Breast Cancer Patients In Relation Research Articles

Symptom clusters among breast cancer patients in relation to chemotherapy cycles: a longitudinal study.

The aim of this study was to identify symptom clusters in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted. And a sample of 620 breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was recruited using convenience sampling from May 20, 2020, to March 31, 2021. Data were collected eight times: the first chemotherapy cycle (T1) to the eighth cycle of chemotherapy (T8). Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the composition of symptom clusters. Symptoms with an incidence of less than 20% were deleted and the remaining symptoms were included in the factor analysis. Three common factors were extracted in T1, including gastrointestinal symptom cluster, emotional and psychological symptom cluster, and menopausal symptom cluster. Five common factors were extracted from T2 to T7, including gastrointestinal symptom cluster, emotional and psychological symptom cluster, neurological symptom cluster, menopausal symptom cluster, and self-image disorder symptom cluster. Four common factors were extracted at T8, including gastrointestinal symptom cluster, emotional and psychological symptom cluster, neurological symptom cluster, and menopausal symptom cluster. Breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy experience multiple symptoms and different symptom clusters in different chemotherapy cycles. It is a benefit for health care providers to better understand and care for breast cancer patients. It will also help such women to manage concurrent symptoms ahead to promote their quality of life.

Predictive modeling of adverse drug reactions to tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer on base of pharmacogenomic testing.

The present study investigated the analysis of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to tamoxifen (TAM) in breast cancer patients in relation to the carriage of genetic polymorphisms of genes encoding enzymes of CYP system and transporters of P-glycoprotein (Pg) and predictive models based on it. A total of 120 women with breast cancer taking adjuvant TAM were examined for the gene polymorphisms such as CYP2D6*4, CYP3A5*3, CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3 and ABCB1 (C3435T). Allelic variants were determined using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The research material was double sampling of buccal epithelium. Medical history data and extracts from case histories were used as sources of medical information, on the basis of which questionnaires specially created by us were filled out. An associative analysis showed association with the development of ADRs to TAM indicating their clinical significance from different genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6, CYP3A5, CYP2C9 and ABCB1. The complex associative analysis performed using mathematical modeling made it possible to build predictive risk models for the development of ADRs such as hot flashes, dyspepsia, bone pain, and asthenia. Models that include both genetic and non-genetic determinants of ADRs of TAM may further improve the prediction of individual response to TAM.

Predictive modeling of adverse events of tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer (results of a cohort study)

Relevance. Endocrine therapy is the standard treatment for women with ER-positive breast cancer. The clinical response to Tamoxifen is variable. Approximately 30 % of patients with breast cancer will have a recurrence of the disease within 15 years after treatment, despite ongoing endocrine therapy. This article presents the results of a prospective pharmacogenetic cohort study. The study was conducted in 2018–2019. Aim. To analyze adverse drug reactions to Tamoxifen in the adjuvant regimen in breast cancer patients in relation to the carriage of genetic polymorphisms of genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes and drug transporter proteins and to build predictive models based on them. A comparative analysis of the relationship between genetic and non-genetic determinants with adverse events on tamoxifen therapy allowed us to build predictive models of their development. Materials and Methods. The study involved 120 women with pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer who underwent genetic testing for CYP and Pg enzyme gene polymorphisms. Entry criteria: a histologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer, taking Tamoxifen at the recommended doses, establishing a diagnosis not earlier than 2007, and obtaining informed voluntary consent to participate in the study. Allelic variants were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction in the Research Institute for Molecular and Personalized Medicine of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation. Results. An associative analysis showed their association with the development of adverse drug reactions (ADR) to Tamoxifen, indicating the clinical significance of different genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6, CYP3A5, CYP2C9 and ABCB1. The complex associative analysis performed using mathematical modeling made it possible to build predictive risk models for the development of such ADR, such as hot flashes, dyspepsia, bone pain, and asthenia. The resulting regression models were statistically significant (p < 0,001) and demonstrated high diagnostic efficiency. This allows them to be implemented in clinical practice. Conclusion. Thus, models that include both genetic and non-genetic determinants of response may further improve the prediction of individual response to tamoxifen

Vitamin D and circulating tumor cells in primary breast cancer.

BackgroundCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) contribute to the metastatic cascade and represent an independent survival predictor in breast cancer (BC) patients. Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects, and its low concentrations are associated with breast cancer and metastasis. The aim of this study was to assess plasma vitamin D in primary BC patients in relation to CTCs.MethodsThis study included 91 non-metastatic BC patients (stage I–III) and 24 healthy donors. Blood samples for the analyses were drawn at the time of surgery. CTCs were assessed using a quantitative RT-PCR assay for expression of epithelial (CK19) or epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes (TWIST1, SNAIL1, SLUG, and ZEB1). Total 25-OH vitamin D was measured in plasma using ELISA. Plasma cytokines and angiogenic factors were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay.ResultsCTCs were detected in 30 (33%) patients. Patients with detectable CTCs in peripheral blood had significantly lower vitamin D concentrations in comparison to patients without detectable CTCs ((mean ± SD) 8.50 ± 3.89 µg/L for CTC-positive vs 9.69 ± 3.49 µg/L for CTC-negative patients, p = 0.03). The mean ( ± SD) vitamin D plasma level was 9.3 ± 3.65 µg/L for breast cancer patients compared to 18.6 ± 6.8 for healthy donors (p < 0.000001). There was no association between plasma vitamin D and other patient/tumor characteristics. Plasma vitamin D levels are inversely correlated with plasma TGF-β1, TGF-β2, IL β, IL-5, and eotaxin (all p < 0.05). Patients with vitamin D above the median had a better overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.36, 95% CI 0.16–0.80, p = 0.017), and combined analysis showed the best survival for CTC-negative patients with vitamin D levels above the median as compared to patients with opposite characteristics (HR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.05–0.63, p = 0.004).ConclusionsLow vitamin D could be a consequence and hence a biomarker of a more invasive disease. Alternatively, vitamin D could be associated with survival because of its role in tumor dissemination. Whether its supplementation affects the metastatic cascade should be tested in animal experiments and interventional studies.

Circulating tumor cells and vitamin D in primary breast cancer.

e12558 Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) contributing to the metastatic cascade and represent an independent survival predictor in breast cancer (BC) patients. Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects and its low concentrations are associated with infections, cancer, but also other pathologic conditions. The aim of this study was to assess plasma vitamin D level in primary BC patients in relation to CTCs. Methods: This study included 91 non-metastatic breast cancer patients (stage I-III) with plasma samples available in the biobank of the National Cancer Institute in Slovakia. Blood samples for the analyses were drawn at the time of surgery. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were depleted of hematopoetic cells using RossetteSepTM negative selection kit. RNA extracted from CD45-depleted PBMCs was analyzed for the expression of transcription factors (TWIST1, SNAIL1, SLUG, ZEB1) that induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transcription (EMT-TF) and epithelial ( CK19) gene transcripts using qRT-PCR. Patient samples with higher epithelial and/or mesenchymal gene transcripts than those of healthy donors (n = 60) were considered CTCs positive. Total 25-OH vitamin D was measured in plasma using ELISA. Results: CTCs were detected in 30 (33%) patients, 14 (15.4%) patients had detectable CTCs with epithelial characteristics, 13 (14.3%) patients had CTCs with an EMT phenotype, while peripheral blood of 3 (3.3%) patients exhibit both CTCs subtypes. Patients with detectable CTCs in peripheral blood had significantly lower vitamin D concentrations in comparison to patients without detectable CTCs (mean ± SD) 8.50 ± 3.89 µg/L for CTCs positive vs. 9.69 ± 3.49 µg/L for CTCs negative patients respectively, P = 0.03). There was no association between plasma vitamin D and other patient/tumor characteristics. At a median follow-up of 96.5 months (range: 8.4 - 109.4 months), 28 patients (30.8%) had experienced a progression and 24 patients (26.4%) had died. Patients with vitamin D above median had better overall survival (HR = 0.36, 95%CI 0.16 – 0.80, P = 0.017) compared to patients below median vitamin D. Conclusions: According to our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between plasma vitamin D concentrations and CTCs in primary breast cancer patients. We suggest that vitamin D could play a direct role in tumor dissemination and its supplementation might affect metastatic cascade. Alternatively, decreased vitamin D could be a consequence and hence a biomarker of a more invasive disease. Animal experiments and interventional studies are needed to prove the causality of the observed association.

Detection of Radiation-Induced DNA Damage in Breast Cancer Patients by Using Gamma H2AX Biomarker: A Possible Correlation with Their Body Mass Index.

Radiotherapy is one of the most important options for treating breast cancer in humans. The development of biomarkers to monitor radiosensitivity is scarce. The aim of this study is to investigate the γH2AX levels in the human blood samples 0.5 h after radiotherapy compared to the levels before radiotherapy in breast cancer patients in relation to their respective body mass index (BMI). Blood plasma samples were collected from a total of 20 breast cancer patients before and after radiotherapy to measure γH2AX levels with an antibody against γH2AX based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. The median BMI of the patients was 30 kg/m2. γH2AX was differentially expressed in breast cancer patients before radiotherapy. γH2AX levels significantly increased in 14 patients after radiotherapy (P = 0.006), whereas γH2AX levels decreased in three patients after radiotherapy, and three patients were excluded. There was no correlation between γH2AX values after radiotherapy and BMI (P = 0.5, r = 0.1). Our results suggest that γH2AX can be used by ELISA technique to measure γH2AX in the blood plasma of breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and can be considered a biomarker of radiosensitivity.

Survival Time among Young and Old Breast Cancer Patients in Relation to Circulating Blood-Based Biomarkers, Acute Radiation Skin Reactions, and Tumour Recurrence

Introduction: It has been suggested that age could influence the treatment-induced side effects and survival time of cancer patients. The influence of age on blood-based biomarkers, acute radiation skin reactions (ARSRs), and survival time of breast cancer patients was analysed. Materials and Methods: Two hundred ninety-three individuals, 119 breast cancer patients, and 174 healthy blood donors were included. Results: Before radiotherapy (RT), decreased levels of lymphocytes, interleukin 2, platelet-derived growth factors, and tumour necrosis factor but increased levels of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and macrophage inflammatory protein 1b (MIP1b) were detected in the patient group. All of the patients developed ARSRs and intensity of ARSRs was inversely related to the MIP1b level before RT. Fifteen out of 119 (13%) patients deceased during follow-up time. No influence of age (≤50 compared to >50 years) on survival time was detected (p = 0.442). Tumour recurrence, found in 11 out of 119 (9%) patients, had impact on survival time of these patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The level of circulating MIP1b before RT was associated with intensity of ARSRs. Tumour recurrence, but not age, was associated with poor survival time. Analysis of circulating MIP1b was low cost, rapid, and could be done in routine laboratory facility. Since RT almost always induces ARSRs, the possibility of using MIP1b as a prognostic biomarker for ARSRs is of interests for further investigation.

Cadmium tissue level in women diagnosed with breast cancer – A case control study

Breast cancer is at the forefront of female malignancy and the leading cause of cancer death among women. Gender, age, hormone therapy, smoking, exposure to endocrine disruptors and family history are significant breast cancer risk factors according to epidemiological data. Considering metalloestrogenic Cd property and a plethora of research work on hormone involvement in breast cancer the study aimed to determine Cd concentration in three compartments of breast cancer patients in relation to their blood hormone status. Further, as oxidative stress is a critical mechanism of Cd toxicity, the objective of this study was to determine potential changes in oxidative status homeostasis.The study enrolled 55 patients with breast cancer diagnosis and 41 healthy women with benign breast changes. Concentration of Cd was determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.Cadmium concentration in tumor tissue was significantly higher than control and almost four times higher than Cd concentration in the healthy surrounding tissue. Strong positive correlation was observed between Cd concentrations in changed breast tissue and FSH and LH levels, while the correlation was negative with estradiol level. Cancer patients had significantly increased blood total antioxidative status while total oxidative status did not significantly differ between study groups. The study revealed Cd implication in breast cancer onset following a significant odd ratio for Cd levels in changed tissue samples. Moreover, presented data confirmed sex hormone and oxidative status imbalance caused by Cd presence, closely related to cancer development.

Bioinformatic analysis of peripheral blood miRNA of breast cancer patients in relation with anthracycline cardiotoxicity

BackgroundThe current diagnostic methods and treatments still fail to lower the incidence of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity effectively. In this study, we aimed to (1) analyze the cardiotoxicity-related genes after breast cancer chemotherapy in gene expression database and (2) carry out bioinformatic analysis to identify cardiotoxicity-related abnormal expressions, the biomarkers of such abnormal expressions, and the key regulatory pathways after breast cancer chemotherapy.MethodsCardiotoxicity-related gene expression data (GSE40447) after breast cancer chemotherapy was acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The biomarker expression data of women with chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (group A), chemotherapy history but no cardiotoxicity (group B), and confirmatory diagnosis of breast cancer but normal ejection fraction before chemotherapy (group C) were analyzed to obtain the mRNA with differential expressions and predict the micro RNAs (miRNAs) regulating the differential expressions. The miRanda formula and functional enrichment analysis were used to screen abnormal miRNAs. Then, the Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was adapted to further screen the miRNAs related to cardiotoxicity after breast cancer chemotherapy.ResultThe data of differential analysis of biomarker expression of groups A, B, and C using the GSE40447-related gene expression profile database showed that there were 30 intersection genes. The differentially expressed mRNAs were predicted using the miRanda and Target Scan software, and a total of 2978 miRNAs were obtained by taking the intersections. Further, the GO analysis and targeted regulatory relationship between miRNA and target genes were used to establish miRNA-gene interaction network to screen and obtain seven cardiotoxicity-related miRNAs with relatively high centrality, including hsa-miR-4638-3p, hsa-miR-5096, hsa-miR-4763-5p, hsa-miR-1273 g-3p, hsa-miR6192, hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-1273a. Among them, hsa-miR-4638-3p and hsa-miR-1273 g-3p had the highest centrality. The PCR verification results were consistent with those of the chip data. There are differentially expressed miRNAs in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients with anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Among them, hsa-miR-4638-3p and hsa-miR-1273 g-3p are closely associated with the onset of anthracycline cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer. The signaling pathway is mainly concentrated in TGF-β signaling pathway and adhesion signaling pathway.ConclusionsChanges in expression of hsa-miR-4638-3p and hsa-miR-1273 g-3p may contribute to the detection of anthracyclines induced cardiac toxicity, and their potential function may be related to TGF-β signaling pathway and adhesion signaling pathway.

A network analysis to identify mediators of germline-driven differences in breast cancer prognosis

Identifying the underlying genetic drivers of the heritability of breast cancer prognosis remains elusive. We adapt a network-based approach to handle underpowered complex datasets to provide new insights into the potential function of germline variants in breast cancer prognosis. This network-based analysis studies ~7.3 million variants in 84,457 breast cancer patients in relation to breast cancer survival and confirms the results on 12,381 independent patients. Aggregating the prognostic effects of genetic variants across multiple genes, we identify four gene modules associated with survival in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and one in ER-positive disease. The modules show biological enrichment for cancer-related processes such as G-alpha signaling, circadian clock, angiogenesis, and Rho-GTPases in apoptosis.

An investigation into the usability of a drug-complementary medicines interactions database in a consumer group of women with breast cancer

IntroductionIt is known that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use can be high in people with cancer. Despite a plethora of information about CAMs on the internet, reliable, evidence-based information about potential interactions between CAMs and pharmaceuticals is not readily accessible to consumers. An online pharmaceutical-CAM interactions database, IMgateway, designed for healthcare practitioners, has begun to be adapted for consumer use. We sought to assess the usability of the IMgateway and investigate perceptions and behaviour of breast cancer patients in relation to CAMs. MethodsAn online survey was conducted in members of the Review and Survey Group of the Breast Cancer Network of Australia. Part 1 included questions about CAM use/perceptions. Part 2 required participants to work through a concurrent drug-CAM scenario using IMgateway then answer questions on usability. Quantitative analysis (closed questions) and qualitative analysis (open-ended questions) was conducted (qualitative using thematic analysis with NVivo v11). Results202 females completed the survey. After diagnosis, 57% respondents changed their CAM use; most common reasons were advice from their doctor/oncologist, to assist with side effects and as prevention/wellbeing enhancement. 45% believed concurrent pharmaceutical and CAM use was safe; an equal percentage were unsure. 73% indicated concern about potential interactions when specifically asked. In the scenario task, a correct response rate was almost 80% for two scenarios but only around 50% for the other two. 71% found IMgateway either useful/very useful to ascertain safety of a particular CAM/pharmaceutical combination and more than 50% indicated they were confident making an informed choice. ConclusionWith refinement the database has potential to empower consumers to be proactive in management of their health conditions, including mitigating risks associated with potential pharmaceutical-CAM interactions.

129P - Perioperative factors and complications after delayed reconstruction in breast cancer patients in relation to outcome

129P - Perioperative factors and complications after delayed reconstruction in breast cancer patients in relation to outcome

Serum levels of oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde in breast cancer patients in relation to pathohistological factors, estrogen receptors, menopausal status, and age

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with invasive breast cancer in relation to its serum levels in patients with benign breast disease, and to investigate correlation between MDA serum levels with pathohistological prognostic factors (tumor size, lymph node involvement, and histologic grade [HG]), estrogen receptor (ER) status, and with breast cancer patient’s age and menopausal status.&#x0D; Methods: A total of 43 with well-documented invasive breast cancer were included in this study: 27 with positive axillary’s lymph nodes, and 16 with negative axillary’s lymph nodes, and 39 patients with findings of benign breast diseases. MDA determination in serum of breast cancer and benign breast disease patients was performed by the fluorimetric method, immunohistochemical staining was performed for ER, and routine pathohistological examination was conducted for pathohistological factors.&#x0D; Results: MDA serum levels in breast cancer patients were significantly higher than MDA serum levels in benign breast disease patients (p = 0.042). No statistically significant difference between MDA serum levels in breast cancer patients with and without lymph node metastases was found (p = 0.238). No statistically significant correlations between MDA serum levels and tumor size (p = 0.256), HG (p = 0.124), or number of positive lymph nodes (0.113) were found. A statistically significant correlation between serum MDA levels and ages of breast cancer patients with lymph node metastases was found (p = 0.006).&#x0D; Conclusion: Obtained results support the importance of MDA in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer. According to our findings, serum level of MDA could not be a useful prognostic factor in breast cancer.

294P - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy carboplatin – taxane response in locally advanced triple negative breast cancer patients in relation to molecular biomarkers

294P - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy carboplatin – taxane response in locally advanced triple negative breast cancer patients in relation to molecular biomarkers

Abstract P5-08-01: Contemporary local and regional recurrence rates in very young breast cancer patients

Abstract Introduction: Historically, young breast cancer patients proved to have a poorer prognosis regarding survival and locoregional recurrence. Over the last two decades, the survival of breast cancer patients has improved substantially, while at the same time locoregional recurrence rates decreased. The diminishing recurrence rates in the overall breast cancer population and acknowledgement of tumor biology and intrinsic subtypes in relation to age, raise the question whether the historically high locoregional recurrence risk in young women has decreased over a time where systemic treatment has evolved, particularly for the aggressive tumor types that occur frequently in young women. The aim of this study was to evaluate contemporary local and regional recurrence rates in very young breast cancer patients in relation to tumor biology in the shape of intrinsic subtypes. Methods: Women &amp;lt;35 years of age who were operated for primary unilateral invasive breast cancer between 2003-2008 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients were categorized according to intrinsic subtypes using hormone receptor and HER2 status. The 5-year risks of developing local recurrence (LR) and regional lymph node recurrence (RR) were estimated using Kaplan Meier statistics. The prognostic influence of different clinicopathological and treatment factors was assessed. Results: A total of 1,000 patients were identified. The overall 5-year LR and RR rates were 3.5% and 3.7% respectively and a decreasing trend for both rates was observed over time. Overall 5-year local, regional and distant recurrence rates over time in breast cancer patients &amp;lt;35 years (n=1,000) Local recurrence*Regional recurrenceDistant metastases NRateNRateNRate2003n=21384.2%116.1%3617.8%2004n=212105.6%105.1%3819.2%2005n=18232.0%53.1%2514.6%2006n=17053.2%21.2%138.2%2007•n=11722.1%10.9%98.1%2008•n=10633.2%44.4%1010.0%Totaln=1,000313.5%333.7%13113.9%*Local recurrence (ipsilateral in-breast recurrence + new primary) •Fewer patients were included in the years 2007-2008 compared to earlier years due to the fact that some hospitals did not provide data for those years. Rates represent Kaplan Meier estimates Intrinsic subtype proved to be a prognostic factor for both LR and RR (P=0.0556 and P=0.0141, respectively). Particularly HR-/HER2+ tumors were associated with high LR and RR rates. Patients with lymph node metastases at time of diagnosis had a higher RR-risk in both the total population (P=0.0349) as well as within the different intrinsic subtypes, although only significantly in the triple negative group (P=0.0401). Type of surgery did not influence the rate of LR and RR in this study. Conclusions: Overall, the LR and RR rates in very young breast cancer patients were relatively low and decreased over time. The higher recurrence rates in this population were associated with the presence of more aggressive intrinsic subtypes. We emphasize that tumor biology should guide decision-making towards optimal treatment in this specific population. Although longer follow-up is needed, especially for this very young patient population, the results of this study provide important insight in the locoregional recurrence risks for this historically high-risk population. Citation Format: Aalders KC, Postma EL, Strobbe LJ, van der Heiden-van der Loo M, Sonke GS, Boersma LJ, van Diest PJ, Siesling S, van Dalen T. Contemporary local and regional recurrence rates in very young breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-01.

A Prospective Pharmacokinetic Study of Docetaxel in Breast Cancer Patients in Relation to CYP3A4 Activity

Abstract Purpose: To study the correlation between pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamic of docetaxel and CYP3A4 activity in Egyptian cancer patients. Patients and methods: Fourteen Egyptian female Patients with metastatic breast cancer, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status 0 to 2, had received prior chemotherapy regimen, were treated with single-agent docetaxel (100 mg/m2), given every 21 days. Hydrocortisone 300 mg IV was administered 2 days before docetaxel treatment and Cytochrome 3A4 activity was determined by measuring the level of urinary metabolites of 6β-hydroxy cortisol (6β-OHF) and cortisol (FC). For the pharmacokinetic study, Blood samples were taken before and after IV infusion for 1 hr of 100 mg/m2 docetaxel. The level of the drug was determined using HPLC and the correlation between pharmacokinetics and CYP3A4 activity were determined. Results: After cortisol administration, the total amount of 24-hour urinary 6β-OHF and FC were19.97 ± 10.43 and 16.84 ± 10.36 mg/24 h (mean ± SD) respectively. On the other hand, the 6β-OHF/FC ratio after cortisol administration was 1.86 ± 1.933. The pharmacokinetic parameters of docetaxel were clearance 19.9 ± 4.5 L/hr, the volume of distribution 65.6 ± 28.6 L (mean ± SD) and AUC 7.2 μg/ml.hr (range 5-8.8 μg/ml.hr) ± SD). A significant correlation was found between 6β-OHF/FC ratio and neutropenia (p=0.04) in addition correlation between 6β-OHF and Cmax (p=0.04). Conclusion: The interpatient variability of CYP3A4 activity in each patient could be predicted by measuring the total amount of 24 hour urinary 63-OHF after cortisol administration. Individualized dosing to optimize drug exposure for each patient could be performed based on this method. A farther study of fixed versus individualized dosing of docetaxel is needed to determine whether individualized chemotherapy with the application of this method can reduce PK and toxicity variability.

Can Avoiding Light at Night Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer?

Excessive exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) suppresses nocturnal melatonin (MLT) production in the pineal gland and is, therefore, associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (BC). We examined indoor and outdoor light habits of 278 women, BC patients (n = 93), and controls (n = 185; 2010-2014). Cases and controls were age and residential area matched. Data regarding behavior in the sleeping habitat in a 5-year period, 10 to 15 years prior to disease diagnosis, were collected using a questionnaire. Sleep quality, bedtime, sleep duration, TV watching habits, presleeping reading habits, subjective illumination intensity, and type of illumination were collected. Binary logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (ORs with 95% CIs) for BC patients in relation to those habits. OR results revealed that women who had slept longer (controls), 10 to 15 years before the time of the study, in a period of 5 years, had a significant (OR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.57-0.97; P < .03) reduced BC risk. Likewise, women who had been moderately exposed to ALAN as a result of reading using bed light (reading lamp) illumination and women who had slept with closed shutters reduced their BC risk: OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.67-0.97, P < .02, and OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68-0.99, P < .04, respectively. However, women who had been exposed to ALAN as a result of living near strong illumination sources were at a significantly higher BC risk (OR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.10-2.12; P < .01). These data support the hypothesis that diminishing nighttime light exposure will diminish BC risk and incidence. This hypothesis needs to be tested directly using available testing strategies and technologies that continuously measure an individual's light exposure, its timing, and sleep length longitudinally and feed this information back to the individual, so that BC risk can be distinguished prospectively.

Transcriptional up-regulation of BMP-4 and BMPR-II genes in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients: A pilot study.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) super family, which are primarily known for their inherent role in osteogenesis and ontogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests the regulatory role of BMP-4 in cellular proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and thus a possible oncogenic role. Variable cellular expression and in vitro functional assays are indicative of the involvement of BMP related signaling in Breast cancer (BC). The differential expression of BMP-4 in the peripheral blood of BC patients may therefore be considered as a potential biomarker. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate transcriptional expression of BMP-4 and its cognate receptor BMPR-II in the peripheral blood from the BC patients in relation to the healthy individuals. The expression pattern of BMP-4 and BMPR-II was analyzed in the blood of breast cancer patients (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 22) through Semi Quantitative Reverse transcription Polymerase chain reaction. An up-regulated expression of BMP-4 and BMPR-II was observed in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients especially in the advanced-stage of the disease. Moreover, BMP-4 and BMPR-II expressions were found to be correlated. The current preliminary results based on the transcriptional analysis suggest the prospective use of BMP4 as a biomarker, however further validation is required.

Smoking and survival after breast cancer diagnosis in Japanese women: A prospective cohort study.

The results of previous studies investigating whether there is an association between active smoking and risk of death among breast cancer patients have been inconsistent. We investigated the association between active and passive smoking and risk of all-cause and breast cancer-specific death among female breast cancer patients in relation to menopausal and tumor estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) status. The present study included 848 patients admitted to a single hospital in Japan from 1997 to 2007. Active or passive smoking status was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The patients were followed until 31 December 2010. We used a Cox proportional-hazard model to estimate hazard ratios (HR). During a median follow-up period of 6.7 years, 170 all-cause and 132 breast cancer-specific deaths were observed. Among premenopausal patients, current smokers showed a non-significant higher risk of all-cause and breast cancer-specific death. A duration of smoking >21.5 years was positively associated with all-cause (HR = 3.09, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–8.20) and breast cancer-specific death (HR = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.22–9.23, Ptrend = 0.035) among premenopausal patients. In premenopausal patients with ER+ or PR+ tumors, there was some suggestion that a longer duration of smoking was associated with higher risk of all-cause and breast cancer-specific death. Passive smoking demonstrated no significant risk. Our results suggest that a longer duration of active smoking is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and breast cancer-specific death among premenopausal patients, possibly with hormonal receptor-positive tumors. Breast cancer patients should be informed about the importance of smoking cessation.

The number of tumorspheres cultured from CETCs in breast cancer patients in relation to stage of the disease and administration of chemotherapy.

e22032 Background: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death for women worldwide. Major hurdles for a successful treatment are cancer metastasis, resistance to therapy and disease ...