SEOM clinical guidelines for the treatment of early breast cancer

The incidence is increasing due to mammographic screening and an ageing population. In some countries the mortality rate has decreased especially in middleaged and younger groups because of improved treatment and possibly earlier detection. However, breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related death in European women. The purpose of this work was to elaborate a Spanish Society of Medical Oncology guideline on pharmacologic interventions for early breast cancer (BC). We have compiled the latest advances in the management of this pathology either in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant setting, cytostatic and hormonal treatment, so that in a simple way could be useful to oncologist, residents and other related specialties (AU)

[Yield of diagnostic tests in neoplasms of unknown origin. A retrospective study]. / Rentabilidad de las pruebas diagnósticas en la neoplasia de origen desconocido. Estudio retrospectivo.

A retrospective analysis of 54 patients diagnosed of neoplasia of unknown origin between January 1983 and December 1987 are presented. The patients's characteristics, histologic type, localization of metastasis, diagnostic procedures used and their cost-effectiveness, treatment, survival, and percentage of diagnosis of primary disease, are studied by clinical follow-up o necropsy studies. Our results are compared with those described in the literature. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histologic type (48%). The cost-effectiveness of diagnostic tests was practically none in those performed without a clear clinical sign of suspicion, and very low in those performed with a clinical suspicion. The over all survival was 13 months with an actuarial survival probability at 24 months of 34%. We highlight the importance of an organized and predetermined clinical approach in this kind of patients, performing complementary tests only under the suspicion of a sign, or if a disease has to be discarded before initiating active oncologic treatment.

[Neuropathy of the chin associated with neoplasms. Presentation of 5 cases and a review of the literature]. / Neuropatía mentoniana asociada a neoplasia. Presentación de cinco casos y revisión de la literatura.

Mental neuropathy is a paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by hypoesthesia or anesthesia in the area of mental nerve inervation. Its ethyology is not well known, and in some cases would be secondary to metastasis in the mandible, meningeal carcinomatosis or infiltration of the ganglion of Gasser. We report five new cases; three of them we have studied the presence of circulating antibodies against nervous tissue of ganglion of Gasser, and it was negative in all of them. Likewise we have reviewed the literature.