[Expression of small breast epithelial mucin mRNA in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients and its clinical significance].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The major cause of death in breast cancer patients is distant metastasis. This study was to explore the expression and significance of small breast epithelial mucin (SBEM) mRNA, the specific marker of breast cancer, in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients. METHODS: Expression of SBEM mRNA in peripheral blood samples from 67 breast cancer patients, 16 benign breast disease patients, and 20 healthy volunteers was detected by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR). RESULTS: SBEM mRNA was not detected in healthy volunteers and benign breast disease patients. Positive rate of SBEM mRNA was 50.7% (34/67) in breast cancer patients. Positive rate of SBEM mRNA was 25.0% (2/8) in stage I patients, 45.8% (11/24) in stage II patients, 43.8% (7/16) in stage III patients, and 73.7% (14/19) in stage IV patients, respectively. Positive rate of SBEM mRNA was significantly higher in stage IV patients than in stages I, II, and III patients (P0.05). The expression of SBEM mRNA in peripheral blood was not correlated with patient's age, primary tumor size, pathologic type, and estrogen or progestin receptor status (P0.05). CONCLUSION: SBEM mRNA is specifically expressed in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients, and may be a marker of micrometastasis of breast cancer.

[Comprehensive therapy for primary liver cancer: a report of 607 cases].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Progress has been made in the field of early detection and early treatment of primary liver cancer (PLC), but many PLC patients remain unresectable, because their tumors are advanced or coexist with liver cirrhosis. Even if the tumor can be resected, the recurrent rate is more than 60%. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of comprehensive therapy of PLC to improve the outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 607 patients with PLC received comprehensive treatment in Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University from 1985 to 2001. Among them, 423 cases were treated with various modes of hepatectomy: 134 with irregular hepatectomy, 95 with local radical resection, 123 with regular liver lobectomy or liver segment resection, 54 with semi-hepatectomy or more, 17 with hepatectomy combined with section of other organ. The other 184 nonresectable cases were treated with various combinations of therapy, such as ligation of hepatic artery, microwave coagulation, inter tumor injection of ethanol, cryosurgery, radio-frequency (RF), and intraperitoneal chemotherapy. RESULTS: 69.7%(423/607) of the whole group received liver resection, the overall mortality rate within one month after operation was 1.2%(5/423), and the 3-, 5-, 10-year survival rates were 42.7%(218/511), 37.5%(123/328), and 26.5%(26/98), respectively. For the resection group,the 3-, 5-, 10-year survival rates were 57.2%(203/355), 51.3%(118/230), and 35.3%(24/68), respectively. For the nonresectable group, the 3-, 5-, 10-year survival rates were 9.6%(15/156), 5.1%(5/98), and 6.7%(2/30), respectively. CONCLUSION: Surgery-predominant comprehensive therapy is effective modality for resectable PLC. Postoperative individualized comprehensive treatment can prevent tumor recurrence and improve postoperative effect.

[Surgery-predominant comprehensive therapy for 134 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Although surgical resection is the primary choice modality in treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the 5-year recurrent rate after resection was as high as 35.4%-43.5%. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of surgery-predominant comprehensive therapy for small HCC in reducing the recurrent rate and improving the outcome. METHODS: A total of 134 cases of small HCC (< or = 5 cm in diameter) received surgery-predominant comprehensive treatment in The Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University from 1985 to 2001. The median age of the patients was 45 years old (range,18-70 years). Of 134 cases, 121 were treated with hepatectomy: 16 with irregular hepatectomy, 83 with local radical resection, 12 with regular liver lobe resection or liver segment resection, 2 with left semi-hepatectomy, and 8 with hepatectomy and gallbladder resection. In the other 13 cases of nonresectable small HCC, they received multimodality treatments by various combinations of hepatic artery ligation and anticancer agents by hepatic artery infusion, microwave coagulation, ethanol injection into tumor, cryosurgery,radio-frequency (RF), and hepatic artery chemoembolization therapy. RESULTS: Of 134 HCC patients, 90.3% received liver resection and no operative death occurred. For the surgery group, the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 89.3%, 74.4%, 64.6%, and 43.8%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrent rates were 11.9%, 23.8%, and 32.1%, respectively. For the total group,the 1-, 3-,5-, and 10-year survival rates were 88.8%, 72.2%, 63.4%, and 41.7%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrent rates were 15.9%, 29.1%, and 36.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection remains primary choice modality in treatment of small HCC; postoperative comprehensive treatment is important for preventing tumor recurrence and improving the long-term results.