[Treatment Result of Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Postmenopausal Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer in Our Hospital].

To date, neoadjuvant endocrine therapy has shown the same rate of clinical objective response and breast-conserving surgery as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Moreover, neoadjuvant endocrine therapy is recommended to the patients who are unable to tolerate side effects associated with chemotherapy or who are ineligible for immediate surgery because of their age and comorbidity. We discuss the result of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in our hospital last 5 years. Nine patients underwent preoperative endocrine therapy between 2015 and 2019. Pathological examinations consisted 7 invasive ductal carcinomas and 2 mucinous carcinomas. The result of preoperative examinations was 7 partial response(PR), 1 complete response(CR), and 1 progress disease(PD). 3 months after initiation, all patients were examined by palpation and US. 6 months after initiation, all patients showed a partial response. These results suggest that neoadjuvant endocrine therapy allows downstaging of tumors and more minimally invasive surgery.

[A Case of Drug-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease Associated with Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide Therapy before Operation].

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with right breast cancer. Approximately 18 years had passed since the treatment for left breast cancer without recurrence. She became aware of the right breast tumor with mild pain 5 months before she came to the hospital. The diagnosis was right-sided breast cancer, cT2N0M0, StageⅡA, ER(-), PgR(-), HER2(-). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was chosen, and then combined treatment with epirubicin(EPI)and cyclophosphamide(CPA) was started. The breast tumor had become smaller, but she complained of shortness of breath during the third course of chemotherapy. On the basis of her history of cancer onset, chest CT findings, and increase in serum SP-D levels, the combined therapy with EPI and CPA was suspected as the cause of the drug-induced interstitial lung disease(DILD). For this reason, the therapy was discontinued. After her recovery from this state, the operation(partial mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy)was performed. S-1 was used as postoperative adjuvant therapy, and the respiratory symptoms did not recur or worsen. On the basis of the disease course, we made a diagnosis of DILD with EPI and CPA. Many anticancer drugs may cause DILD. In case of a suspicion of DILD onset, a prompt diagnosis and an appropriate treatment are important.

[A Case of Liver Failure Induced by Toremifene in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Cancer].

A 67-year-old woman underwent total mastectomy, postoperative radiation therapy, and adjuvant hormonal therapy more than 9 years 4 months previously. There were no symptoms of recurrence for 3.5 years after completing adjuvant hormonal therapy. A hard mass appeared on the front chest wall and was diagnosed as recurrence of breast cancer histopathologically. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple metastases in the left side of the chest wall, in the left Level Ⅱ axillary lymph nodes, and in the left lung. The patient was prescribed high-dose tremifene (HD-TOR 120 mg/day). After less than 4 months, she presented with general fatigue and yellow skin, and was admitted with grade 4 hyperbilirubinemia and grade 3 hepatic dysfunction (AST and ALT). CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no abnormal findings in the liver or biliary tract. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by HD-TOR was suspected and this therapy was discontinued. The liver dysfunction showed a tendency to improve with conservative treatment and the patient was discharged on the 10th day of illness. She had almost recovered after 5.5 months. A liver biopsy, a drug-lymphocyte stimulation test, and other detailed examinations were not performed, but we judged this case to be one of liver failure caused by HD-TOR-induced DILI.

Metronomic oral combination chemotherapy with capecitabine and cyclophosphamide: a phase II study in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Metronomic combination chemotherapy with the oral fluoropyrimidine doxifluridine/5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5 -DFUR) and oral cyclophosphamide (C) showed promising efficacy in a single-arm study. The oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine was designed to deliver 5-fluorouracil preferentially to tumors, potentially improving efficacy over doxifluridine. We conducted a phase II multicenter study to evaluate an all-oral XC combination in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients received capecitabine 828 mg/m(2) twice daily with cyclophosphamide 33 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: Between May 2007 and April 2009, 51 patients were enrolled and 45 were included in the efficacy analysis. The median follow-up was 18.1 months. ORR was 44.4% and stable disease (≥24 weeks) was achieved in 13.4%, resulting in a 57.8% clinical benefit response rate. Median PFS was 12.3 months (95% confidence interval: 8.9-18.9 months). Median PFS was 10.7 months in triple-negative disease and 13.2 months in estrogen-receptor positive, HER2-negative disease. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 86 and 71%, respectively. Median OS has not been reached. Grade 3 adverse events comprised leukopenia (26%), neutropenia (16%), and decreased hemoglobin (2%). There was no grade 3 hand-foot syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Oral XC is an effective first- or second-line therapy for MBC, demonstrating high activity in both luminal A and triple-negative disease with few severe side effects. This metronomic oral combination chemotherapy could be beneficial for the treatment of HER2-negative MBC.