Brief Hospital Supervision of Exercise and Diet During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy Is Not Enough to Relieve Fatigue: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Supervised exercise dietary programs are recommended to relieve cancer-related fatigue and weight increase induced by adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer (EBC). As this recommendation lacks a high level of evidence, we designed a multicenter randomized trial to evaluate the impact of an Adapted Physical Activity Diet (APAD) education program on fatigue. We randomized 360 women with EBC who were receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy to APAD or usual care at eight French cancer institutions. Data were collected at baseline, end of chemotherapy, end of radiotherapy, and 6 months post-treatment. The primary endpoint was the general cancer-related fatigue score using the MFI-20 questionnaire. Fatigue correlated with the level of precariousness, but we found no significant difference between the two groups in terms of general fatigue (p = 0.274). The APAD arm has a smaller proportion of patients with confirmed depression at the end of follow-up (p = 0.052). A transient modification in physical activity levels and dietary intake was reported in the experimental arm. However, a mixed hospital- and home-based APAD education program is not enough to improve fatigue caused by adjuvant treatment of EBC. Cancer care centers should consider integrating more proactive diet-exercise supportive care in this population, focusing on precarious patients.

Clinical improvement and survival in breast cancer leptomeningeal metastasis correlate with the cytologic response to intrathecal chemotherapy.

Leptomeningeal meningitis occurs in approximately 5% of metastatic breast cancers, and there is no standard treatment for this complication. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and cerebrospinal fluid of 24 patients treated with high-dose intrathecal methotrexate for breast cancer leptomeningeal meningitis (BLM). Cytologic response (CSF cytology without neoplastic cells after treatment) was observed in 11 patients (46%) and related to survival (P = 0.005). In addition, clinical symptoms improved in all 11 patients who had a cytologic response and in 7 patients (54%) without cytologic response (P = 0.02). The predictive value of cytologic response needs further confirmation. Cytologic response could be helpful in the management of intrathecal chemotherapy in patients with BLM.

[Neuroendocrine tumors of the breast: Myth or reality? A systematic review]. / Tumeurs neuroendocrines primitives du sein : mythe ou réalité ? Une revue de la littérature.

Primary neuroendocrine breast carcinomas are rare and little-known tumors. Only a limited number of studies on neuroendocrine breast carcinomas have been reported in the literature, and the vast majority of them are small retrospective series or case reports. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), they account for only 2 % to 5 % of breast cancers. Their diagnosis relies on the presence of a neuroendocrine architecture and the expression of neuroendocrine markers (chromogranin A and/or synaptophysin). The revised 2012 WHO classification subdivides them into three categories: (i) well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, (ii) poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas or small-cell carcinomas, and (iii) invasive breast carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation. Their clinical features and radiological characteristics are not different from those of other types of breast cancer. Because of discordant results, their clinical outcome is still poorly defined. So far, no standard treatment has been established, and most clinicians draw on their experience of invasive ductal cancer. The role of specific treatments like platinum-based chemotherapy, somatostatin analogues, peptide receptor radionucleide therapy or temozolomide remains unclear. A better knowledge of the molecular pathways involved in their carcinogenesis could help to identify new potential therapeutic targets. The efficacy of targeted therapies has to be studied.

Systematic Screening for Occupational Exposures in Lung Cancer Patients: A Prospective French Cohort.

Occupational lung cancers are under-reported and under-compensated worldwide. We assessed systematic screening for occupational exposure to carcinogens combining a self-administered questionnaire and an occupational consultation to improve the detection of occupational lung cancers and their compensation. Social deprivation and the costs of this investigation were estimated. Patients with lung cancer received a self-administered questionnaire to collect their job history, potential exposure to carcinogens and deprivation. A physician assessed the questionnaire and recommended an occupational consultation if necessary. During the consultation, a physician assessed if the lung cancer was work-related and, if it was, delivered a medical certificate to claim for compensation. Over 18 months, 440 patients received the self-administered questionnaire: 234 returned a completed questionnaire and a consultation was required for 120 patients. Compensation was judged possible for 41 patients. Among the 35 medical certificates delivered, 19 patients received compensation. Nearly half the patients (46%) were assessed as socially deprived and these patients took significantly longer to return the questionnaire compared with those who were not deprived. The mean cost of the process was €62.65 per patient. Our results showed a systematic self-administered questionnaire can be used to identify patients potentially exposed to carcinogens and to improve compensation.

High expression levels of egfl7 correlate with low endothelial cell activation in peritumoral vessels of human breast cancer.

Tumor blood vessels participate in the immune response against cancer cells and we previously used pre-clinical models to demonstrate that egfl7 (VE-statin) promotes tumor cell evasion from the immune system by repressing endothelial cell activation, preventing immune cells from entering the tumor mass. In the present study, the expression levels of egfl7 and that of ICAM-1 as a marker of endothelium activation, were evaluated in peritumoral vessels of human breast cancer samples. Breast cancer samples (174 invasive and 30 in situ) from 204 patients treated in 2005 were immunostained for CD31, ICAM-1 and stained for egfl7 using in situ hybridization. The expression levels of ICAM-1 and egfl7 were assessed in peritumoral areas using semi-quantitative scales. There was a strong and significant inverse correlation between the expression of ICAM-1 and that of egfl7 in CD31+ blood vessels. When the ICAM-1 score increased, the egfl7 score reduced significantly (P=0.004), and vice-versa (Cuzick's test for trend across ordered groups). In order to determine which gene influenced the other gene between egfl7 and ICAM-1, the expression levels of either gene were modulated in endothelial cells. Egfl7 regulated ICAM-1 expression while ICAM-1 had no effects on egfl7 expression in the same conditions. Altogether, these results provide further results that egfl7 serves a regulatory role in endothelial cell activation in relation to immune infiltration and that it is a potential therapeutic target to consider for improving anticancer immunotherapies.

EGFR-Mutated Breast Metastasis of Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report.

Breast metastasis from other primary carcinoma is very rare and could be difficult to identify despite immunohistochemistry analysis. Breast metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma can mimic triple-negative breast cancer. Given the prognosis and therapeutic challenges, a correct diagnosis appears essential, and molecular biomarkers could be useful. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with a breast mass initially diagnosed as primary breast cancer and secondarily attached to breast metastasis from an EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. The same activating EGFR mutations were identified in both the primary lung carcinoma and the breast metastasis.

A higher body mass index and fat mass are factors predictive of docetaxel dose intensity.

BACKGROUND: Few data are published on docetaxel toxicity in obese patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All obese patients (n=100) treated for early breast cancer during three consecutive years at our Institution, were retrospectively investigated. The same number of non-obese patients was randomly selected and used as controls. We assessed the factors predictive of the relative dose intesity (RDI) reduction, including body composition. RESULTS: A total of 18% (n=18) of obese patients and 5% (n=5) of non-obese patients required reduction of docetaxel RDI due to toxicity (p=0.008). In a multivariate analysis, body mass index (BMI) and age were predictive of a reduction in RDI. Among the 89 patients with a determination of body composition, patients with a higher fat mass more frequently had a reduction in docetaxel RDI (p=0.002). In multivariate analysis, fat mass was the only independent factor predictive of a reduction in docetaxel RDI. CONCLUSION: Obese patients treated for early breast cancer more frequently required a reduction in docetaxel RDI. Fat mass seems to be the best factor predictive of a reduction in docetaxel RDI.

Expression of Egfl7 correlates with low-grade invasive lesions in human breast cancer.

Egfl7 (VE-statin) is specifically expressed by endothelial cells of normal tissues but its expression is deregulated in human cancers. Analysis of expression of Egfl7 protein and transcripts in 211 human breast cancer samples shows that Egfl7 is strongly expressed by breast tumor cells. Egfl7 expression is significantly higher in invasive ductal than in invasive lobular carcinoma. Expression of Egfl7 transcripts is also higher in lower SBR grade lesions and in lesions which are not associated with lymph node invasion. Within the invasive ductal carcinoma sub-population, expression of Egfl7 transcripts is correlated with the SBR score and with the ER+ status. High transcript and Egfl7 protein levels significantly correlate with the absence of axillary lymph node invasion. In lymph nodes, the levels of Egfl7 are correlated with the histological type of the primary lesions; they are higher in ductal than in lobular carcinoma. Egfl7 expression is thus associated with better prognosis factors and with the absence of lymph node invasion in human breast cancer lesions.

[Antiangiogenic agents: current limits in thoracic oncology]. / Les antiangiogéniques : limites actuelles en oncologie thoracique.

Antiangiogenic agents appear as major therapeutic options in renal, colorectal and breast cancer. Their part in thoracic oncology is still limited today except for bevacizumab. We review the current limits of antiangiogenic agents in terms of efficacy, activity, tolerance and therapeutic strategies. Problems about predictive biomarkers and cost-effectiveness of antiangiogenic agents in thoracic oncology are also mentioned.