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Biomedical subjects

U Veronesi

Publications and source records attributed to U Veronesi.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Contralateral breast cancer after limited surgery plus radiotherapy of early mammary tumors.

Conservative treatment of early breast cancer with limited surgery requires a mandatory irradiation of the affected breast, which implies a low but measurable irradiation of contralateral breast too. As ionizing radiations can produce an oncogenic effect on mammary tissues, the series of 701 patients of the Milano clinical trial on T1 No breast cancer (1973-1980) was investigated to compare the incidence of contralateral breast cancer in the Halsted group (not irradiated) and in the QU.A.RT. group (irradiated on the operated breast with a total dose of 50 Gy plus a limited boost of 10 Gy). In March 1986, a contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 17/349 patients (4.9%) of the Halsted group and in 18/352 patients (5.1%) of the QU.A.RT. group after a median follow-up of 108 months. The sites of contralateral cancer were superimposable in the two groups of patients, with a constant prevalence of external quadrants, despite the great difference of dose distribution in the irradiated patients. Our data on the incidence of contralateral breast cancer failed to demonstrate an oncogenic effect of irradiation to date, but the follow-up is still in progress and any future event will be registered and discussed.

Axilla↗

Comparison of Halsted mastectomy with quadrantectomy, axillary dissection, and radiotherapy in early breast cancer: long-term results.

From 1973 to 1980 we randomly assigned 701 patients with breast cancer measuring less than 2 cm in diameter and with no palpable axillary lymph nodes to Halsted radical mastectomy (n 349) or to 'quadrantectomy' with axillary dissection and radiotherapy to the ipsilateral breast tissue (n 352). The two groups were comparable in age distribution, size and site of primary tumor, menopausal status, and frequency of axillary metastases. The average follow-up time was 103 months. Actuarial curves show no difference between the two groups in the disease-free interval after surgery or in the overall survival rate. At 8 yr the disease-free survival was 77% for the patients in the Halsted group and 80% for those in the 'quadrantectomy' group, and the overall survival was 83 and 85% respectively. We conclude that small breast cancers may be safely treated with the conservative treatment described. In our opinion total ablative operations are not justified.

Axilla↗

Local control and survival in early breast cancer: the Milan trial.

From 1973 to 1980, 701 patients with breast cancer measuring less than 2 cm in pathological diameter and with no palpable axillary lymph nodes were randomized to Halsted mastectomy (349) or to "quadrantectomy" with axillary dissection and radiotherapy to the ipsilateral breast tissue (QUART) (352). The two groups were comparable in age distribution, size and site of primary tumor; menopausal status; and frequency of axillary metastases. At 8 years, the disease-free survival was 77% for the Halsted patients and 80% for the "quadrantectomy" patients, while overall survival was 83% and 85%, respectively. Disease-free and overall survival curves show no difference between the two groups. Breast cancer of small size (less than 2 cm) may be safely treated with conservative treatment. Mutilating operations are not justified.

Aged↗

Ten-year experience with CMF-based adjuvant chemotherapy in resectable breast cancer.

The paper reviews all adjuvant studies carried out since 1973 at the Milan Cancer Institute in women with resectable breast cancer and positive axillary nodes. The updated results essentially confirm previous findings, and indicate that CMF-based chemotherapy is able to exert a prolonged therapeutic activity in a fraction of patients bearing micrometastases. In particular, the first randomized study testing no postoperative chemotherapy vs 12 CMF cycles, showed a 10-year relapse free survival (RFS) of 31.4% vs 43.4% (P less than 0.001) and an overall survival (OS) of 47.3% vs 55.2% (P = 0.10), respectively. Findings related to subsets indicated that RFS and OS benefit was significant in premenopausal and not in postmenopausal women, and in both treatment groups the observed findings were always related to the number of histologically positive nodes. On relapse, salvage therapy administered to controls failed to produce superior results compared to those achieved in the CMF group. The 8-year results of the second study testing 12 vs 6 CMF cycles failed to show a significant difference between the two treatment groups. This indicated that the maximum tumor cell kill occurred during initial chemotherapy cycles. In the third study, carried out only in postmenopausal women less than or equal to 65 years, sequential non-cross resistant combinations (CMFP----AV) at full dose achieved superior results compared to CMF in the subset with limited nodal extent. Acute side effects were moderate and no delayed morbidity, including increased incidence of second neoplasms, was observed. We conclude that the tumor cell heterogeneity, and in particular primary drug resistance, represents the major obstacle to adjuvant systemic therapy in high risk breast cancer. Current results suggest that 6 cycles of CMF can be considered a simple, safe, and moderately effective adjuvant therapy. Future trials should contemplate treatments of different intensity related to major prognostic subsets, while in women at very high risk of early relapse more vigorous drug regimens should be concentrated within the first six months from local-regional therapy.

Adult↗

Prognosis of breast cancer patients after mastectomy and dissection of internal mammary nodes.

The results of the analysis carried out on data on 1119 patients with operable breast cancer treated at the National Cancer Institute of Milan from 1965 to 1979 with enlarged mastectomy are reported. Metastases to internal mammary chain were found to be significantly associated with the maximum diameter of primary (16.1% for tumors less than 2 cm and 24.5% for larger tumors, p = 0.007), the age of the patients (27.6% in patients younger than 40 years, 19.7% in patients between 41-50 years, and 15.6% in patients older than 50 years, p = 0.01). The site of origin of the cancer had no impact on internal mammary node metastases. Patients with positive axillary nodes showed metastases to internal mammary nodes in 29.1% of the cases, while 9.1% of patients with axillary negative nodes had positive retrosternal nodes. Survival was significantly affected by the presence of positive internal mammary nodes: the percentage of 10-year survival varied from 80.4% in patients with axillary and internal mammary negative nodes to 30.0% in patients with both nodal basins involved. Intermediate survival rates (54.6% and 53.0%) were found when one or the other of the nodal stations (axillary and internal mammary) was separately affected. Maximum diameter of the primary significantly affected the survival of each group identified by the status of both axillary and internal mammary nodes. In conclusion, the information on the presence or absence of internal mammary node metastases would be of great importance in formulating the prognosis of breast cancer patients. To obtain this information, a biopsy at the first intercostal space may be reasonable in selected patients (age, maximum diameter, and axillary node involvement being the basis for selection) as long as noninvasive methods of diagnosis are available.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Indirect lymphography of the breast with iotasul: a vanishing hope?

Using a new aqueous nonionic contrast medium (Iotasul, Schering) we attempted visualization of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast carcinoma. Intradermal infusion into the areola consistently opacified the subareolar plexus and latero-cranial lymphatic trunk. Axillary nodes were visualized in 78.6% of patients, but only 5.7% of surgically excised nodes were partially or totally opacified. Eleven patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection and histology confirmed metastases in 4, of which only two were detected by lymphography. Breast lymphography is inadequate for routine clinical application, and radical axillary dissection remains the mainstay for documentation of nodal metastases.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Radical mastectomy versus radical mastectomy plus internal mammary dissection. Ten year results of an international cooperative trial in breast cancer.

A multicentric randomized trial evaluated the interest of internal mammary dissection on operable breast cancer patients. One thousand four hundred and fifty-three patients were included in the study and were followed for ten years. There is no difference in survival or in relapse-free survival between the two groups. There were significantly more local recurrences in the group without internal mammary dissection, but these recurrences occurred mainly on patients who developed metastases. A great difference between centers was observed in the number of nodes examined and there is therefore a difference in the prognostic value of the number of nodes invaded.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Risk of internal mammary lymph node metastases and its relevance on prognosis of breast cancer patients.

The risk of internal mammary chain metastases according to some parameters and its prognostic relevance was evaluated on the basis of the experience collected at the National Cancer Institute of Milan where, from January 1965 to December 1980, 1085 patients were submitted to Halsted mastectomy plus internal mammary chain dissection. A multivariate analysis was carried out, resorting to a multiple linear regression with logistic transformation of the dependent variable. The selection of prognostic factors has been performed with a step-down approach. The frequency of metastases to internal mammary chain nodes was evaluated according to four criteria: age, site and size of primary tumor, and presence of axillary metastases. Data of this series indicate that the frequency of internal mammary node metastases is significantly associated with the age of the patients (younger patients have a higher risk) (p = 0.006) with the size of primary tumor (p = 0.006) with the presence of axillary node metastases (p = 10(-9). Patients with both axillary and internal mammary positive nodes have a very poor prognosis (10-year survival 37.3%) while patients with either axillary metastases only or internal mammary metastases only have an intermediate less grave prognosis (59.6% and 62.4%, respectively). As regards the risk of internal mammary nodes involvement, it appears that knowing the age, the size, and the axillary nodes status, it is possible to calculate with good approximation the probability of their invasion.

Adult↗

Adjuvant CMF in breast cancer: comparative 5-year results of 12 versus 6 cycles.

We report the 5-yr results of a prospective randomized study comparing 12 versus 6 cycles of CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil) with the aim to evaluate the possibility of reducing the duration of adjuvant treatment without compromising the therapeutic effect of the multimodal approach. At 5-yr from mastectomy, both relapse-free survival (CMF 12: 59%; CMF 6: 65.6%) and total survival (CMF 12: 72.7%; CMF 6: 76.9%) were not significantly different in the two treatment groups. Within the two series, no difference was detected between pre- and postmenopausal patients (CMF 12: 59.3% versus 57.6%; CMF 6: 66.5% versus 63.1%), while findings were inversely related to the number of involved axillary nodes. The analysis of relapse-free survival confirmed that in both menopausal groups, relapse-free survival was not significantly affected by estrogen receptor status. Acute toxic manifestations were moderate and reversible. In particular, no drug-induced leukemia nor increased incidence of solid tumors other than breast cancer were documented in this series. Present results after 12 CMF cycles are almost identical to those of our first CMF adjuvant study. Current findings are sufficiently mature to indicate that the maximum tumor cytoreduction with CMF occurs within a relatively short period of time. To improve the results achieved with a single multidrug regimen, more intensive forms of treatment, i.e., utilizing non-cross-resistant combinations, warrant careful evaluation.

Adult↗

Proposal for a clinical classification of liver metastases.

The lack of a worldwide-accepted classification of liver metastases makes it difficult to compare data on natural history and results from different treatments. The increasing interest in aggressive multimodal therapies for hepatic metastases prompted us to review the chief prognostic factors and the main published classifications in order to propose a new clinical classification, whose principal application concerns metastases from colorectal adenocarcinomas. Following the general rules of the TNM classification, liver metastases are classified by expressing with letters and numbers the parameters selected for their prognostic importance, clinical applicability and objectivity. H (hepatic) is the letter that indicates the liver is the site of metastasis. Synchronous metastases are indicated by H, metachronous by rH (r = recurrent). The extent of liver involvement is defined: H1, liver involvement less than 25%; H2, from 25 to 50%; H3, more than 50%. Site of metastases is defined by s (single), m (multiple to one surgical lobe), b (to both lobes), i (infiltration of important structures). The alteration of liver functions is indicated by F. The presence of cirrhosis is noted by C.

Colonic Neoplasms↗