Breast cancer in the elderly.

The study population was derived from 482 patients with breast cancer treated at the Department of Oncology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, between 1992 and 1999. The main purpose of our study was to evaluate differences in breast cancer characteristics and treatment in a population of women with breast cancer older than 65 years compared to younger women group (less than 65 years). We have analyzed disease parameters (stage of the disease, size of primary tumor, tumor differentiation grade and steroid receptor status) and parameters associated to treatment modalities (surgery, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy) in both age groups. In older women, we found significantly higher rates of tumors grade 1 (p = 0.0049), tumors > 2 cm and tumors with a high steroid receptor status (p = 0.0013). Evaluation of treatment modalities showed that in older women a significantly higher proportion were treated with hormonal therapy (p < 0.001) compared to younger patients. In evaluation of clinical outcome after a median follow-up of 58 months, in older women the cumulative 5-year disease-free survival rate was 65%, while cumulative 5-year survival was 83%, which was not significantly different from the younger women (p > 0.005).

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in fine-needle aspirates from breast carcinoma and benign breast diseases.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the levels of cyclooxygenase (COX), the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H(2), and of prostaglandins are higher in various tumors and cells during inflammation than in normal tissues. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether COX-2 isoform expression was noticeably higher in fine-needle aspirates (FNA) from breast carcinoma than in FNA from fibroadenoma and fibrocystic breast tissue. COX-2 expression was detected by immunocytochemical (IC) staining and was analyzed by microscopic scoring and computer gray-scale analysis. Evaluation of COX-2 IC positivity in FNA from three groups of patients (nine with breast carcinoma, nine with fibroadenoma, eight with fibrocystic breasts) revealed high COX-2 IC positivity in the majority of patients with breast carcinoma and low or absent COX-2 IC positivity in patients with fibrocystic breast changes. In addition, low or medium COX-2 IC positivity was found in the majority of patients with fibroadenoma, only three of these patients having high COX-2 IC positivity.

Trastuzumab in the treatment of advanced breast cancer: single-center experience.

A significant number of women with advanced breast cancer fail to respond to standard-dose chemotherapy. From the beginning of 1999, 17 women with HER2 positive advanced breast cancer received Herceptin as monotherapy or in combination with paclitaxel or other non-anthracyclines. Eight (47%) women previously received high-dose chemotherapy followed by haematopoiesis stem cell rescue. Three women received Herceptin alone, eleven Herceptin plus paclitaxel and three Herceptin and some of the other non-anthracyclines (CCNU, cisplatin and gemcitabine). In the group of patients who received Herceptin monotherapy, one has partial response (PR), one stable disease (SD) and in the third patient the disease progressed. Out of three patients who received Herceptin in combination with other non-anthracyclines, two have SD and one progressed. In the group of 11 women who received Herceptin + Taxol, 7 (64%) patients achieved PR, 2 (18%) SD, and 2 (18%) had disease progression. Grade 3-4 neutropenia has been observed in four (23%) women. Febrile neutropenia was observed in two cases and resolved completely when antibiotics were introduced. Other grade 3 toxicity that has been noted is peripheral neuropathy in three (18%) patients, diarrhoea in four (23%) and onycholysis in one (6%). Serial heart ultrasound showed no significant decline in left ventricular ejection fraction. According to our preliminary experience, Herceptin therapy showed promising results in women with metastatic breast cancer.