Efficacy of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast: A case report.

RATIONALE: Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is a rare cancer with poor prognosis. There is no standard treatment for the disease. Neoadjuvant therapies and surgery are considered to be the main treatment when the tumor diameter is greater than 5.0 cm. Neoadjuvant therapies include chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. However, the effect of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy is not clear in the disease. PATIENT CONCERNS: In August 2014, a 28-year-old premenopausal woman noted a mass that was approximately 3.0 cm*2.0 cm in size on her right breast with pain. Subsequently, the mass has been always increasing significantly. In August 2015, the mass was approximately 7.0 cm*5.0 cm in size, accompanied by pain, no nipple retraction and discharge, no orange peel-like skin changes, and no dimples. In addition, she had no salient past history. DIAGNOSES: Histopathological examinations by a biopsy with a thick needle (hollow needle) and surgical resection confirmed poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the right breast. INTERVENTIONS: First and remarkably, she underwent 3 months of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (goserelin once every 28 days, and letrozole 10 mg every day). Then, she underwent surgery - stage I breast reconstruction by using prosthesis. Adjuvant endocrine therapy has been used since the operation. OUTCOMES: According to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors 1.1, the tumor was shrunk by 78.87% after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy. No salient complications were observed. We have followed her for 48 months, and there are no signs of recurrence and metastasis. LESSONS: Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is rare and has a poor prognosis. Currently, there is no standard treatment for this disease. Studies show estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast are often highly expressed. In the case, it can be observed that estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor are highly expressed. Therefore, neoadjuvant endocrine therapy may be considered in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast when the mass is large and the patient refuses neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We hope to provide an attractive evidence for neoadjuvant endocrine therapy of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast. However, more cases are still being needed for research.

Effect of positional isomers on the photochromic behaviors of bipyridyltriazolium chloroantimonate hybrids.

Two chloroantimonate hybrids with isomeric bipyridyltriazoliums and similar packing patterns, {[2-bpt]2[(SbCl5)Cl2]}n (1) and {[4-bpt]2[(SbCl5)Cl2]}n (2) (2-bpt2+ = protonated 3,5-bis(pyridine-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole, 4-bpt2+ = protonated 3,5-bis(pyridine-4-yl)-1,2,4-triazole), have been designed and synthesized. Distinct intermolecular electronic interactions and photochromic behaviors are attributed to the remarkable modulation of positional isomeric effect on the electron deficiency of the acceptors and donor-acceptor matching relationship. 1 is the first reported photochromic chloroantimonate hybrid.

MicroRNA-409-3p regulates cell invasion and metastasis by targeting ZEB1 in breast cancer.

MicroRNA-409-3p (miR-409-3p) is an miRNA expressed by embryonic stem cells, and our previous study demonstrated depressed miR-409-3p expression in human breast cancer (BC) cell lines; however, its role and function in BC metastasis are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression levels of miR-409-3p in human BC and its role in the metastasis of BC. We analyzed the status of miR-409-3p expression in BC tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its relationship to the clinicopathologic features of patients with BC. To study the role of miR-409-3p in BC metastasis, the invasion ability of BC cells was detected by transwell invasion assays and wound healing assays. WST-1 assays and colony formation assays were used to investigate cell proliferation. Luciferase reporter assays were used to verify that miR-409-3p targeted zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1). Western blot analyses and transwell assays were carried out to assess ZEB1 expression and its role in BC cell metastasis. The expression of miR-409-3p was lower in tumor tissues than in noncancerous breast tissues. We verified that miR-409-3p levels were downregulated and significantly correlated with poor outcomes in patients with BC. Overexpression of miR-409-3p inhibited cellular proliferation and suppressed cellular migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-409-3p binds the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of ZEB1, suggesting that ZEB1 is a direct target of miR-409-3p. Western blot analysis confirmed that overexpression of miR-409-3p reduced ZEB1 protein levels. These data demonstrate that miR-409-3p plays an important role in regulating the metastasis of BC, which is involved in the post-transcriptional repression of ZEB1. Our results indicate that miR-409-3p can regulate the invasion and metastasis process of BC by targeting ZEB1 and may serve as a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for treating BC metastasis. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(5):394-402, 2016.

[Comparison of clinicopathological features and prognosis in familial and sporadic gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of familial gastric cancer and to improve the treatment outcome. METHODS: Clinical data of 67 patients with familial gastric cancer and 820 patients with sporadic gastric cancer in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from 1995 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Compared to sporadic gastric cancer, the percentage of familial gastric cancer patients less than 45 years old was higher (34.3% vs. 14.6%). Early gastric cancer(23.9% vs. 13.8%), diffuse gastric cancer(79.1% vs. 29.0%), and lymph node metastasis (91.0% vs. 70.9%) were more common in patients with familial cancer(P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate of familial gastric cancer patients was lower than that of patients with sporadic gastric cancer(20.5% vs. 45.1%)(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Familial gastric cancer has characteristics of younger onset age, advanced disease staging, higher positive lymph node ratio and poorer prognosis. Therefore, early diagnosis should be emphasized in the management of familial gastric cancer.