Esophageal metastasis of breast carcinoma.

Esophageal metastasis from primary breast cancer is an unusual manifestation. We recently treated a patient with dysphagia, whose breast cancer had been treated in the distant past. A 70-year-old woman had been followed regularly in our outpatient clinic for 14 years after her primary breast cancer treatment, with no apparent tumor recurrence. After 2 years absence, she consulted our clinic with progressive dysphagia. Contrast esophagography and endoscopic examination with ultrasonography revealed a protruding submucosal tumor that was histopathologically diagnosed as esophageal metastasis of breast cancer. Radiation therapy involving a total of 60 Gy in combination with aromatase inhibitor was given. The patient's dysphagia was greatly relieved, concomitant with marked improvement of the stenotic lesion on imaging. Since treatment for recurrent breast cancer is generally palliative, systemic (chemo- and/or endocrine-) therapy in combination with radiotherapy is the first-line option for esophageal metastasis of breast cancer.

[Analysis of microsatellite instability and p53 LOH in advanced colorectal cancers--first report of the No. 3 protocol].

In order to establish the most appropriate protocol of adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancers, several cooperative studies have been undertaken by the Kinki Cooperative Study Group of Chemotherapy for Colorectal Carcinoma (KCSGCCC). In the No. 3 protocol of KCSGCCC, several cancer-associated molecular markers were analyzed to investigate a possible correlation with chemosensitivity and/or patient's prognosis. Here, we report the preliminary results of the analysis of microsatellite instability (MSI) and p53 LOH in 559 cases of Stage II, III colorectal cancer. The MSI was detected in 51 cases (9%) and was shown to have a significant correlation with right-sided localization and histology (poorly differentiated, mucinous). p53 LOH was positive in 225 cases (40%) and was shown to have a significant correlation with left-sided localization and histology (well to moderately differentiated). These results might support the concept of 2 distinct pathways of colorectal carcinogenesis, e.g., RER pathway and LOH pathway.

[Three cases of advanced gastric cancer treated by TS-1 in combination with low-dose cisplatinum].

TS-1, a DPD inhibitory fluoropyrimidine, is a novel oral formation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In patients with advanced gastric cancer, the response rate was reportedly over 40%. We report three cases of advanced gastric cancer treated using TS-1 in combination with a low-dose of cisplatinum (CDDP) that well responded. Case 1: A 62-year-old women underwent total gastrectomy. Ten weeks later, she suffered intestinal obstruction due to peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer. Eighty mg of TS-1 in combination with bi-weekly administration of CDDP (10 mg) improved her intestinal obstruction. Case 2: A 50-year-old man suffered peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer. Computed tomography (CT) showed intestinal obstruction, ascites, and hydronephrosis. After 100 mg of TS-1 in combination with bi-weekly administration of CDDP (20 mg) for 1 year, CT showed almost complete improvement of peritonitis carcinomatosa. Case 3: A 58-year-old man, who suffered advanced gastric cancer with peritonitis carcinomatosa, was administrated 100 mg of TS-1 in combination with bi-weekly administration of CDDP (20 mg). After 2 months of administration, remarkable improvement was observed in the upper gastrointestinal series. Adverse reactions, which were grade 1 for stomatitis, were observed only in case 1. All three patients are alive (case 1 and 2 have survived more than one year) and therapy is continuing. In conclusion, combined chemotherapy of TS-1 and low-dose CDDP was effective and well tolerable for advanced gastric cancer patients. It was suggested that effective biochemical modulation might be achieved by these two drugs.