERbetawt, was used in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections from 225 female primary breast cancer patients diagnosed as having invasive ductal carcinoma.

Rim enhancement of breast cancers on contrast-enhanced MR imaging: relationship with prognostic factors.

Background: There is little evidence regarding associations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and other important histopathological prognostic factors of breast cancer. The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between rim enhancement on MRI and common histopathological prognostic factors of breast cancers.

Methods: We reviewed the contrast-enhanced MR images of 106 consecutive women with histopathologically verified invasive breast carcinomas.

[Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy with anastrozole significantly downstaged an elderly breast cancer woman with locally-advanced breast cancer which became operable].

A 73-year-old postmenopausal woman had a 13 cm-sized huge tumor in her left breast with an extensive purple skin color change. She had sternal destruction, axillary and supraclavicular lymph node metastases (T4bN3M1, Stage IV). Core needle biopsy showed invasive ductal carcinoma with positive hormone receptor (ER+++, PgR+++).

[Effective weekly paclitaxel therapy for massive metastatic breast cancer].

A 36-year-old woman with a 12-year disease free interval after radical mastectomy for breast cancer presented with dyspnea and lumbago. Chest CT and bone scintigraphy revealed numerous bilateral pulmonary metastatic nodules, pleural effusion and multiple bone metastases. We treated her with weekly paclitaxel therapy at a dose of 80 mg/m2, which was continued for 3 weeks followed by 1 week rest, and bisphosphonate biweekly.