Treosulfan for advanced breast cancer in a heavily pre-treated patient - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of metastatic breast cancer experienced significant improvement in the past decades by introduction of highly effective therapies, but survival still remains poor. Nonetheless, in some patients, long-term survival can be achieved by sequent endocrine and chemotherapy treatment, although toxicity and resistance eventually occur, until no further suitable and approved therapies remain. If further therapy is needed, therapist may be forced to consider treatients which are promising but not approved, such as the alkylating agent treosulfan, which is approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer only. Thus, relevant clinical data on its use in human breast cancer are lacking. CASE REPORT: The authors report the case of a 49-yeAr-old woman with heavily pre-treated, metastatic breast cancer, who experienced complete remission of pulmonary and soft tissue metastases while under treatment with treosulfan. Treatment was generally well-tolerated. CONCLUSION: Treosulfan might be an effective and well-tolerated treatment even in heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Principles of reconstruction with tissue expanders as immediate reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer.

The aim of reconstruction with expanders is to restore breast shape and volume as close as possible to the contralateral breast and to reconstruct the inframammary fold with adequate ptosis.

Breast cancer--new aspects of tumor biology: are calcitriol and cyclooxygenase-2 possible targets for breast cancer?

Up until now there have been many advances in treatment options for breast cancers such as targeted therapies like monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mTOR antagonists, and vaccines. Despite these advances, there are still many more that warrant further exploration. Two of these targets might be the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the key enzyme required to convert arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, and calcitriol [1,25(OH)2D3] which is the biologically active form of vitamin D. Both calcitriol and the inhibition of COX-2 have shown antiproliferative and prodifferentiation, as well as pro-apoptotic effects in different malignancies in vitro and in vivo, and the key prostaglandin catabolic enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is known to have tumor suppressor activity. Furthermore, the combination ofcalcitriol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as non-selective and selective COX-2 inhibitors, acting synergistically to achieve significant cell growth inhibition in prostate cancer. Some epidemiological studies suggest that vitamin D confers a moderate benefit against breast cancer while most epidemiological studies presume that NSAIDs confer the same. Nevertheless there is growing body of evidence that COX-2 expression is a fundamental step in breast cancer carcinogenesis. To date, clinical trials have been conducted in patients with different malignancies using treatment strategies including COX-2 inhibitors and calcitriol and are showing partially encouraging results. The goal of this review is to shed light on the association between the prostaglandin as well as vitamin D metabolism relating to the incidence and therapy of breast cancers. Moreover, this review will also highlight potential treatment options, as well as extract any existing interactions between the two metabolisms.

Efficacy and tolerability of pantoprazole compared with misoprostol for the prevention of NSAID-related gastrointestinal lesions and symptoms in rheumatic patients.

AIM: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of pantoprazole 20 mg once daily (o.d.) with misoprostol 200 microg twice daily (b.i.d.), administered for 6 months to rheumatic patients who required long-term therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and who were at increased risk of developing gastrointestinal lesions. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, multicenter, parallel group comparison study was performed with rheumatic patients (n = 515) who were likely to take NSAIDs continuously for at least 6 months. Patients were 55 years or older, at risk to develop gastrointestinal lesions, had less than five erosions/petechiae in the stomach and duodenum, no ulcers, no reflux esophagitis (endoscopy-proven), and gastrointestinal symptoms of at most moderate intensity. A minimum daily dose was defined for NSAIDs (COX-2 inhibitors were not available at the time). Patients were randomized to take either pantoprazole 20 mg o.d. (n = 257) or misoprostol 200 microg b.i.d. (n = 258) for 6 months while continuing NSAID therapy. Endoscopy was performed at baseline, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: Pantoprazole was superior to misoprostol (p < 0.001) with regard to 'therapeutic failure' (occurrence of a peptic ulcer, ten or more erosions/petechiae in the stomach/duodenum, reflux esophagitis, severe gastrointestinal symptoms, and/or 'likely' or 'definitely' related adverse event leading to study termination). Estimated remission rates at 3 and 6 months (Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis) were, respectively, 93 and 89% (pantoprazole) and 79 and 70% (misoprostol). Pantoprazole was superior to misoprostol (p = 0.005) with regard to 'endoscopic failure' (occurrence of a peptic ulcer, ten or more erosions/petechiae in the stomach/duodenum, or reflux esophagitis) after 6 months. Estimated remission rates at 3 and 6 months were, respectively, 98 and 95% (pantoprazole) and 95 and 86% (misoprostol). Patients discontinuing the study early due to adverse events 'likely' or 'definitely' related to the study drug accounted for 13/257 (5%) in the pantoprazole and 33/258 (13%) in the misoprostol treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Pantoprazole 20 mg o.d. is superior to misoprostol 200 microg b.i.d. in the prevention of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal lesions and symptoms in patients on continuous long-term treatment with NSAIDs due to rheumatic diseases and at risk to develop such lesions or symptoms.