Progesterone binding cyst protein in hormone receptor positive breast cancer; a predictive factor for effect of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment.

Progesterone binding cyst protein (PBCP) was measured in breast cancer cytosols from 128 pre- and post-menopausal women with operable node positive (pN+) breast cancer Stage II. All patients were included in a national multicenter study on the effect of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment in hormone sensitive breast cancer, i.e. estrogen receptor content of at least 10 pmol/g cytosol protein. Patients were randomised to receive adjuvant tamoxifen 20 mg once daily for two years or no endocrine treatment. At a median follow-up of 60 months, we found PBCP content in the primary tumor to be an important factor with regard to the effect of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment. The benefit of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment on relapse-free survival and overall survival was confined to the subpopulation of patients with PBCP negative tumors. PBCP should be further evaluated as a predictive factor for the effect of tamoxifen treatment.

[Primary treatment of locally advanced breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy]. / Primaerbehandling av lokalavansert brystkreft med bruk av neoadjuvant kjemoterapi.

Since February 1991, in Health Region 3, patients with recently diagnosed Stage III breast cancer have been treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This treatment includes 16 weeks of chemotherapy prior to local treatment, usually consisting of mastectomy and postoperative radiotherapy. 48 patients have so far undergone this treatment. The majority (43 patients) received chemotherapy consisting of weekly doses of Adriamycin. Even with a high average age the therapy has been well tolerated. 60% of the patients partially responded to the therapy, an additional 15% experienced minimal response. At this point it would be premature to evaluate the long term effect of the therapy. It is very interesting, however, that at this stage we have not observed any local recidive in patients who showed primary response to chemotherapy. Following primary treatment of this group of patients, local recidive is usually a frequent and early observation.