N-acetyltransferase 2 polymorphism and breast cancer risk with smoking: a case control study in Japanese women.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that the association between smoking and breast cancer risk might be modified by polymorphisms in the N-acetyltransferase 2 gene (NAT2). Most of these studies were conducted in Western countries, with few reports from East Asia.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 511 breast cancer cases and 527 unmatched healthy controls from December 2010 to November 2011 in Japan.

Impact of modifiable lifestyle factors on outcomes after breast cancer diagnosis: the Setouchi Breast Cancer Cohort Study.

The primary purpose of this large cohort study is to investigate the effects on breast cancer outcomes of modifiable lifestyle factors after breast cancer diagnosis. These factors include physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and weight gain after diagnosis, alternative medicine and dietary factors. Women diagnosed with Stage 0 to III breast cancer are eligible for participation to this study.

Effects of lifestyle and single nucleotide polymorphisms on breast cancer risk: a case-control study in Japanese women.

Background: Lifestyle factors, including food and nutrition, physical activity, body composition and reproductive factors, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with breast cancer risk, but few studies of these factors have been performed in the Japanese population. Thus, the goals of this study were to validate the association between reported SNPs and breast cancer risk in the Japanese population and to evaluate the effects of SNP genotypes and lifestyle factors on breast cancer risk.

Methods: A case-control study in 472 patients and 464 controls was conducted from December 2010 to November 2011.

Association between mammographic breast density and lifestyle in Japanese women.

A high mammographic breast density is considered to be a risk factor for breast cancer. However, only a small number of studies on the association between breast density and lifestyle have been performed. A cross-sectional study was performed using a survey with 29 questions on life history and lifestyle.

Gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor blockade agent, shows additional or synergistic effects on the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells in vitro.

Human esophageal cancers have been shown to express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and a relationship between high EGFR expression and local advance, the number of lymph node metastases, life expectancy, and sensitivity to chemo-radiotherapy has been demonstrated. We examined the use of gefitinib, an orally active EGFR-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as a new strategy for treatment of esophageal carcinoma. The effects of gefitinib were evaluated in monotherapy and in combination with radiotherapy in human esophageal carcinoma cell lines.

Less invasive surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism based on preoperative 99mTc-hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile imaging findings.

Purpose: The clinical benefits acquired by introducing hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI), the reliability of MIBI, and the adequacy of applying less invasive surgeries based on MIBI imaging were retrospectively investigated.

Methods: The surgical results before introducing 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy (MIBI) in 10 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were compared with those after introducing MIBI in 22 patients.

Results: Surgical failure occurred in two patients (20.