[A Case of Breast Cancer in the Elderly Localized in the Nipple].

An 89-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a complaint of a wound in the left nipple. The pathological diagnosis via skin biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. A physical examination, mammography, ultrasonography, and CT scan revealed a mass in the left nipple. However, a definite diagnosis could not be established by skin biopsy. Left breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy were performed for diagnosis and treatment. Histological examination revealed a scirrhous type invasive ductal carcinoma in the left nipple and areola with skin invasion and lymph node metastasis. Radiation and hormone therapy were used as adjuvant therapy. She is alive with no local recurrence for 5 months post surgery. Since ductal carcinoma of the nipple is uncommon, we present this case report along with a review of the relevant literature.

[A case of S-1-resistant gastric cancer with multiple bone metastases and disseminated intravascular coagulation--effective treatment by combined chemotherapy with CDDP and CPT-11].

A 49-year-old female with advanced gastric cancer complicated with peritoneal dissemination underwent distal gastrectomy, and thereafter she was treated with a combined chemotherapy of S-1 and paclitaxel for 5 months, followed by treatment with S-1 alone. A year after the gastrectomy, she developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) with multiple bone metastases despite the continuous treatment with S-1, indicating that S-1 was no longer effective. She was then effectively treated by a combined chemotherapy with cisplatin(CDDP)and irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11), and DIC subsided within 7 days after the treatment. These findings suggest that combined chemotherapy with CDDP and CPT-11 is a useful regimen for the treatment of certain patients with DIC associated with S-1-resistant advanced gastric cancer.

Dextran sulfate suppresses cell adhesion and cell cycle progression of melanoma cells.

We have reported that dextran sulfate is a possible candidate for an antimetastatic drug because it inhibits cell adhesion. It has been demonstrated that dextran sulfate can detach cancer cells adhering to the bottom of plastic flasks, and that the detached cells do not readhere or proliferate. In this study, we investigated the effects of dextran sulfate on cancer cells, focusing on cell cycle regulators as well as cell adhesion molecules. The effects of dextran sulfate on the cell cycle were examined by flow cytometry, and changes in gene expression caused by dextran sulfate were analyzed by cDNA microarray to identify changes in adhesion and cell cycle genes. By flow cytometry, treatment with dextran sulfate increased the percentage of cells in the G1/G0-phase, and decreased those in the S- and G2/M-phases. Analysis by cDNA microarray revealed decreased expression of several genes essential for progression of the G1- and S-phases. The expression of the adhesion factors involved in metastases was also suppressed. Furthermore, we confirmed these changes in the gene expression by Northern and Western blotting. Our results indicate that dextran sulfate suppresses cell adhesion and cell cycle progression, both of which are essential for metastasis, suggesting that dextran sulfate could be used as an antimetastatic agent.