A retrospective study of 129 cases with immediate breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the oncologic safety, indications and aesthetic results for skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and immediate breast reconstruction (IBR).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>One hundred and twenty-nine breast cancer patients treated by SSM + IBR from October 1999 to May 2007 were reviewed. Reconstructive techniques included latissimus dorsi flaps (38 patients), implants only (2 patients), latissimus dorsi flaps plus implants (61 patients), pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps (25 patients) and deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flaps (3 patients). Aesthetic results were judged by patients' self-evaluation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mean duration of hospitalization was 18.6 days. Time of first chemotherapy was 5.2 days after operation. Eleven patients (11/63, 17.5%) developed capsular contracture and 24 patients (24/99, 24.2%) developed seroma in the donor site. Nine patients (9/28, 32.1%) developed partial fat necrosis in TRAM and DIEP flaps. The satisfaction with the aesthetic results of the reconstructive breast was significantly lower in irradiated patients than non-irradiated ones. Median follow-up time was 11 months. Five patients developed local recurrence and 7 patients with metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SSM with IBR can be used for the 0 to II a stage breast cancer patients, with surgical oncologic and aesthetic satisfaction. Radiotherapy has an adverse effect on the reconstructive breast. Delayed or delayed-immediate reconstructions are recommended for patients indicated to postoperative radiotherapy.</p>

5589del8: the recurrent mutation of BRCA1 gene in Chinese breast cancer patients / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the "hot spot" of BRCA1/2 gene mutations in Chinese mainland breast cancer population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The known BRCA1/2 gene mutations in author's previous studies were reanalyzed by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography and DNA sequencing method in 177 patients with early onset breast cancer or affected relatives and 426 sporadic breast cancer patients from four breast cancer centers in China.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three cases were found with BRCA1 5589del8 mutation out of 247 hereditary-predisposing breast cancer patients (70 patients in previous study and 177 patients in current study) and 2 cases with BRCA1 5589del8 mutation out of 426 sporadic breast cancer patients. They had similar even same haplotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BRCA1 5589del8 mutation is likely to be the "founder mutation" in Chinese population, but it should be confirmed by further studies.</p>

Evaluation of intraoperative touch imprint cytology of sentinel lymph node for breast cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the intraoperative touch imprint cytology as an diagnostic method of sentinel lymph node for breast cancer patient.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 105 selected early breast cancer patients, and sentinel lymph node was identified in 101 (96.19%) of these patients. Axillary lymph node dissection was also performed in almost all the patients. All the sentinel lymph nodes were cut into 2-3 mm pieces along the long axis. Touch imprint was made of each piece of the sentinel lymph node, then air-dried, and finally stained with H&E. Intraoperative touch imprint cytology results were compared with the final paraffin H&E pathology. All sentinel nodes were cut into 4 microm sections every 100-microm interval, and the series sections were stained with H&E.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>202 sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 101 breast cancer patients. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of intraoperative imprint cytology for 202 sentinel nodes was 92.1%, 98.8%, 97.5%, 94.6% and 98.2%, respectively; which was 89.3%, 98.6%, 96.0%, 96.2% and 96.0%, respectively in the 101 patients with identified sentinel node. Compared with the series sections, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of intraoperative imprint cytology for sentinel nodes was 83.3%, 98.8%, 95.5%, 94.6% and 95.8%, respectively; and it was 81.3%, 100.0%, 94.1%, 100.0% and 92.0%, respectively in 101 patients with identified sentinel node.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Touch imprint cytology is a simple, effective and rapid method for intraoperative pathological evaluation of sentinel lymph node for breast cancer patient, which has a high concordance with the paraffin results, and can provide accurate and rapid diagnosis information for the surgeon during operation.</p>

A study of the combination of vinorelbine and epirubicin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of vinorelbine (N) and epirubicin (E) as the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From September 2001 to December 2004, 158 patients with LABC were treated with NE chemotherapy before operation. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy containing vinorelbine (N), 25 mg/m(2) (days 1 and 8) and epirubicin (E), 60 mg/m(2) (days 1) was administered every 3 weeks for three cycles before local treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Response in the breast: the clinical objective response was 81.6% [23.4% (37/158) cCR and 58.2% (92/158) PR], 16.5% (26/158) SD and 1.9% (3/158) PD. Pathological complete response was found in 29 cases (18.3%). Eighteen cases (26.5%) who have positive FNA result in the axillary lymphnode before chemotherapy showed negative result in the surgery specimen. The most common toxicities were neutropenia, alopecia and nausea/vomiting. Neutropenia grade 3 - 4 was reported in 111 patients (70.3%) and there was no toxic deaths.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The combination of vinorelbine and epirubicin is a very active and well-tolerated regimen as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the LABC.</p>

Analysis of BRCA1 mutations in Chinese patients with early onset breast cancer and affected relatives / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the BRCA1 mutations in Chinese patients with early onset breast cancer and affected relatives.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA from 41 patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells was studied by using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing. BRCA1 mutations were detected in the whole gene sequence.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Disease-related BRCA1 mutations were detected in 3 of the 41 patients studied. Two of the 3 patients were younger than 35 years old, and one patient with family history.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The incidence of BRCA1 mutations in Chinese patients with early onset breast cancer is similar to that reported from western countries, but the incidence of mutations in Chinese breast cancer patients with affected relatives is comparatively low.</p>