New advances in DPYD genotype and risk of severe toxicity under capecitabine.

Background: Deficiency in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme is the main cause of severe and lethal fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity. Various approaches have been developed for DPD-deficiency screening, including DPYD genotyping and phenotyping. The goal of this prospective observational study was to perform exhaustive exome DPYD sequencing and to examine relationships between DPYD variants and toxicity in advanced breast cancer patients receiving capecitabine.

[Possible role of sexual and gastrointestinal hormones on cancer of the digestive system].

This is a review of the most interesting studies on the possible role of sex and gut hormones in gastrointestinal (GI) carcinomas. Many experimental and some human studies suggest that sex and gut peptides may have a growth effect on normal or neoplastic gut cells. It may be possible in the future to develop strategies for patients with GI cancers that will be based upon hormonal manipulation in a manner similar to current strategies that are at present employed in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.

Antioxidants in female breast cancer patients.

Blood levels of selenium, zinc, copper, and vitamins E and C were measured in 48 cases and 50 controls from a hospital-based case-control study bearing on breast cancer risk factors in Montpellier (France). Cellular levels of selenium and vitamins E and C were also evaluated in most of the subjects. We found that the blood and cellular levels of these antioxidants were overall higher in cases than in controls, significantly for serum zinc, plasma, and leukocyte vitamin E.

The role of diet history and biologic assays in the study of "diet and breast cancer".

Nutritional factors related to breast cancer were investigated by means of a hospital-based case-control study in Milan (Italy) and Montpellier (France). Liposoluble vitamins, cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in blood samples taken from interviewed subjects (319 cases and 344 controls). In addition serum zinc and copper was assessed in the Italian samples and serum fatty acids and malonyl-di-aldehyde in the French samples.

BCL-1 participates in the 11q13 amplification found in breast cancer.

In an attempt to probe the significance of HST and INT-2 gene amplification in human breast carcinomas, we have surveyed the amplification status of five molecular markers located on the long arm of chromosome 11 (BCL-1, HST, INT-2 & SEA on 11q13, and ETS-1 on 11q23) in a population of 297 mammary tumors. ETS-1 was rarely amplified and always independently from the other proto-oncogenes. Concerning band q13: (i) 50 tumors (approximately 17%) were co-amplified for BCL-1, HST & INT-2; (ii) in 3 cases, amplification extended to the SEA gene; (iii) in 6 carcinomas, BCL-1 was the only amplified marker.

Relationship between vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast cancer. Nutritional and metabolic aspects.

Intake of vitamin E, total lipids, total cholesterol, and fatty acids were analyzed with the blood levels of vitamin E, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and the serum distribution of fatty acids in a hospital-based population of 120 patients and 109 controls. In regard to nutritional intake, the only significant differences involve saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid consumption, which is more elevated in postmenopausal patients than in postmenopausal controls. Vitamin E and total cholesterol blood levels are significantly higher in patients than in controls, where the difference is that vitamin E is independent from cholesterol level in premenopausal women only.

The influence of interleukin-2, feeder cells, and timing of irradiation on the radiosensitivity of human T lymphocytes assessed by the colony-forming assay.

The radiosensitivity of human lymphocytes was investigated by the method of colony formation in the absence of interleukin-2 (IL2) and feeder cells, both of which enhance growth of T-cell colonies. The shape of the survival curve and the radiosensitivity was shown to depend upon the ability of lymphocytes to produce IL2: the survival curve for lymphocytes that were the most competent producers of IL2 is the closest to linearity; the lymphocytes that were poor producers show biphasic survival curves. The radiosensitivity of the lymphocytes from the first group is less than that of the latter, when the comparison is based on the first part of the biphasic survival curve.

Amplification of FGF-related genes in human tumors: possible involvement of HST in breast carcinomas.

In order to document a possible involvement of structural alterations of FGF (Fibroblast Growth Factor)-like genes in human oncogenesis, we have screened a large series of human tumors for amplification of five FGF-related genes (Basic-FGF, INT2, HST, FGF5 and FGF6). None of 37 hematopoietic neoplasms, one out of 13 melanomas (8%), three out of 43 bladder tumors (7%) and 41 out of 238 breast carcinomas (17%) contained amplified FGF-related sequences, namely HST and INT2. Only these two genes, both located on band q13 of chromosome 11 have been found amplified.

[Cancer of the rectum: treatment by a radiosurgical combination of 328 patients. Mono- and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors].

From 1973 to 1983, 328 patients have been treated for rectal carcinoma in the Centre Paul Lamarque by preoperative radiotherapy (40 Grays) followed by surgical excision. The average age was 64 years and the sex ratio was 2:1. Abdominoperineal resection was performed in 219 patients anterior resection in 99 patients and transanal resection in 10 patients.

Liposoluble vitamins and lipid parameters in breast cancer. A joint study in northern Italy and southern France.

The relationship between breast cancer, liposoluble vitamins, cholesterol and triglycerides was investigated by means of a hospital-based case-control study conducted at Milan (Italy) and Montpellier (France). These parameters were measured in blood samples taken from 319 cases and 344 controls. The interview included an evaluation of dietary intake of liposoluble vitamins.

[Cancer of the thoracic esophagus. Therapeutic strategy].

Out of 100 patients with oesophageal carcinoma, 39 will have the tumour resected, 26 will survive the operation, and only 4 will be alive after 5 years. Although surgical resection is the best treatment for squamous cell carcinoma, new trends in pre-operative chemotherapy should provide better results. A therapeutic regimen based on data from the literature and on personal experience is suggested as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in operable and in nonsurgical tumours.

Oxidative phenomena are implicated in human T-cell stimulation.

Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and PHA + PMA stimulation of T-enriched peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and the Jurkat malignant T-cell line leads to oxidative-product formation, as evaluated by flow cytofluorometric studies, an increase in K+ flux across the membrane, cGMP production and a depolarization of the cell membrane. Irradiation (20 Gy), which enhances IL-2 synthesis by activated T-enriched PBL and Jurkat cells, also increases oxidative product formation, K+ flux, cGMP production, and induces cell membrane depolarization. Conversely, irradiation does not produce a rise in intracellular free Ca2+, as measured in PHA-stimulated Jurkat cells.

Endometrial cancer: a comparative analysis of the therapeutic results and causes of failure after treatment by radiation combined with surgery or radiation therapy alone.

The present study involved 215 endometrial carcinoma patients. Ninety-nine were treated by combined irradiation and surgery (preoperative external irradiation and intracavitary insertion followed by total hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy). Radiotherapy alone was used with 116 patients i.

[Long-term results of the treatment with physical agents exclusively in a series of cancers of the uterine cervix. Cooperative study of 1,383 cases].

The authors present a study of 1,383 cases of invasive carcinoma of the cervix treated exclusively by radiotherapy between 1970 and 1981. Combination external radiotherapy followed by intra-cavitary applications was carried out. The study was carried out in 9 different radiotherapy centres in France using the same protocol and the same recording systems.

The antiprogestin RU486 in advanced breast cancer: preliminary clinical trial.

Twenty-two oophorectomized or postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer resistant to several medical therapies (tamoxifen, or other endocrine therapy, and chemotherapy) were treated in a first trial with 200 mg per day of RU486 for 1 to 3 months. The long-term tolerance was good but there was a moderate decrease in plasma potassium. Plasma cortisol was increased 2-fold without clinical hypo- or hypercorticism.