Leptomeningeal metastsis (LM) is a disease where the tumor cells involves the leptomeninges. Breast cancer, of all solid tumors, is the primary tumor most frequently associated with leptomeningeal metastasis. Leptomeningeal metastasis originating from breast cancer is usually detected at an advanced stage, so its evaluation and aggressive treatment are difficult. Leptomeningeal metastasis, from solid tumors, has been reported to inexorably lead to death within 4 to 6 weeks if left untreated. Intrathecal or Intraventricular chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the mainstays of treatment. Even though controversial, systemic chemotherapy, with regional radiotherapy, can also improve the neurological outcome and survival, without neurotoxicity. Here, two patients with leptomeningeal metastasis, originating from breast cancer, their clinical course and treatment modalities are reported.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: Watson for Oncology (WFO) is a computing system for considering treatment option with patients. The aim of this study is to determine the concordance rate of WFO and tumor board in treatment options of breast cancer.METHODS: One hundred and seventy breast cancer patients who were treated at Gachon University Gil Medical Center (GMC) from December 2016 to March 2018 were investigated. “Concordance” is defined that treatment provided by GMC tumor board and WFO-provided treatments (Recommend or For Consideration) were coincide. “Discordance” is defined that treatment provided by GMC tumor board and WFO-provided treatments (Not Recommended or Not Available) were coincide.RESULTS: In chemotherapy, of the total 170 patients, 23 patients were excluded, and the concordance rate was compared in 147 patients. Concordance rate was 93% (136/147). In the 11 patients who were discordant, seven patients complied with the treatment proposed by GMC tumor board due to insurance problems and age, and two patients did not follow the treatment proposed by WFO due to pregnancy and patient's choice, and one patient chose a treatment determined by WFO, last one patient was not treated with chemotherapy because it was not considered to be clinically necessary. In radiotherapy, the overall agreement rate was as high as 99% (147/148).CONCLUSION: Through this study, we found that many of the treatment proposals provided by WFO are highly reliable. Although the overall agreement is high in the radiotherapy regimen, the indication for radiotherapy by WFO is more aggressive and hypofractionated high dose intensity radiotherapy is growing trend by WFO.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Insurance ; Pregnancy ; Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify changes of symptom distress and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant therapy. METHODS: 113 patients with breast cancer were administered the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast before adjuvant therapy, both a week and 6 months after completing adjuvant therapy. 71 patients (CTx group) were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 42 patients (RTx group) received only adjuvant radiotherapy. Data were analysed using the SPSS/Win 21.0 program. RESULTS: Compared with the RTx group, patients in the CTx group reported higher overall symptom distress and physical symptom distress. The CTx group reported lower scores in overall QOL, physical well-being and the breast cancer specific domain than the RTx group. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study support that chemotherapy results in higher risk for more severe symptoms and leads to impaired QOL for breast cancer patients. Comprehensive symptom management should be implemented for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Symptom Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Breast carcinoma is a heterogeneous disease that has exhibited rapid resistance to treatment in the last decade. Depending genotype and phenotype of breast cancer, there are discernible differences in DNA repair protein responses including DNA double strand break repair. It is a fact that different molecular sub-types of breast carcinoma activate these dedicated protein pathways in a distinct manner. The DNA double-strand damage repair machinery is manipulated by breast carcinoma to selectively repair the damage or insults inflicted by the genotoxic effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The two DNA double-strand break repair pathways employed by breast carcinoma are homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining. In recent decades, therapeutic interventions targeting one or more factors involved in repairing DNA double-strand breaks inflicted by chemo/radiation therapy have been widely studied. Herein, this review paper summarizes the recent evidence and ongoing clinical trials citing potential therapeutic combinatorial interventions targeting DNA double-strand break repair pathways in breast carcinoma.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; DNA Repair ; DNA* ; Drug Therapy ; Genotype ; Homologous Recombination ; Phenotype ; Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: Brain metastasis is estimated to occur in 20 to 40% of cancer patients, and meningeal involvement has been reported in 5% to 8% of cancer patients. Even if the prognosis is grave, standard treatment modality of brain metastasis or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis has not been established. We evaluated the prognosis and the clinical features of the brain and leptomeningeal metastasis of the breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 43 patients who was diagnosed as brain parenchymal metastasis or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis clinically, radiologically and/or cytologically were included in this study. The median age was 44(range: 27-61) years. RESULTS: The median duration from brain metastasis to death was 181 days(range: 8~1599), and the median duration from leptomeningeal carcinomatosis to death was 39 days(range: 25~152). Age(p=0.7174) and number of brain metastatic lesion(p=0.4097) did not influence the survival, but the presence of other systemic metastatic lesion affected the survival(p 0.0224). When we compared the survival rates of patients according to treatment modality, the patients with systemic chemotherapy versus patients without systemic chemotherapy showed differences(p= 0.0009). Patients treated with whole brain radiation only versus patients with whole brain radiation and other systemic management also showed different survival rate(p=0.0009). But intrathecal chemotherapy had no effect on survival. Well differentiated, solitary lesions were treated by operation and/or gamma-knife surgery, and their effects were good. CONCLUSION: Prolongation of survival was suggested with whole brain radiotherapy combined with systemic treatment in brain or leptomeningeal metastasis. Further study is expected to confirm this finding.
Brain* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate sexual behaviors and influencing factors affecting premenopausal women who have breast cancer and have undergone surgery. METHODS: Seventy premenopausal women, ranging between 35~55 years of age, were included in this study. Sexual behaviors were evaluated using the WSBQ-F (Wilmoth Sexual Behaviors Questionnaire-Female). The in-depth interview was analyzed utilizing content analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences regarding the type of surgery, age, time of marriage, education level, occupation, chemotherapy, use of Tamoxifen, and radiotherapy in the sexual activities of premenopausal women with breast cancer. However, quality-related information utilizing qualitative in-depth interviews, revealed 3 issues regarding sexual behaviors.. Participants reported physical discomfort such as vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, emotional changes such as decrease in sexual confidence, and interaction-related changes such as mandatory sexual life, sexual intimacy with one's partner, and being more active sexual behaviors. CONCLUSION: There were complex changes associated with sexual behavior after surgery for women with breast cancer which included various events related to stress regarding sexual behavior. Communication between women with breast cancer, their partners, and medical caregivers has a ability to maximize the sense of sexual wellbeing while minimizing the sexual crises.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Caregivers ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspareunia ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Marriage ; Occupations ; Radiotherapy ; Sexual Behavior* ; Tamoxifen

PURPOSE: To introduce the history and principle mechanism of electrochemical treatment (EChT) with animal study and report two cases successfully treated breast cancer and hemangioma by EChT. METHODS: In animal study, the breast cancer tumor in nude mouse treated with EChT (100 Coulomb/cm3) were reviewed for histologic changes. In the case studies, we reported method of EChT and clinical results after EChT. Case 1: 74 yr old female with locally advanced breast cancer received 3 times EChT with 1,000 Coulomb/time, 8 Volt. Case 2: 51 yr old female with breast hemagioma received one time EChT with 80 Coulomb, 8 Volt. RESULTS: In animal study, There were destructive change including vaculated cell fragment and extensive coagulative necrosis. Case 1 showed no local recurrence during 18 monthes after EChT. Case 2 also showed no evidence of recurrence of hemangioma. CONCLUSION: The EChT is easy to use. It is effective, safe, less traumatic and makes patients recover quickly. This is a new and effective method to treat patients with tumours that are inoperable and can not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Animals ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Necrosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: To determine the patterns of evaluation and treatment in patients with breast cancer after mastectomy and treated with radiotherapy. A nationwide study was performed with the goal of improving radiotherapy treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based database system for the Korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Randomly selected records of 286 eligible patients treated between 1998 and 1999 from 17 hospitals were reviewed. RESULTS: The ages of the study patients ranged from 20 to 80 years (median age 44 years). The pathologic T stage by the AJCC was T1 in 9.7% of the cases, T2 in 59.2% of the cases, T3 in 25.6% of the cases, and T4 in 5.3% of the cases. For analysis of nodal involvement, N0 was 7.3%, N1 was 14%, N2 was 38.8%, and N3 was 38.5% of the cases. The AJCC stage was stage I in 0.7% of the cases, stage IIa in 3.8% of the cases, stage IIb in 9.8% of the cases, stage IIIa in 43% of the cases, stage IIIb in 2.8% of the cases, and IIIc in 38.5% of the cases. There were various sequences of chemotherapy and radiotherapy after mastectomy. Mastectomy and chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was the most commonly performed sequence in 47% of the cases. Mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy followed by additional chemotherapy was performed in 35% of the cases, and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in 12.5% of the cases. The radiotherapy volume was chest wall only in 5.6% of the cases. The volume was chest wall and supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 20.3% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and internal mammary lymph node (IMN) in 27.6% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and posterior axillary lymph node in 25.9% of the cases; chest wall, SCL, IMN, and posterior axillary lymph node in 19.9% of the cases. Two patients received IMN only. The method of chest wall irradiation was tangential field in 57.3% of the cases and electron beam in 42% of the cases. A bolus for the chest wall was used in 54.8% of the tangential field cases and 52.5% of the electron beam cases. The radiation dose to the chest wall was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), to the SCL was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), and to the PAB was 4.8~38.8 Gy, (median 9 Gy) CONCLUSION: Different and various treatment methods were used for radiotherapy of the breast cancer patients after mastectomy in each hospital. Most of treatment methods varied in the irradiation of the chest wall. A separate analysis for the details of radiotherapy planning also needs to be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed in order to evaluate the different processes.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy* ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Radiotherapy ; Thoracic Wall

Primary angiosarcoma of the breast is extremely rare and is observed in 0.0005% to 0.05% of primary breast tumor cases. The diagnosis of this tumor is difficult due to its undefined characteristics. Radiologic findings are often nonspecific and appear completely normal in one-third of patients with primary angiosarcomas. The prognosis is usually poor, and the treatment choices include mastectomy or wide excision. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy produce varying results. We report a patient with primary angiosarcoma of the breast to further our understanding of the characteristics of this tumor and facilitate the correct diagnosis of breast angiosarcoma.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Lymphangiosarcoma ; Mastectomy ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Sarcoma

To get a better understanding of the location, pathophysiology, etiology and prognosis of multiple malignant tumors (MPMT), we evaluated the medical records of 22 patients with MPMT. Our results suggested that radiotherapy and chemotherapy might play an important role in the pathogenesis of MPMT and follow-up is important in detecting a secondary primary malignant tumor (PMT) at an early stage. Surgical removal of tumors is the first-choice therapy for MPMT.
Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Colonic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; surgery