Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “BREAST”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources

Breast conservation surgery using nipple-areolar resection for central breast cancers.

HYPOTHESIS: Resection of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) for central breast cancers that involve the nipple or areola, with postoperative radiation therapy, adheres to the oncologic principles established for breast conservation surgery of other breast cancers. Good or excellent cosmetic results can be achieved. The rate of ipsilateral breast recurrence will be similar to that seen with peripheral breast cancers. The indications for breast conservation surgery can be safely extended to include patients with breast cancers that involve the NAC. DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review; follow-up patient questionnaire. SETTING: Community teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Fifteen patients, aged 46 to 88 years, whose central breast cancers involved the NAC precluding preservation of the NAC. INTERVENTIONS: Nipple-areolar complex resection, postoperative radiation therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ipsilateral breast recurrence, survival, cosmesis. RESULTS: Ten patients had subareolar cancers that directly involved the nipple or areola; 5 patients had Paget disease of the nipple. Average tumor size was 1.6 cm (range, 0.2-3.5 cm). With a mean follow-up of 32 months (range, 4-109 months), there has been only 1 recurrence (7%), which was treated successfully by modified radical mastectomy. All 15 patients are alive and free of disease. Cosmetic results are satisfactory to excellent, as judged by both the patients and the surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: Nipple-areolar complex resection for central subareolar cancers that directly involve the NAC, as well as for Paget disease of the nipple, extends the indications for breast conservation in other areas of the breast, and with acceptable cosmesis.

Aged↗

Race, breast cancer subtypes, and survival in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study.

CONTEXT: Gene expression analysis has identified several breast cancer subtypes, including basal-like, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive/estrogen receptor negative (HER2+/ER-), luminal A, and luminal B. OBJECTIVES: To determine population-based distributions and clinical associations for breast cancer subtypes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Immunohistochemical surrogates for each subtype were applied to 496 incident cases of invasive breast cancer from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (ascertained between May 1993 and December 1996), a population-based, case-control study that oversampled premenopausal and African American women. Subtype definitions were as follows: luminal A (ER+ and/or progesterone receptor positive [PR+], HER2-), luminal B (ER+ and/or PR+, HER2+), basal-like (ER-, PR-, HER2-, cytokeratin 5/6 positive, and/or HER1+), HER2+/ER- (ER-, PR-, and HER2+), and unclassified (negative for all 5 markers). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We examined the prevalence of breast cancer subtypes within racial and menopausal subsets and determined their associations with tumor size, axillary nodal status, mitotic index, nuclear pleomorphism, combined grade, p53 mutation status, and breast cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: The basal-like breast cancer subtype was more prevalent among premenopausal African American women (39%) compared with postmenopausal African American women (14%) and non-African American women (16%) of any age (P<.001), whereas the luminal A subtype was less prevalent (36% vs 59% and 54%, respectively). The HER2+/ER- subtype did not vary with race or menopausal status (6%-9%). Compared with luminal A, basal-like tumors had more TP53 mutations (44% vs 15%, P<.001), higher mitotic index (odds ratio [OR], 11.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.6-21.7), more marked nuclear pleomorphism (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 5.3-18.0), and higher combined grade (OR, 8.3; 95% CI, 4.4-15.6). Breast cancer-specific survival differed by subtype (P<.001), with shortest survival among HER2+/ER- and basal-like subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Basal-like breast tumors occurred at a higher prevalence among premenopausal African American patients compared with postmenopausal African American and non-African American patients in this population-based study. A higher prevalence of basal-like breast tumors and a lower prevalence of luminal A tumors could contribute to the poor prognosis of young African American women with breast cancer.

Adult↗

Beta-benzene hexachloride in breast adipose tissue and risk of breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have recently related benzene hexachloride (BHC) to breast carcinoma risk. Experimental studies have also shown that beta-BHC is weakly estrogenic, hence supporting the alleged association. By directly comparing beta-BHC levels in breast adipose tissue from incident breast carcinoma cases and controls, this study examined the hypothesis that exposure to beta-BHC increases the risk of breast carcinoma in females. METHODS: A total of 490 Connecticut women (304 cases and 186 controls) were enrolled in the study during the period 1994-1997. Cases were patients ages 40-79 years with histologically confirmed incident primary breast carcinoma. Controls were patients with histologically confirmed incident benign breast disease. Breast adipose tissue was collected and analyzed for BHC isomers. A linear logistic regression model was used to adjust for potential confounders in estimating the association of exposure with disease. RESULTS: No significant differences in breast adipose tissue levels of beta-BHC were observed between the cases and their controls overall, nor by menopausal status or estrogen and progesterone receptor status of the breast carcinoma cases. A nonsignificant reduced risk was observed among all subjects and among pre- and postmenopausal women when the highest quartile was compared with the lowest. Parous women with higher beta-BHC levels, regardless of lactation status, had a nonsignificantly reduced breast carcinoma risk, whereas a nonsignificantly increased risk was observed among nulliparous women with higher beta-BHC levels, based on very few study subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that increasing adipose tissue levels of beta-BHC are associated with an increased risk of breast carcinoma in females.

Adipose Tissue↗

Ten-year results of breast-conserving surgery and definitive irradiation for intraductal carcinoma (ductal carcinoma in situ) of the breast.

An analysis of 259 women with 261 treated breasts from nine institutions in Europe and the United States was performed to determine the 10-year results of the treatment of intraductal carcinoma of the breast with definitive irradiation. All patients had undergone complete gross excision of the primary intraductal carcinoma, and definitive breast irradiation was delivered in all cases. The median follow-up time was 78 months (range, 11 to 197 months). The 10-year actuarial overall survival rate was 94%, and the 10-year actuarial cause-specific survival rate (including deaths only from carcinoma of the breast) was 97%. The 10-year actuarial rate of freedom from distant metastases was 96%. There were 28 failures in the breast, and the 10-year actuarial rate of local failure was 16%. The pathologic type of local recurrences showed invasive ductal carcinoma in 14 of 28 recurrences (50%) and noninvasive ductal carcinoma in 14 of 28 recurrences (50%). The median time to local failure was 50 months (range, 17 to 129 months). Twenty-four of 28 patients with local failure were salvaged with additional treatment, generally mastectomy, and 4 of 28 patients with local failure subsequently had distant metastases. Median follow-up time after salvage treatment of breast recurrence was 29 months (range, 3 to 90 months). Two patients without local failure subsequently had distant metastases, one of which occurred after a node-positive, contralateral breast carcinoma. These results demonstrate high rates of overall survival, cause-specific survival, and freedom from distant metastases for the treatment of patients with intraductal carcinoma of the breast. The local recurrences within the treated breast were generally salvaged with additional treatment, although with limited follow-up. Because of the long natural history of intraductal carcinoma of the breast, prolonged and careful follow-up of patients after breast-conservation and definitive irradiation is required.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: how does it relate to breast cancer in African-American women?

BACKGROUND: African-American women have had a lower incidence, yet higher mortality rate from breast cancer compared with White-American women. African-American women also have had a higher risk for early-onset, high-grade, node-positive, and hormone receptor-negative disease. Similar features have characterized hereditary breast cancer, prompting speculation that risk factors could be genetically transmitted. Further evaluation of this theory required the study of breast cancer among women from sub-Saharan Africa because of their shared ancestry with African-American women. METHODS: Publications from 1988 to 2004 of English-language literature on breast cancer in Africa were reviewed. RESULTS: Women from sub-Saharan Africa were found to have a low incidence of breast cancer. This was partly explained by a largely protective reproductive history, including late menarche, early menopause, high parity with prolonged breastfeeding, irregular menses, and fewer ovulatory cycles. The average age at diagnosis, however, was approximately 10 years younger than breast cancer patients of western nations, and disease stage distribution was shifted toward more advanced disease, which resulted in higher mortality rates. These features were found to be similar to data on breast cancer in African-American women. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been reported in African-American women, but the extent of the contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 to breast cancer burden in Africa was uncertain. Limited financial resources lead to suboptimal cancer data collection, as well as delayed diagnosis and treatment of many African breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Parallels between breast cancer burdens of African-American and sub-Saharan-African women were provocative, indicating the need for further exploration of possible genetically transmitted features related to estrogen metabolism and/or breast cancer risk.

Africa South of the Sahara↗

Breast cancer markers: comparison between sialyltransferase and human mammary epithelial antigens (HME-Ags) for the detection of human breast tumors grafted in nude mice.

Sialyltransferase (CMP-sialic acid:asialofetuin sialyltransferase) and human mammary epithelial antigens (HME-Ags, cell surface antigens specific to human mammary epithelial cells) were determined in plasma of nude mice grafted with breast and non-breast human tumors to assess their possible usefulness as breast cancer markers. The plasma transferase activity was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in tumor groups relative to the control. However, no significant difference (p less than 0.05) could be found in the transferase level between breast and non-breast tumor groups, showing the enzyme's lack of specificity for breast cancer. Furthermore, the surgical procedure performed on the control normal healthy group (no tumor), resulted in an important increase of the enzyme level, while HME-Ags remained unchanged. HME-Ags were essentially negative in control as well as non-breast tumor groups. After surgical removal of breast tumors, HME-Ags level dropped drastically to the background level (from 122 to less than 30 ng/ml plasma). These data indicate that HME-Ags are more sensitive and specific than sialyltransferase as markers for human breast tumor, and suggest that HME-Ags may be clinically useful in the early detection of breast cancer as well as in the followup of patients with metastatic breast tumor.

Animals↗

Breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer: patterns of care in a geographic region and estimation of potential applicability.

BACKGROUND: It has been postulated that one of the rewards of breast cancer screening is the increased likelihood of receiving breast-conserving surgery. The recent wide application of screening mammography has led to an acceleration in the otherwise gradual shift toward smaller, earlier-stage breast cancer that has been occurring since the turn of the century. METHODS: We examined data from patients with pathologically diagnosed breast cancers from all general hospitals in the state of Vermont for use of breast-conserving surgery by era (1975-1984 [n = 1,652] versus 1989-1990 [n = 683]), method of cancer detection, age, clinical tumor-node-metastases (cTNM) stage, pathologic size, and node status. RESULTS: Cancers detected by mammography were 2% in 1975-1984 and 36% in 1989-1990. Invasive breast cancers < 2 cm maximum pathologic diameter were 34% in 1975-1984 and 50% in 1989-1990 (p < 0.001). Statewide, the use of breast-conserving surgery for invasive cancer increased from 8.6% in 1975-1984 to 42.9% in 1989-1990 (p < 0.001). In 1989-1990 at the single university hospital, 73% of the patients were treated with breast-conserving surgery versus 22% at the community hospitals (range 0-39%, p < 0.001). Differential referral patterns related to stage and age did not appear to explain the variation, because the percentages of cTNM stage I and II patients at the university hospital were similar to those of the community hospitals. Using the university hospital as the standard, we estimated that at least 67% of all patients in the state were eligible for breast-conserving surgery in the years 1975-1984 and 73% in the years 1975-1984, a 6% increase. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the variation in breast-conserving surgery was related to factors other than patient age and stage of disease. Variation was probably related more to local community factors and physician attitudes. At least two-thirds of the women in the state were eligible for breast-conserving surgery even before the wide use of mammography screening.

Adult↗

Endoscopy-assisted breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast-conserving surgery is now accepted as one of the standard therapeutic options for stages I and II breast cancers. Although breast-conserving surgery can help retain a good breast shape, a long marked scar would be a disadvantage. Endoscopic surgery can be performed via a small and remote incision that becomes inconspicuous after surgery. To improve the cosmetic outcome, endoscopic breast-conserving surgery, which can be performed through minimal axillary and periareolar semicircular incisions, was undertaken. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From October 2002 to October 2004, 20 breast cancer patients whose tumor sizes were less than 3 cm and who were clinically node negative without invasion to the skin and pectoralis major muscle underwent endoscopic breast-conserving surgery. First, endoscopic dye-guided sentinel node biopsy was done through a low transverse axillary incision lateral to the pectoralis major muscle. The subpectoral pocket was gently created by Vein Harvest under the view of endoscopic monitor. We made the periareolar semicircular incision to create the skin flap and to resect the tumor-containing quadrant by using Visiport and PowerStar scissors. Frozen-section biopsies were done to rule out tumor invasion to the resection margin. Patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, operation time, and amount of bleedings were all evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 45 (range: 25-64). The mean tumor size was 2.2 cm (range: 0.2-4.0 cm). The average operation time of the early 9 cases, except the 3 cases that underwent axillary-node dissection, was 178 minutes, and that of the later 8 cases was 130 minutes (P<0.001). The mean amount of operative bleeding was 184+/-130 ml. There were no major complications. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic breast-conserving surgery is a new technique that can minimize the long operation scar of classic breast-conserving surgery. In properly selected cases, our results showed the maximized cosmetic satisfaction of the breast cancer patients and a shortened operation time after the learning period, promising it could be an alternative to the classic breast-conserving surgery.

Adult↗

A decade of breast cancer screening in The Netherlands: trends in the preoperative diagnosis of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: In a prospective, multi-institutional follow-up study we describe the trends in the preoperative pathologic confirmation of breast cancer of women who underwent breast cancer screening between 1995 and 2005. METHODS: We included all women aged 50-75 years who underwent biennial screening mammography in the southern breast cancer screening region of the Netherlands between February 13, 1995 and December 22, 2004. Clinical data, breast imaging reports, biopsy results and breast surgery reports were collected of all women with a positive screening result. Follow-up lasted through the next biennial screening examination and was approximately two years for all referred women. RESULTS: Of 258,900 mammographic screening examinations, 3,064 (1.2%) were positive screens. The majority of women (92%) were analyzed in four regional hospitals and workup yielded breast cancer in 1,332 women. From 1995 to 2005, the percentage of breast cancer cases that underwent percutaneous biopsy prior to surgery, increased from 42.4 to 100%. The proportion of cancers with a preoperative diagnosis of malignancy by percutaneous biopsy, increased from 27.1% in 1995 to 92.7% in 2004. Preoperative breast cancer confirmation by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) gradually decreased from 91.3% to 14.5%, whereas preoperative confirmation by ultrasound guided core biopsy (USCB) or stereotactic core needle biopsy (SCNB) increased from 8.7% to 69.1% and from 0 to 17.4% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A preoperative diagnosis of breast cancer is currently obtained in more than 90% of breast cancer patients. The increase in preoperative breast cancer diagnosis through 1995-2004 is correlated with the introduction of SNCB and increased use of USCB at the expense of FNAC.

Aged↗

Salvage treatment for local recurrence following breast-conserving surgery and definitive irradiation for ductal carcinoma in situ (intraductal carcinoma) of the breast.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the outcome of salvage treatment for local recurrence in the breast following the initial treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (intraductal carcinoma) with breast-conserving surgery and definitive breast irradiation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An analysis was performed of 42 local failures in the breast that occurred following the initial treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (intraductal carcinoma) with breast-conserving surgery and definitive breast irradiation. At the time of the local recurrence, 23 cases (55%) showed invasive ductal carcinoma, and 19 cases (45%) showed intraductal carcinoma, one with associated Paget's disease. The surgical treatment at the time of local recurrence included mastectomy (n = 39), excision (n = 2), or other (n = 1). Adjuvant systemic therapy at the time of local recurrence included chemotherapy (n = 2), hormonal treatment (n = 7), both (n = 1), or none (n = 32). The median follow-up after salvage treatment was 3.7 years (mean = 4.0 years; range = 0.1-9.5 years). RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial outcome following salvage treatment for the 42 local recurrences showed an overall survival rate of 78% and a cause-specific survival rate of 84%. The 5-year actuarial rate of freedom from distant metastases was 86%. None of the patients with histology of the local recurrence of intraductal carcinoma or with detection of the local recurrence with mammographic findings only developed distant metastatic disease after salvage treatment. The 5-year actuarial rate of freedom from chest wall recurrence following salvage mastectomy was 92%. All three of the patients who developed chest wall recurrence following salvage mastectomy also developed distant metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that local recurrences following the initial treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ with breast-conserving surgery and definitive breast irradiation can be salvaged with high rates of survival, freedom from distant metastases, and freedom from chest wall recurrence. The results of salvage treatment support the use of breast-conserving surgery and definitive breast irradiation for the initial management of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Adult↗

Reduction of radiotherapy-induced late complications in early breast cancer: the role of intensity-modulated radiation therapy and partial breast irradiation. Part II--Radiotherapy strategies to reduce radiation-induced late effects.

Radiotherapy after conservation surgery has been proven to decrease local relapse and death from breast cancer, and is now firmly established in the management of early breast carcinoma. Currently, the challenge is to optimise the therapeutic ratio by minimising treatment-related morbidity, while maintaining or improving local control and survival. The second part of this review examines the role of two approaches: intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and partial breast irradiation, as means of improving the therapeutic ratio. Discussion of IMRT includes both inverse- and forward-planned methods: the breast usually requires minimal modulation to improve dose homogeneity, and therefore lends itself to simpler forward-planned IMRT techniques; whereas inverse-planned IMRT may be useful in selected cases. There are many dosimetry studies reporting the superiority of IMRT over conventional breast radiotherapy, but there is still a paucity of clinical data regarding patient benefit from these techniques. A critical literature review of clinical partial breast radiotherapy studies focuses on the influence of irradiated breast volume, dose and fractionation, and patient selection on normal tissue side-effects and local control. Clinical reports of partial breast irradiation show several encouraging, but some concerning results about local recurrence rates. Therefore, mature results from randomised trials comparing partial breast irradiation with whole-breast radiotherapy are required. Accurate localisation of the tumour bed and application of appropriate clinical target volumes and planning target volumes are discussed in detail, as these concepts are fundamental for partial breast irradiation.

Brachytherapy↗

Breast-conserving therapy in patients with bilateral breast cancer: do today's treatment choices burn bridges for tomorrow?

PURPOSE: To determine how often initial treatment choices limit treatment options for subsequent breast cancer management in patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy (BCT), in particular with treatment of internal mammary nodes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January 1985 and June 2001, 464 women with pathologic Stage 0, I, and II (T0-2, N0-1) breast cancer underwent BCT at our institution. All 464 patients had computed tomography-based treatment planning. In patients with bilateral breast cancer, the planning computed tomography scans were used to determine the impact initial radiation therapy fields had on treatment options for subsequent contralateral breast cancer. RESULTS: There were 500 breast cancers diagnosed in 464 patients. Thirty-six patients (8%) had bilateral breast cancer with 9 (2%) synchronous and 27 (6%) metachronous primaries. In 80 patients, the ipsilateral internal mammary nodes were explicitly treated. Initial breast cancer treatment choices impacted subsequent treatment decisions for the contralateral breast in only 2 of 464 patients (0.4%) in the study: 2 of 80 patients (2.5%) whose internal mammary nodes were treated, and 2 of 27 patients (7.4%) who developed metachronous bilateral breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Initial BCT, including internal mammary node irradiation, rarely compromised future contralateral breast-conserving therapy.

Adult↗

Addition of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to adjuvant treatment may increase survival in patients with operable breast cancer: interaction of G-CSF with dormant micrometastatic breast cancer cells.

All cancers are clonal and represent the progeny of a single cell. The unclear point is which clonogenic cells within the tumor clone possess tumor-initiating cell (T-IC) function and are capable of maintaining tumor growth. Stem cells have the ability to divide almost indefinitely. The division can give rise to a new stem cell as well as differentiated cells of the tumor. Breast tumors are comprised of phenotypically diverse populations of breast cancer cells. Among them, the breast cancer stem cell is important for regrowth of tumor and metastasis. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) stimulates the pluripotent stem cell beside neutrophil precursors. Breast cancer stem cells which have not been characterized totally may carry the almost identical antigens with hematopoietic stem cell. The dose-intense therapies with the addition of G-CSF in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer improved clinical outcomes significantly. Presence of micrometastasis in bone marrow of the breast cancer patients is predictor of relapse free survival and important prognostic factor. Actually, breast cancer stem cells in the thousands of micrometastatic cancer cells have the capacity to repopulate and metastasise. We hypothesize that G-CSF use in adjuvant treatment of breast cancer may activate and repopulate these dormant breast cancer stem cells besides its stimulation on blood stem cells. So activated breast cancer stem cells become chemosensitive to cell-cycle specific various chemotherapeutic agents. Improvement in overall survival in operable breast cancer patients having been treated by dose-dense therapies may also be explained by this mechanism.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

A grounded theory study of Swedish women's experiences of inflammatory symptoms of the breast during breast feeding.

OBJECTIVE: to gain an understanding of the experiences of women who have had an episode of inflammatory symptoms of the breast during lactation. DESIGN: a grounded theory approach, inspired by Glaser and Strauss, was used in an interview study. SETTING: the study was carried out at a midwife-led breast-feeding clinic in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: the strategic sample consisted of 14 mothers, all of whom had had an episode of breast inflammation between 10 and 22 weeks before the interview. Nine were primiparous. Ages ranged between 24 and 38 years. FINDINGS: the analysis resulted in the emergence of one core category and five conceptual categories. The core category was 'the will to breast feed', and the five conceptual categories were 'perspectives on breast feeding', 'personal strategies', 'enduring and adjustment', 'support' and 'causal frameworks'. The core category was reflected in all the other categories and was dependent on them. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: an episode of breast inflammation is a possible threat to the maintenance of breast feeding, but the will to breast feed may make it possible for mothers to withstand physical and emotional difficulties caused by the illness. Breast-feeding mothers may have chosen a goal for the length of time they wish to breast feed, and the attainment of this goal is prestige-filled. Midwives, throughout the chain of care, could improve the amount and type of information given about the demands and possible complications of breast feeding. The availability of immediate clinical expertise for these mothers is an important factor, and health-care planners should be aware of this.

Adult↗

Differential levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in early breast cancer and benign breast lesions.

To date, no soluble markers can discriminate benign from malignant breast lesions; therefore, to assess the diagnostic potential of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), serum concentrations of sICAM-1 were quantitated in 230 consecutive patients that underwent surgery for breast neoplasias, utilizing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histological diagnosis revealed that 177 patients had breast cancer and 53 had a benign breast disease. In the cancer patient group, 90 subjects had pT1 tumors without (pT1N0M0, n = 46) or with (pT1N1M0, n = 41; pT1N2M0, n = 3) regional lymph node metastases. Mean levels of serum sICAM-1 of patients with pT1 breast cancer, without or with regional lymph node involvement, were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of patients with benign breast lesions and of 49 age-matched control subjects. Elevated levels of serum sICAM-1 were detected in 27/90 (30%) pT1 breast tumors and in 1/53 (2%) benign breast lesions; thus, among subjects with high levels of sICAM-1, 96% had breast cancer. No significant correlation was found between levels of serum sICAM-1 and breast cancer progression. These observations, altogether, suggest that in the presence of a suspicious breast neoplasm the quantitative analysis of serum sICAM-1 can orient clinical diagnosis towards malignancy.

Adult↗

Non-dietary factors as risk factors for breast cancer, and as effect modifiers of the association of fat intake and risk of breast cancer.

To assess more precisely the relative risks associated with established risk factors for breast cancer, and whether the association between dietary fat and breast cancer risk varies according to levels of these risk factors, we pooled primary data from six prospective studies in North America and Western Europe in which individual estimates of dietary fat intake had been obtained by validated food-frequency questionnaires. Based on information from 322,647 women among whom 4,827 cases occurred during follow-up: the multivariate-adjusted risk of late menarche (age 15 years or more compared with under 12) was 0.72 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.82); of being postmenopausal was 0.82 (CI = 0.69-0.97); of high parity (three or more births compared with none) was 0.72 (CI = 0.61-0.86); of late age at first birth (over 30 years of age compared with 20 or under) was 1.46 (CI = 1.22-1.75); of benign breast disease was 1.53 (CI = 1.41-1.65); of maternal history of breast cancer was 1.38 (CI = 1.14-1.67); and history of a sister with breast cancer was 1.47 (CI = 1.27-1.70). Greater duration of schooling (more than high-school graduation compared with less than high-school graduation) was associated significantly with higher risk in age-adjusted analyses, but was attenuated after controlling for other risk factors. Total fat intake (adjusted for energy consumption) was not associated significantly with breast cancer risk in any strata of these non-dietary risk factors. We observed a marginally significant interaction between total fat intake and risk of breast cancer according to history of benign breast disease; with fat intake being associated nonsignificantly positively with risk among women with a previous history of benign breast disease; no other significant interactions were observed. Risks for reproductive factors were similar to those observed in case-control studies; relative risks for family history of breast cancer were lower. We found no clear evidence in any subgroups of a major relation between total energy-adjusted fat intake and breast cancer risk.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Prevalence and penetrance of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in a population-based series of breast cancer cases. Anglian Breast Cancer Study Group.

Estimates of the contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 to breast cancer incidence in outbred populations have been based on studies that are either small or have selected for cases diagnosed at an early age. Only one of these has reported an estimate of the breast cancer risk associated with a mutation in these genes, and there is no published ovarian cancer risk estimate derived from a population-based case series. We screened a population-based series of breast cancer cases diagnosed before the age of 55 for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Pedigree information from the mutation carriers was used to estimate penetrance and the proportion of familial risk of breast cancer due to BRCA1 and BRCA2. We identified eight (0.7%) BRCA1 and 16 (1.3%) BRCA2 mutation carriers in 1220 breast cancer cases (actual sample size 1435 adjusted for 15% polymerase chain reaction failure rate). Mutation prevalence was substantially higher in cases diagnosed before 35 years-of-age and with increasing number of relatives affected with breast or ovarian cancer. However, most mutation carriers were diagnosed in the older age groups, and a minority reported a first-degree relative with breast cancer. Breast cancer penetrance by age 80 was estimated to be 48% (95% CI 7-82%) for BRCA1 mutation carriers and 74% (7-94%) for BRCA2 mutation carriers. Ovarian cancer penetrance for BRCA1 and BRCA2 combined was 22% (6-65%) by age 80. 17% of the familial risk of breast cancer was attributable to BRCA1 and BRCA2. At birth, the estimated prevalence of BRCA1 mutation carriers was 0.07% or 0.09% depending on the penetrance function used for the calculation. For BRCA2, the birth prevalence estimates were 0.14% and 0.22%. Mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are rare in the population and account for a small fraction of all breast cancer in the UK. They account for less than one fifth of the familial risk of breast cancer. Eligibility criteria for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing based on family history and age of onset will identify only a small proportion of mutation carriers.

Adult↗

[Ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence after conservative breast cancer surgery -- diagnosis and therapy].

In spite of the fact that breast cancer is a systemic disease, local control plays an important role in its management. While surgical, radiotherapeutic and systemic therapy of primary breast cancer are performed according to widely accepted guidelines, the management of ipsilateral breast tumor relapse (IBTR) is still a matter of individualised concepts because of the lack of randomised studies. IBTR represents a significant medical problem, since the recurrence rate is 5-15 % after 5 years and 20-25 % after 10 years. Incidence is higher in younger patients, in tumors with an extensive intraductal component, positive tumor margins, axillary lymph node metastases, negative steroid hormone receptors and high proliferative activity. Distant metastases after IBTR occur more often if the interval between primary diagnosis and IBTR is short (e. g. less than 4 years). Diagnosis of IBTR include breast palpation, mammography and breast ultrasound. In addition breast MRI can be used to further differentiate between benign and malignant lesions after breast conservation. Standard therapy in this setting remains mastectomy. Breast-conserving surgery may be considered in the context of clinical trials for patients with certain favorable features. Breast irradiation after secondary breast-conservation can be carried out in some cases. Some local relapses after breast-conserving surgery have a poorer prognosis, and the addition of adjuvant systemic therapy should be considered in addition to mastectomy. The heterogeneous nature of locoregional relapses has made it difficult to conduct prospective randomized clinical trials. However, many retrospective data exist, making it possible to recommend rational treatment approaches for these patients.

Breast Neoplasms↗