[Local control of advanced breast cancer with mohs'paste].

We report two cases of primary advanced breast cancer that was locally controlled by using Mohs'paste. CASE 1: A 70- year-old woman was suffering massive exudates and offensive smell from her right giant breast tumor. Histopathological examination showed an invasive ductal carcinoma. However, she didn't have distant metastases. The patient received chemotherapy and the breast tumor has been fixed using Mohs'paste, and dissected. The giant tumor became flat and dry, so we could perform a radical operation. Then, she had contra-lateral axillary lymph node metastases. We performed a resection of left axillary lymph node and radiation therapy. After two years, we have not found a new lesion. CASE 2: A 54-year- old woman with right local advanced breast cancer discharged massive exudates and oozed blood. Histopathologically, she had an invasive ductal carcinoma. Moreover, she had lung and contra-lateral axillary lymph node metastases. She received chemotherapy and the breast tumor has been fixed using Mohs'paste, and dissected. The bleeding and exudates stopped almost completely, and the breast tumor became flat and dry. Both patients had experienced a mild pain, but their QOL improved remarkably. It is suggested that the patient with local advanced breast cancer may be controlled by using Mohs' paste.

[Developments in diagnostic imaging of breast cancer].

Recent developments in diagnostic imaging of breast cancer are briefly reviewed. Innovations of the imaging equipment and progress in treatment strategy against breast cancer have both achieved remarkable developments in diagnosis.

[Long-term survivors with liver metastasis from breast cancer who were received intra-arterial chemotherapy].

Fourteen patients who had liver metastases from breast cancer were treated with trans-arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) or intra-arterial chemotherapy via percutaneously inserted catheters. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A: Long-term survivors who lived longer than three years; and Group B: Short-term survivors who died within three years. Then we compared them based on the background factors, efficacy of intra-arterial chemotherapy, and so on. There was a tendency that Group A had a longer disease-free interval and took more time to formulate liver metastases than that of Group B. All of the four patients of Group A are alive, and the longest survivor is living six years and four months after being diagnosed with liver metastases. In Group B, every patient died from liver failure, but one had died from respiratory failure. The objective response rate was 38.5%, and four of the five responders were long-term survivors. Therefore, it is possible that a good prognosis can be obtained when the hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy effectively controls liver metastases that regulate life.

[Efficacy and safety of weekly taxol (TXL) for advanced recurrent breast cancer evaluated in a multi-center cooperative clinical trial].

A multi-center cooperative clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly taxol (TXL) therapy combined with short-premedication as a pretreatment in an effort to determine if TXL can be used in ambulatory treatment. TXL was administered at 60 mg/m2 to patients with advanced recurrent breast cancer once a week without a rest or with a rest for 1 week after treatment for 3 weeks. A total of 36 patients were finally enrolled. The site of recurrence was the local region in 8 patients, lung/pleura in 24, liver in 9, bone in 16, lymph nodes in 15, epicardium in 2, and brain metastasis in 2. The response was CR in 2, PR in 12, NC in 9, PD in 8, and NE in 5, with a response rate of 45.2%. Grade 4 anorexia was reported as non-hematotoxicity. All other adverse reactions, such as myalgia/arthralgia and peripheral neuropathy, were mild (grade 1 or 2). Hematotoxic effects observed in this study included only grade 3 leukopenia in 5 patients, neutropenia in 4, and decreases in hemoglobin in 1.

[Early phase II dose-finding study of exemestane in postmenopausal patients with advanced/recurrent breast cancer].

Exemestane was administered orally to postmenopausal women with advanced/recurrent breast cancer at a dose of 10 mg/day or 25 mg/day once daily for more than 8 weeks in order to evaluate the drug's anti-tumor effects and safety in a dose-finding study. The response rate (CR + PR) in the 10 mg and 25 mg group was 25.0% (8/32) and 31.4% (11/35), respectively, demonstrating no significant differences between the two groups, yet a higher efficacy rate was observed in 25 mg group. The efficacy rate in hormone-treatment-resistant patients within the 10 mg and 25 mg groups was 14.3% (3/21) and 26.1% (6/23), respectively, demonstrating more than a 20% response rate in 25 mg group. Incidences of the adverse events of which relevance to the drug could not be excluded were 30.6% (11/36) in the 10 mg group. 13.9% (5/36) in the 25 mg group and 22.2% (16/72) in the total group. The major adverse events were, hot flashes, numbness of the limbs, nausea, headache etc. Abnormal findings in clinical laboratory tests were as follows: ALP increase; GOT increase; GPT increase; gamma-GTP increase; total cholesterol increase; urinary sediment present. Abnormal findings in endocrine function were as follows: aldosterone decrease; testosterone.cortisol.DHEA-S decrease. But discontinuation due to abnormal laboratory findings was not found. No abnormal findings in physical tests were observed. A significant decrease in plasma estrogen concentration at week 4 was observed in both the 10 mg and 25 mg groups compared with baseline. These low levels were maintained throughout the study period. On the basis of these results, the efficacy of exemestane 25 mg/day was verified to be slightly higher than 10 mg/day. In addition the safety profile had no major adverse events to notice. In these patients with advanced/recurrent breast cancer, 25 mg/day was recommended as the most appropriate dose to be used clinically.