Introduction: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1) is an important component of the IGF system that regulates insulin resistance-related to tumour development. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of IGFBP-rP1 among female cancer patients who are known or not known to have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, cases of ovarian and breast cancer with clinical status of T2DM were selected over a 10-year period in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. Immunohistochemical staining for IGFBP-rP1 was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues and the results were correlated with the patient’s demographic and clinicopathological data. Results: A total of 152 breast cancer patients were recruited into the current study with 33.5% (51/152) patients were positive T2DM. Most of the breast cancer patients with T2DM were IGFBP-rP1-negative (66.7%, 34/51). The IGFBP-rP1 expression was significantly difference between breast cancer subjects with and without T2DM (p<0.001). There was no significant association of IGFBP-rP1 expression with data on the demographic and clinicopathological profiles of patients with breast cancer. Meanwhile, positive IGFBP-rP1 expression was evident in 44 out of 108 (40.74%) ovarian cancer cases. Among these cases, 36 were T2DM. In contrast to breast cancer cases, IGFBP-rP1 was mostly expressed among ovarian cancer patients with T2DM (66.7%, 24/36, p < 0.001). However, the -positive expression was not significantly associated with any sociodemographic and clinicopathological features of ovarian cancers. Conclusions: Majority of breast cancer patients with T2DM did not express IGFBP-rP1. In contrast, majority of the ovarian cancer patients with T2DM expressed IGFBP-rP1.
Breast cancer ; ovarian cancer

Introduction: This study focused on PF4 effects on caspase-3,-6, -7, -8 and -9 which regulate the apopotosis process in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Breast tumours were induced in forty 21-day-old female Sprague Dawley rats (SDRs) using MNU until tumour size reached 14.5 mm (SD: 0.5 mm). The rats were then divided into two groups: Group 1 (control injected with 0.9% saline; n = 20), and Group 2 (platelet factor 4 (PF4); n = 20). PF4 was administered through focal intralesional injection at 20 µg/lesion dose. Following 5-day treatment, the SDRs were sacrificed. Subsequently, representative sections from the tumour were obtained for haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The expressions of caspase-3, -6, -7, -8 and -9 were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: The majority of breast tumour specimens were of aggressive types [ncontrol = 13 (65%); nPF4 = 12 (60%)]. Invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS) was the most commonly observed breast tumour histology for control and PF4 groups (n = 8 (40%) in respective groups). PF4-treated group exhibited significant differences in the caspase-3, -6 and -8 expression levels compared to the control group (all p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in caspase-7 (p = 0.347) and caspase-9 (p = 0.373) expression levels between both groups. Conclusion: This study found that PF4 acts via the caspase-mediated extrinsic apoptosis pathway without the involvement of the intrinsic pathway.
breast cancer

Introduction: Evaluation of HER2 status in breast cancer using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in-situ-hybridisation (ISH) study is important to establish prognosis and to select patient for targeted therapy. Objective: The study aims to determine the concordance between HER2 protein IHC score and its gene status by dual-colour dual-hapten in-situ-hybridization (DDISH) study. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study was performed on 767 referred breast cancer cases over a period of five years. The HER2 IHC score (the initial and repeat test score) and the results of HER2 gene status by DDISH were retrieved from the histopathological reports. The agreement between initial IHC score with repeat test score was measured using Cohen Kappa. Chi square test analyzed the association between HER2 IHC score with its gene status by DDISH. Results: The concordance of HER2 IHC score between the initial and repeat test were 52.7% and 89.4% for IHC score 2+ and 3+ respectively. There was moderate agreement of HER2 IHC score between the initial and repeat test score (κ = 0.526, p<0.001). A significant association noted between HER2 IHC score with its gene status by DDISH (p<0.001). Only 56 out of 207 cases (27.1%) with 2+ IHC score showed HER2 gene amplification while the majority of cases with 3+ IHC score were gene-amplified (446 out of 451, 98.9%). Conclusion: ISH study should be done in all IHC-equivocal cases (2+) to select patient for targeted therapy. Gene amplification must also be confirmed in IHC-positive cases (3+) to prevent from giving non-effective treatment with possible adverse effects to patient with nonamplified HER2 gene.
breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer is typically detected in women with a standard prevalence categorized by age of 80.1/100.000 people in the world. In Vietnam, the proportion for women was 17.4/100.000 people in 2000. The value of ultrasound has been acknowledged in the last few decades. However, there is an existing problem related to the proportion of inaccurate diagnosis (amounted to 10-20%), or suspect diagnosis. Thus, the diagnosis of breast cancer employing ultrasound (US) method not only overcomes the above obstacles, but also generates a number of advantages. \r\n', u'Objectives: To study the value of US and US lesions in the diagnostic for breast cancer. \r\n', u'Subjects and method: 621 patients with breast abnormalities were diagnosed and treated at K-hospital from 2003 to 2006. They underwent breast US scanning. The sonographic features were compared with pathologic results. \r\n', u'Results: Common signals of breast cancer: the mass of irregular shape: Se = 73.9%, Sp = 87; speculation margins: Se = 72.4%, Sp = 96.8%; hypoechoic mass: Se = 89.5%, Sp = 83.3%; heteroechoic density: Se = 98%, Sp = 68.5%. Other uncommon signals are: punctuate hyperechogenics of calcifications, acoustic shadow behinds the mass, the number of punctuate hyperechogenic > 5. The D/W index > 1: PPV = 95.9%. \r\n', u'Conclusion: Ultrasound is a valuable method for breast cancer diagnosis with Se = 89.47%, Sp = 86.49%, PPV = 92.96%, NPV = 83.72% and Acc = 88.41%.\r\n', u'
Breast cancer ; diagnosis ; Sonography

Background: Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) is a protein that belongs to a novel class of heparin and heparansulfate binding protein. It plays an important role in extracellular matrix structure and function, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, growth and differentiation. HIP was shown to be expressed in normal epithelia and epithelial cell lines at both mRNA and protein levels. Especially, HIP was found to be up-regulated in some cancer cell lines and related to different status and metastasis.\r\n', u'Objectives: To determinate HIP transcript level of mRNA in breast cancer tissues in comparison with normal tissues; to compare HIP transcript level at different cancer stages and cancer cell types. \r\n', u'Subjects and method: Total RNA was isolated from 62 tissue samples (47 breast cancer and 15 normal tissues); cDNA synthesis by reverse transcript \u2013polymerase chain reaction (RT \u2013 PCR); determination of HIP transcript using semi-quantitative RT \u2013 PCR. \r\n', u'Results: HIP transcript was particularly up \u2013 regulated in breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, especially this up-regulated in cancer tissues at different stages of development and cancer cell types. \r\n', u'Conclusion: These results show that the HIP transcript level was different between breast cancer and normal tissues and its expression was related to different status and metastasis in human cancer cell lines. HIP may be used as a prognostic marker for breast cancer.\r\n', u'
Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) ; breast cancer

Background: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane cell-surface glycoprotein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. EGFR has been shown to stimulate cell proliferation and to enhance the migration and invasiveness of breast cancer. EGFR is expressed in epidermal cell lines and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many different types of cancer. Objective: To evaluate the level of EGFR transcript in breast cancer and normal tissues; comparison the EGFR transcript level at different development stages and cancer cell types. Subject and methods: Total RNA from 62 tissue samples including 47 breast cancer and 15 normal tissues were extracted; cDNA synthesis by reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction, EGFR transcript level were determined using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Result and conclusions: EGFR transcript level was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues compared to the normal tissues. Especially, its expression was related to the different status and cancer cell types of breast cancer. There was a difference of EGFR transcript level between histological pathology\u2019s forms of breast cancer in the same stage.
breast cancer ; Epidermal growth factor receptor

Background and Objective: The burden of treatment delay in breast cancer is high, especially among developing countries. Despite adversely affecting morbidity and mortality, treatment delay remains unexplored in the Philippines. This study aimed to determine treatment delays among breast cancer patients in a tertiary hospital during surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy, and to identify predictors of delay. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among breast cancer patients seen between January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2018. The following outcomes were investigated: ≥90 days from initial diagnosis to surgery, ≥8 weeks from diagnosis to initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and >120 days from diagnosis to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy. Summary statistics were reported as percent for categorical data and as mean for continuous data. The individual correlations were performed using Chi-square for qualitative data and t-test for quantitative data while predictors were determined through logistic regression. Results: A total of 324 patients were included in this study. The majority of the patients were less than 65 years old living in urban areas. More than half of the patients were overweight or obese, hypertensive, and diabetic. The following delays were observed: 61.1% (n = 198) with any type of delay, 23.8% (n = 53) with delay in surgery, 53.8% (n = 120) with delay in adjuvant chemotherapy, and 74.3% (n = 75) with delay in neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The patients noted to have any type of delay were more likely to be hypertensive (p = 0.046) and residing in urban areas (p = 0.041). There were no differences in the distribution of age, body mass index, and presence of co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and heart failure among those with any form of delay compared with no delay. Conclusions The present study shows the presence of treatment delay among breast cancer patients and may be used to enact policy changes to optimize breast cancer care delivery. Further studies may be done to identify other factors affecting these delays and policy changes are recommended to address these gaps in surgery and chemotherapy administration among breast cancer patients.
breast cancer ; quality of care ; treatment delays

The objective of the study was to describe the incorporation of breast cancer screening program in the medical curriculum of a medical school and determine its feasibility in finding breast cancer.

METHODS: From school year 2011 - 2012, a 3-hour module that assesses third year medical students' proficiency in clinical breast examination (CBE) was incorporated into the pre-clinical clerkship program at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. The students who have satisfactorily completed the module were invited to participate in the Breast Cancer Control Outreach Program (BCAcop). Pertinent data included: number of participating consultants and students,number of patients seen as well as their demographic and clinical profile, breast cancer cases found.

RESULTS: Four BCAcop were conducted and 6 consultants supervised the medical students in the CBE modules and BCAcop. Seventy seven medical students passed the CBE module and participated in BCAcop. A total of 254 patients with age range of 8 to 80 (mean32 years) attended the lay forum while 246 patients (96.9%) consulted at the on-site breast clinic. Among those examined, 146 patients (59.3%) had essentially normal breasts. Fibrocystic change was the most frequent diagnosis with 49 patients (19.9%), followed by fibroadenoma with 34 patients (13.8%). Six patients (2.4%) were suspected to have breast cancer. Four patients (66.7%) proceeded to have a biopsy and were confirmed. Two patients availed of treatment.

CONCLUSION: Incorporating breast cancer screening program in the medical school curriculum encourages medical students to participate in breast cancer control outreaches where their basic knowledge and skills on clinical breast exam are reinforced with actual patient contact. Furthermore, women with breast cancer are found and offered treatment through this program.

Background: Breast cancer is not only the most popular in women but is also one of the main causes of death among them in many countries. In Hanoi 1999, the prevalence of breast cancer was 21.8 per 100,000 of the population and was the main cause of death in women. In Ho Chi Minh city that prevalence was 17.1 per 100,000 of the population and was the second highest cause of death in women. Objectives: To assess the value of X-ray mammography and cytopathology test for breast cancer diagnosis of early stage Tis and T1. Subjects and method: A retrospective study was conducted among 103 breast cancer patients with malignant tumor size \uf0a32cm, who were admitted to K Hospital and Thanh Nhan Hospital from 01/2003 to 02/2008. Results:Breast malignant tumor was usually found most frequently at the upper outer quadrant. Around 86.4% of patients who were suspected with malignant lesion by X-ray mammography. Using biopsy test for breast cancer diagnosis, the results shows that 78.6% of patients were positive, 15.6% of cases were suspected and 5.8% had wrong diagnosis. Pathologic classifications were as followed: invasive lobular carcinoma: 78.6%, intraductal carcinoma in situ (Tis): 4.9%. Conclusion: X-ray mammography and cytopathology test are useful tools for the diagnosis of breast cancer.
X-ray mammography ; cytopathology test ; breast cancer ; Tis ; T1

Study was conducted on 90 patients, their 30 subjects were treated in 2 months with Vitexin tablets and 30 controlled subjects with placebo containing 50 mg of vitamin C. Results showed that on breast cancer patients who had undergone radiotherapy, 2 months use of Vitexin had promoted immunologic response. The number of lymphicyte raised up 71.6% in comparing with control, while with 2 months treatment by vitamin C, the restoration of lymphocyte level has not statistital signification
Restorative effect of Vilexin on lymphocyte tranformation in breast cancer patients who