OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of personalized treatment for breast cancer patients who failed chemotherapy.

METHODSSeventy-two patients with breast cancer who failed chemotherapy were treated at the Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2001 to January 2012. Among them, 42 cases received 5.6 cycles (range, 4-8 cycles) of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 30 cases received 12.2 cycles (range, 6-22 cycles), both postoperative adjuvant and salvage chemotherapy. All of the 72 patients of stage IV were given personalized treatment. Under guidance of the principle that multidisciplinary treatment improves control rate but does not or less damage the normal tissues and host immune function, precise radiotherapy combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), biological agent and others were chosen for the patients.

RESULTSThe median survival time was 20 months. Univariate analysis showed that non-invasive ductal carcinoma, less metastasized organs, without brain, liver and lung metastasis, Karnofsky performance scores ≥ 80, not combined with chemotherapy, and multiple courses of Chinese herbal medicine and biolojical agent treatment had significant impact on survival (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that no brain metastasis, non-invasive ductal carcinoma, and Chinese herbal medicine and biological agent treatment ≥ 7 courses and not combined with chemotherapy had obvious significance (P < 0.05). The rate of grade 3 and 4 treatment-related hematological toxicity was 8.3% (6/72) and 5.6% (4/72), respectively. All the patients with grade 4 hematological toxicity were the cases of grade 3 at hospital admission. No grade 3 and 4 acute radiation damages of the lung and liver were noticed.

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal medicine combined with biological agents and others prolongs survival time in breast cancer patients who failed chemotherapy, and provides an alternative treatment modality for them.

Adult ; Aged ; Aromatase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Brain Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Diphosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; therapeutic use ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nitriles ; therapeutic use ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Failure ; Triazoles ; therapeutic use

Systemic chemotherapy is the basic palliative treatment for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, it is not known whether locoregional radiotherapy targeting the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes affects the survival of patients with metastatic NPC. Therefore, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the benefits of locoregional radiotherapy. A total of 408 patients with metastatic NPC were included in this study. The mortality risks of the patients undergoing supportive treatment and those undergoing chemotherapy were compared with that of patients undergoing locoregional radiotherapy delivered alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. The contributions of independent factors were assessed after adjustment for covariates with significant prognostic associations (P < 0.05). Both locoregional radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy were identified as significant independent prognostic factors of overall survival (OS). The mortality risk was similar in the group undergoing locoregional radiotherapy alone and the group undergoing systemic chemotherapy alone [multi-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.9, P = 0.529]; this risk was 60% lower than that of the group undergoing supportive treatment (HR = 0.4, P = 0.004) and 130% higher than that of the group undergoing both systemic chemotherapy and locoregional radiotherapy (HR = 2.3, P < 0.001). In conclusion, locoregional radiotherapy, particularly when combined with systemic chemotherapy, is associated with improved survival of patients with metastatic NPC.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; surgery ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; surgery ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; Palliative Care ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

Skeletal metastases result in significant morbidity and mortality. This is particularly true of cancers with a strong predilection for the bone, such as breast, prostate, and lung cancers. There is currently no reliable cure for skeletal metastasis, and palliative therapy options are limited. The Wnt signaling pathway has been found to play an integral role in the process of skeletal metastasis and may be an important clinical target. Several experimental models of skeletal metastasis have been used to find new biomarkers and test new treatments. In this review, we discuss pathologic process of bone metastasis, the roles of the Wnt signaling, and the available experimental models and treatments.
Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; surgery ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Wnt Proteins ; metabolism ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of breast cancer patients with inguinal lymph node metastases.

METHODSSeventeen breast cancer patients with inguinal lymph node metastases were treated from January 1999 to December 2010 in our cancer center. All of the patients had a history of breast cancer without other primary cancer. Their clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors were surveyed.

RESULTSThe frequency of breast cancer cases with inguinal lymph node metastaseis consisted of 0.11% of the total number of breast cancer patients in the same period. Two patients (11.8%) had inguinal lymph node metastasis only, and multi-site metastases were observed in the remaining 15 (88.2%) patients. The number of ER- and/or PR-positive and negative were 10 (58.8%) and 7 (41.2%) cases, respectively, and among the 13 cases who underwent HER-2 test, the number of HER-2-positive was 4 (30.8%). For the 16 patients who underwent surgery, 9 patients were detected with metastatic axillary lymph nodes equal or greater than 4. All of the 17 patients were treated with chemotherapy.The median follow-up time was 156 months. The 5-year overall survival rate was 49.9%. Univariate analysis revealed that metastatic axillary lymph nodes ≥ 4, ER- and(or) PR-negative, adjuvant chemotherapy ≤ 6 cycles, disease stage as III/IV at diagnosis and the period from diagnosis of breast cancer to the occurrence of inguinal lymph node metastasis ≤ 36 months were predictors of shorter PFS (P < 0.05). Metastatic axillary lymph nodes ≥ 4, ER- and(or) PR-negative, adjuvant chemotherapy ≤ 6 cycles, primary recurrence as multiple distant metastases, the period from diagnosis of breast cancer to the occurrence of inguinal lymph nodes metastasis ≤ 36 months and pleural effusion were predictors of shorter OS (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the period from diagnosis of breast cancer to the occurrence of inguinal lymph node metastasis was an independent prognostic factor concerning PFS (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe prognostic factors of breast cancer patients with inguinal lymph node metastases include the number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes, ER and(or) PR status, the cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, type of primary recurrence, the period from diagnosis of breast cancer to the occurrence of inguinal lymph node metastasis and pleural effusion. Regular and complete physical examination after surgery as well as prompt intensive treatment for high-risk patients may have positive significance in the treatment of such type of patients. However, a type of more reasonable and individualized treatment is warranted in future studies.

Adult ; Aged ; Axilla ; Bone Neoplasms ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the cardioprotective effects of dexrazoxane (DEX) on breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-containing chemotherapy.

METHODSA total of 122 breast cancer patients after operation were randomly divided into two groups: The experimental group of 61 cases treated with EPI plus DEX (DEX:EPI = 10:1) as adjuvant chemotherapy regimen, and the control group of 61 cases treated with EPI but without DEX. All patients received four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and their changes of specific cardiac functional status and hematology status before and after chemotherapy, as well as non-cardiac toxicity were observed and analyzed.

RESULTSBrain natriuretic peptide (BNP) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (106.78 ± 4.52)×10(-6) µg/ml and (187.19 ± 8.71)×10(-6) µg/ml, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (102.34 ± 8.76)×10(-6) µg/ml and (105.29 ± 7.21)×10(-6) µg/ml, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (12.55 ± 2.73)×10(-3) µg/ml and ( 31.05 ± 7.10 )×10(-3) µg/ml, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (12.70 ± 2.15)×10(-3) µg/ml and (13.65 ± 7.82)×10(-3) µg/ml, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The hart rate (HR) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group, was 75.32 ± 7.14 bpm and 89.60 ± 9.21 bpm, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was 78.60 ± 6.29 bpm and 83.10 ± 7.56 bpm, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (65.23 ± 7.82)% and (55.21 ± 7.23)%, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (64.12 ± 6.25)% and (59.6 ± 4.72)%, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The absolute neutrophil count before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (3.95 ± 1.36)×10(9)/L and (3.50 ± 1.52)×10(9)/L, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). It in the experimental group, was (4.96 ± 1.41)×10(9)/L and (3.10 ± 1.26)×10(9)/L, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). The incidence of grade I-IV bone marrow suppression in the experimental group was 21.3%, 16.4%, 24.6%, and 4.9%, respectively. It in the control group was 16.4%, 11.5%, 9.8%, and 5.5%, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCardiac toxicity after anthracycline treatment in breast cancer patients may be significantly reduced by DEX, without increase of non-cardiac and and non-hematologic toxicity. DEX combined with anthracycline increases the risk of bone marrow suppression, therefore, peripheral blood picture should be monitored or routine bone marrow support may be needed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow ; drug effects ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Cardiovascular Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Epirubicin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; Razoxane ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Stroke Volume ; drug effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the histogenesis of giant cell tumor (GCT) and factors related to tumor recurrence, invasiveness and malignant transformation.

METHODSThe clinical features, radiologic classification, surgical approach, pathologic findings, immunophenotypes and follow-up data of 123 cases of GCT were analyzed.

RESULTSThere was a significant correlation between tumor recurrence and radiographic classification (P = 0.032), over-expression of CD147 (P = 0.034) and p53 (P = 0.005), and surgical approach (P = 0.0048) in GCT. The biologic behavior showed no correlation with intramedullary infiltration, cortical bone involvement, parosteal soft tissue extension, tumor thrombi, fusiform changes of mononuclear tumor cells, mitotic count, Ki-67 index, coagulative tumor necrosis, secondary aneurysmal bone cyst formation, and adjoining bony reaction. The positive rate of p63 in stromal cells of GCT (79.7%, 94/118) was significantly higher than that in chondroblastoma (44.7%, 21/47), osteosarcoma (22.2%, 10/45) and other giant cell-rich tumors.

CONCLUSIONSGCT is a bone tumor of low malignant potential. It is sometimes characterized by locally invasive growth, active proliferation, coagulative necrosis, secondary aneurysmal bone cyst and surrounding bony reaction. It is difficult to predict the biologic behavior of GCT. Over-expression of p53 in the tumor cells and CD147 in all components of GCT correlate with tumor invasiveness, recurrence and malignant transformation. Selection of suitable surgical approach with reference to radiologic classification is considered as an important factor in reducing the recurrence rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Basigin ; metabolism ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; Phosphoglucomutase ; metabolism ; Radiography ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features and prognosis of bone metastases in colorectal cancer patients.

METHODSThe clinical data of 104 cases of colorectal cancer with bone metastasis were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAmong all the 104 patients included, 45 (43.3%) patients had multiple bone metastases, and 59 (56.7%) patients had single bone metastasis. Pelvis (46.1%) was the most common site, followed by thoracic vertebrae (41.3%), lumbar vertebrae (40.4%), sacral vertebrae (29.8%) and ribs (29.8%). One hundred and two patients (98.1%) were complicated with other organ metastases. The median time from colorectal cancer diagnosis to bone metastasis was 16 months, and the median time from bone metastasis to first skeletal-related events (SREs) was 1 month. The most common skeletal-related events (SREs) were the need for radiotherapy (44.2%), severe bone pain (15.4%) and pathologic fracture (9.6%). The median survival time of patients with bone metastases was 10.0 months, and 8.5 months for patients with SREs. ECOG score, systemic chemotherapy and bisphosphonate therapy were prognostic factors by univariate analysis (all P < 0.05). ECOG score and systemic chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors by Cox multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONSBone metastasis in colorectal cancer patients has a poor prognosis and the use of chemotherapy and bisphosphonates may have a benefit for their survival.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Diphosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Bone ; etiology ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain ; etiology ; Pelvic Bones ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribs ; pathology ; Sacrum ; pathology ; Spinal Cord Compression ; etiology ; Spinal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; pathology ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Adult ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/*adverse effects ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colectomy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*drug therapy/pathology/surgery ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Fluorouracil/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/*chemically induced/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

The association of hematological malignancies with a mediastinal germ cell tumor (GCT) is very rare. We report one case of a young adult male with primary mediastinal GCT who subsequently developed acute megakaryoblastic leukemia involving isochromosome (12p). A 25-yr-old man had been diagnosed with a mediastinal GCT and underwent surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. At 1 week after the last cycle of chemotherapy, his peripheral blood showed leukocytosis with blasts. A bone marrow study confirmed the acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. A cytogenetic study revealed a complex karyotype with i(12p). Although additional chemotherapy was administered, the patient could not attain remission and died of septic shock. This case was definitely distinct from therapy-related secondary leukemia in terms of clinical, morphologic, and cytogenetic features. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient with mediastinal GCT subsequently developing acute megakaryoblastic leukemia involving i(12p) in Korea.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use ; Bleomycin/administration & dosage ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; *Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12 ; Cisplatin/administration & dosage ; Etoposide/administration & dosage ; Humans ; Isochromosomes ; Karyotyping ; Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute/drug therapy/etiology/*genetics ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/drug therapy/surgery ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/*diagnosis/drug therapy/surgery ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/drug therapy/etiology/*genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Shock, Septic/pathology

OBJECTIVETo characterize the sites of distant recurrence and clinical outcomes in a cohort of Chinese patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-four patients with metastatic TNBC treated at Cancer Hospital of CAMS from January 1999 to December 2007 were included in this study. The clinicopathological features and long-term survival of the patients were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThe median age of the patients was 45 years. Most patients (72.7%) had a higher predilection for visceral metastasis and early recurrence within the first two years of follow-up. Six patients (4.5%) presented with stage IV disease, 14 patients were diagnosed with locoregional recurrence after mastectomy, 75 patients with distant metastases, and 45 patients with both locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The most common site of first recurrence was the lung, and 62(51.7%)of the patients had more than two sites of metastasis. By July 30, 2009, 75 patients died of breast cancer (56.0%). The median overall survival (OS) was 26.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 20.5 - 32.6 months]. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survivals (OS) were 80.9%,37.1% and 30.1%, respectively. The median overall survival time of 58 patients with single site of metastasis was 28.5 months, longer than that of patients with more than two sites of metastases. Patients whose initial distant recurrence was bone metastasis only (7 patients) had better prognosis, with a median OS of 84.2 months. The median OS (28.5 vs. 12.6 months, P = 0.0001) differed significantly between patients who received first-line chemotherapy and those who did not. Forty-five of the 96 patients with measurable disease achieved complete/partial response (CR/PR), 39 patients had stable disease (SD), and 12 patients had disease progression (PD). The median OS was 36.1 months in patients with CR/PR, 20.8 months with SD, and 14 months with PD, respectively. The median OS of patients with CR/PR was significantly longer than that of patients with SD/PD (P = 0.0108). Distant metastasis, first-line chemotherapy and clinical response were significantly related with OS by univariate analysis. Furthermore, first-line chemotherapy and the clinical response were demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONSRecurrence risk and mortality are considerably higher in TNBC patients within the early years of follow-up. TNBC patients have a higher risk of multiple and visceral metastases, and poorer survival, which might attribute to its aggressive clinical behavior and lack of effective regimens. Our findings also suggest that chemotherapy can effectively improve the clinical outcome of those patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mastectomy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult