Breast Cancer Tissue Explants: An Approach to Develop Personalized Therapy in Public Health Services.

Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Lately, there is great interest in developing methods that assess individual sensitivity and/or resistance of tumors to antineoplastics to provide personalized therapy for patients. In this study we used organotypic culture of human breast tumor slices to predict the experimental effect of antineoplastics on the viability of tumoral tissue. Samples of breast tumor were taken from 27 patients with clinically advanced breast cancer; slices were obtained and incubated separately for 48 h with paclitaxel, docetaxel, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and cell culture media (control). We determined an experimental tumor sensitivity/resistance (S/R) profile by evaluating tissue viability using the Alamar Blue® metabolic test, and by structural viability (histopathological analyses, necrosis, and inflammation). These parameters were related to immunohistochemical expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The predominant histological type found was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (85.2%), followed by lobular carcinoma (7.4%) and mixed carcinoma (7.4%). Experimental drug resistance was related to positive hormone receptor status in 83% of samples treated with cyclophosphamide (p = 0.027). Results suggest that the tumor S/R profile can help to predict personalized therapy or optimize chemotherapeutic treatments in breast cancer.

Identification of Germline Variants in Patients with Hereditary Cancer Syndromes in Northeast Mexico.

Hereditary cancer syndromes (HCS) are genetic diseases with an increased risk of developing cancer. This research describes the implementation of a cancer prevention model, genetic counseling, and germline variants testing in an oncologic center in Mexico. A total of 315 patients received genetic counseling, genetic testing was offered, and 205 individuals were tested for HCS. In 6 years, 131 (63.90%) probands and 74 (36.09%) relatives were tested. Among the probands, we found that 85 (63.9%) had at least one germline variant. We identified founder mutations in BRCA1 and a novel variant in APC that led to the creation of an in-house detection process for the whole family. The most frequent syndrome was hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) (41 cases with BRCA1 germline variants in most of the cases), followed by eight cases of hereditary non-polyposic cancer syndrome (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome) (with MLH1 as the primarily responsible gene), and other high cancer risk syndromes. Genetic counseling in HCS is still a global challenge. Multigene panels are an essential tool to detect the variants frequency. Our program has a high detection rate of probands with HCS and pathogenic variants (40%), compared with other reports that detect 10% in other populations.

[Epidemiological profile of ovarian cancer]. / Perfil epidemiológico del cancer de ovario.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, ovarian cancer represents 5.3% of cancer diagnoses in all age groups and 21% of gynecologic cancers. The states with the highest incidence of this disease Nuevo León, Mexico State and Federal District. OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiological profile of ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study that included all patients with complete records, diagnosed with ovarian cancer treated at the Oncology department UMAE Monterrey No. 23, January 2009 to 31 December 2009. RESULTS: We identified 40 patients with ovarian cancer. The average age of menarche was 12.7 years, 40% were of reproductive age, 25% were nulliparous, 15% had a pregnancy and 37.5% had two pregnancies. Of the total patients, 17% had a history of breast cancer, 40% used a contraceptive method, 37% used oral contraceptives. The tumor marker CA 125 was found in 40% of patients, 63.1% had ultrasound markers for cancer. The most frequent clinical stage 1A in which they found 32% of cases. Papillary serous adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 25% of patients, endometroid adenocarcinoma and mucinous tumor of low malignant potential was diagnosed borderline at 20%, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in 18% tumor granulosa cells in 7% and papillary adenocarcinoma ring cell adenocarcinoma in 5%. In total, 43% of patients received chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The majority of cases tenia50 years or more. The background was the most frequent hereditary breast cancer. There were no deaths during the study.

A retrospective analysis of patients with gallbladder cancer treated with radical resection versus cholecystectomy plus external radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To compare patients with gallbladder cancer treated with radical resection and regional lymphadenectomy (RR-RL) versus simple cholecystectomy and adjuvant external radiotherapy (SC-ERT) and determine outcome. METHODOLOGY: Presentation, operative data, complications and survival were examined in 137 patients. In particular, the 45 patients treated with RR-RL or SC-ERT. RESULTS: Twenty-five had SC-ERT and 20 had a RR-RL. There were no epidemiological differences between groups. Resection of segments IV-b and V and en bloc dissection of regional lymph nodes was the most frequently used procedure (75%). The morbidity and mortality of the radical procedure were 25% and 10%. The morbidity of SC-ERT was 16%. All patients with Nevin I are alive. For lesions Nevin II and Nevin III RR-RL offered a 100% 5-year survival rate and SC-ERT had a 62% and 39% 5-year survival rate respectively. For lesions Nevin IV and V there was no difference in long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: RR-RL is better than SC-ERT in patients with Nevin II and III lesions because it improves survival rate. SC-ERT can be recommended as an alternative treatment. For more advanced lesions further trials are needed.

Hepatectomía parcial por laparoscopia. Informe del primer caso en México / Laparoscopic partial hepatectomy. Report of the first case in Mexico

Se presenta el caso clínico de una mujer de 47 años de edad que fue referida con dolor abdominal y una lesión focal en el segmento lateral izquierdo del hígado. Después de realizar estudios de extensión tumoral se practicó segmentectomía lateral izquierda por abordaje laparoscópico. Su evolución no presentó complicaciones y fue egresada en el segundo día postoperatorio. El reporte histopatológico fue de hiperplasia nodular focal. Hasta donde conocemos, éste es el primer caso operado con este abordaje en México.