[Whether to apply the standard treatment for breast cancer in older patients: arguments for and against].

Data results of treatment of elderly breast cancer patients in different medical centers are provided, cohort up to 1922 patients. Better survival indicators are recorded within this category when using standard treatment plans (the same as for main category of patients). However it has been noticed that in most cases the patients' age (70-80 years) was considered a barrier to prescription the adequate treatment; 54-98% of patients do not receive standard treatment.

[The risk of local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer].

Recently, the rates of early stage breast cancers involving breast-conserving therapy have increased due to use of mammography screening. Morever, a patient's desire to keep the breast is now considered to be a factor which determines the surgery tactics. However, there has been so far no consensus on optimal extent of surgery capable of preventing local recurrence.

[Phase II clinical trial of neoadjuvant hormone therapy in comparison with chemotherapy of patients with breast cancer].

Data are presented on a randomized study (stage II) which was undertaken to assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (doxorubicin+paclitaxel) vis-a-vis endocrine therapy with aromatase inhibitors (anastrazole or exemestane) in postmenopausal women with ER-positive and/or PgR-positive tumors. Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy was well tolerated and showed similar rates of overall response as compared with the latter regimen.

[Correlation of hormone-metabolic status in breast cancer and effectiveness of adjuvant hormone therapy].

Hormono-metabolic status was assayed before and after month 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 54 and 60 of therapy in 72 patients with receptor-positive tumors of the breast who completed 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen (20 mg/24 hrs) or letrozole (2.5 mg/24 hrs). Eleven patients were not followed up, 11 relapsed and had metastases while 50 completed therapy.

Expression of estrogen receptors-alpha and -beta in primary breast neoplasms and tumors exposed to neoadjuvant hormonal therapy.

We studied the content and expression of mRNA for estrogen receptors-alpha and -beta in breast tumors before and after 3-month neoadjuvant hormone therapy with antiestrogen tamoxifen and/or aromatase inhibitors. Expression of estrogen receptors-alpha and -beta was most often detected in ER+PR+ tumors and most significantly decreased in these neoplasms after exemestane therapy. Immunocytochemical and radioligand assays showed that tamoxifen and anastrozole have little effect on the number of estrogen receptors-alpha.

[Interrelationship between response to neoadjuvant hormone therapy and hormonal-metabolic status in breast cancer patients].

Twenty seven breast cancer patients with receptor-positive tumors stage IIb-IIIa (TNM) were treated with an aromatase inhibitor--letrozole, 2.5 mg/day, or an antiestrogen--tamoxifen, 20 mg/day, 4 months before surgery. Complete or partial response (CP + PR) was recorded in patients older than those with stabilization or progression of the disease.