Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relations of body mass index (BMI) with the prevalence and the clinicopathologic features of breast cancer. Methods: The BMI values of 413 female patients (breast cancer group) with breast cancer and 425 healthy women (control group) undergoing routine screening during the same period were compared without and with stratification by age (<60 vs. ≥60), and the relation of age and BMI value with the prevalence was analyzed by logistic regression. In addition, the relations of BMI with the clinicopathologic factors of breast cancer patients were analyzed. Results: The BMI value of breast cancer group was significantly higher than that of control group [(25.80±3.57) kg/m2 vs. (25.28±3.19) kg/m2, P=0.029] in general however, the BMI difference was only found lying in the population aged over 60 years old after age stratification (Z=–3.408, P =0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of breast cancer was significantly increased as the BMI value exceeded 30 kg/m2 (OR=1.892, 95%CI=1.125–3.181, P=0.016), while age yielded no obvious influence on the risk of breast cancer (P>0.05). BMI was related to the axillary lymph node metastasis and expression status of Her-2/neu (both P<0.05), but unrelated to the tumor size, histological grade or ER and PR status of the breast cancer patients (all P>0.05). Conclusion: BMI is associated with the prevalence of breast cancer in our country. Determination of BMI is helpful for screening a population at high risk of breast cancer, so as to provide useful information for aggressive prevention, estimation of prognosis and administering of a suitable treatment plan.

Abstract:Objective: To compare the clinical efficacies between endoscopic and traditional open approaches for intercostobrachial nerve preservation during axillary dissection for breast cancer. Methods: Forty-six patients with stage I or II breast cancer, who were scheduled to undergo modified radical mastectomy with intercostobrachial nerve preservation, were randomly designated to either endoscopic group (n=21) or traditional group (n=25). Sensory functions in inner aspect of upper arm and armpit were examined after the operation. Results: In endoscopic group and traditional group, the intercostobrachial nerves were successfully preserved in 20 cases (20/21) and 23 cases (23/25) respectively, and there was no statistical difference in the successful rate between the two groups (P=0.658). The time taken for axillary dissection was prolonged but the volume of blood loss during axillary dissection and postoperative complications in endoscopic group were significantly reduced compared with traditional group (P<0.001, P=0.029). The entire group was followed up for 2 to 20 months with average of 16 months after operation; no recurrence occurred in any of the patients and no abnormal subjective sensations were observed in any of the patients with intercostobrachial nerve preservation. Conclusion: Preservation of intercostobrachial nerve is feasible in endoscopic axillary dissection, which also has the advantages of reducing blood loss and postoperative complications.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the feasibility and assess the cosmetic effect of mammaplasty with displacement of residual glandular tissue following breast conserving surgery. Methods: Breast conserving surgery was performed in 47 patients whose lesion size was less than 3 cm and admitted between October 2009 and November 2011. Of the patients, 36 cases received oncoplastic volume displacement (observation group) and 11 cases had only direct skin closure without treatment of the post-resection defect (control group) following breast conserving surgery. The cosmetic results of the two groups were evaluated after operation and radiotherapy, respectively. Results: All patients were followed up for 9–33 months with median follow-up of 21 months, and no recurrence or metastasis occurred in any of the patients. Three months after surgery, the excellent or good cosmetic outcome was achieved in 31 cases (86.1%) in observation group and 8 cases (72.7%) in control group respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05); three months after radiotherapy, the cosmetic excellent or good result was obtained in 30 cases (83.3%) in observation group and 6 cases (54.5%) in control group respectively, where the cosmetic result in observation group was better than that in control group and the difference between the two groups reached statistical significance (χ2=3.895, P<0.05). Conclusion: For breast cancer patients with tumor diameter less than 3 cm, volume displacement oncoplastic surgery has the advantages of being simple, effective, and minimally invasive as well as having better postoperative cosmetic outcome.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the clinical application value of 99Tcm-colloidal rhenium sulfide in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) biopsy in patients with breast cancer. Methods: Thirty patients with T1–T2 breast cancer were enrolled. Patients were injected with 99Tcm-colloidal rhenium sulfide under the areola 15–24 h before operation, and lymphoscintigraphy and mapping of the SLNs was subsequently performed with SPECT/CT. Gamma probe-guided SLNs detection and biopsy was employed during surgery before the breast cancer resection. The results of SLN biopsy and histological examination were compared and analyzed after surgery. Results: SLNs were detected in 29 of the 30 patients and a total of 31 SLNs were identified. The detection rate and accuracy rate was 97.67% and 100%, respectively. The coincidence rate of the SLNs status and axillary lymph node metastasis was 100%, and no false positive or negative detections occurred. Conclusion: 99Tcm-colloidal rhenium sulfide is an ideal tracer for SLNs biopsy in patients with breast cancer.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the effect of carbon nanoparticle suspension injection on sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping of breast cancer. Methods: Thirty-six patients with breast cancer were subcutaneously injected with carbon nanoparticle suspension into four equal depots around the areola 30 min before surgery. The black stained axillary lymph nodes were found and labeled as SLNs, and then modified radical mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery was performed. Results: SLNs in 34 cases of the entire group were successfully detected and the detection rate was 94.4%(34/36). The accuracy rate and sensitivity was 91.6% (33/36) and 93.3% (14/15), respectively. The false-negative rate was 6.6% (1/15), and there were no false-positive results. Conclusion: Using carbon nanoparticle suspension as a tracer can correctly reveal the status of axillary lymph nodes, and it may provide appropriate guidance on the scope of radical resection for breast cancer.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the application value of high frequency B-mode ultrasonography in breast cancer screening. Methods: A total of 13 535 women aged 35–69 years in Guilin, of whom 11 167 cases were from urban areas and 2 368 cases were from rural areas, underwent breast cancer screening that included clinical breast examination, high frequency B-mode ultrasonography and selective molybdenum target mammography. Results: Eight cases of breast cancer (malignant breast tumor) were detected in the entire group by final pathological identification, and the detection rate was 0.591‰ (8/13 535). Of the 8 women with breast cancer, all were positive by high frequency ultrasonography, and the sensitivity was 100%; while in molybdenum target mammography, 7 cases were positive and one case was false negative, and the sensitivity was 87.5%. Conclusion: High frequency B-mode ultrasonography has high sensitivity in breast cancer screening. It has the advantages of non-invasiveness, low cost, wide range of applicability and easy manipulation.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the treatment strategies for patients with operable breast cancer of different subtypes. Methods: The clinical data of 80 patients with operable breast cancer admitted from March 2007 to December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Different surgical procedures were done to the patients according to their tumor size, depth of invasion and lymphatic metastasis. Postoperatively, the patients underwent individualized combination therapy depending on their tumor molecular subtypes, namely luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched and basal-like, determined by immunohistological method. Satisfactory therapeutic results were obtained in 88.8% of the patients. Local recurrence occurred in 3 patients and distant metastasis occurred in 6 patients, respectively. The patients with luminal A or B breast cancer had a higher disease-free survival rate, while those with Her-2-enriched and basal-like breast cancer showed a poor prognosis as evidenced by increased local recurrence and distant metastasis. Conclusion: The postoperative individualized comprehensive therapy depending on different molecular subtypes is an effective treatment strategy for the operable breast cancer patients.

Abstract:Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect and quality of life of patients with recurrent and metastatic breast cancer undergoing octreotide plus letrozole therapy and salvage chemotherapy. Methods: Sixty-one recurrent and metastatic breast cancer patients whose somatostatin receptor (SSTR), estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) were positive, were designated to octreotide plus letrozole treatment group (Letrozole adminstered orally at a dose of 2.5 mg once daily, continuous uninterrupted schedule; octreotide given at a dose of 0.1 mg three times daily by subcutaneous injection for five consecutive days and 2-day discontinuation a week. A total of six cycles, with each consisting of two consecutive weeks in a month) and salvage chemotherapy group (Salvage therapies with different chemotherapy regimens recommended by the NCCN guidelines for a total of six cycles). The clinical efficacies, adverse reactions and patients’ quality of life of the two groups were observed and compared. Results: The response rate (the sum of CR and PR), benefit rate (the sum of CR, PR and SD), median time to progression (TTP), median time to treatment failure (TTF) and median survival time (MST) in octreotide plus letrozole treatment group were respectively 29.0% (9/31), 41.9% (13/31), 6.6, 5.6 and 18.7 months, and salvage chemotherapy group were 26.7% (8/30), 43.3% (13/30) , 6.1, 5.4 and 17.9 months, respectively. There were no significant differences regarding to the above-mentioned parameters between the two groups (all P>0.05). However, the incidences of toxic and adverse reactions in octreotide plus letrozole treatment group were significantly lower than those in salvage chemotherapy group, and the patients’ quality of life in octreotide plus letrozole treatment group was significantly better than that in salvage chemotherapy group (χ2=13.81, P=0.003). Conclusion: Octreotide plus letrozole regimen is an effective treatment for advanced breast cancer. It can significantly reduce the adverse reactions of the salvage chemotherapy and improve the quality of life of these patients.

Abstract:Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of low- (1 100 mBq) and high-dose (3 700 mBq) iodine-131 (131I) for postoperative ablation of thyroid remnant in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer by using Meta-analysis. Methods: The literature of randomized clinical trials (RCT) concerning low- versus high-dose 131I in postoperative ablation of thyroid remnant in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer was searched using the national and international electronic databases. All relevant studies were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then the included studies were evaluated, and finally, the extracted data were analyzed using RevMan 5.0 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: Six RCTs were included, with a total of 1 141 patients (715 patients in low dose 131I group and 696 patients in high-dose 131I group). No statistical difference was noted in low- versus high-dose 131I group with regard to the efficacy in ablation of residual thyroid tissue (OR=0.78, 95%CI=0.58-1.06, P=0.11), incidence of dry eye (OR=0.77, 95%CI=0.53-1.12, P=0.18) and incidence of dry mouth (OR=0.69, 95%CI=0.47-1.01, P=0.06). The incidences of both gastrointestinal adverse reactions and neck pain in low-dose 131I group were lower than that in high-dose 131I group (OR=0.32, 95%CI=0.18-0.55, P<0.001; OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.31-0.78, P=0.003). Conclusion: In differentiated thyroid cancer, the two doses of 131I have similar efficacy in postoperative ablation of thyroid remnant, but the low-dose regimen has less adverse effects.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of primary thyroid malignant lymphoma (PTML). Methods: The clinical data of 23 patients with PTML admitted from January 2000 to December 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All patients had a history of a rapidly growing thyroid mass. Sixteen PTML cases had markedly high titers of anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and/or increased antithyroglobulin antibody (TGAb). Preoperative CT scan revealed that the mass was of lower density than the normal glandular and adjacent muscular tissues, and showed no evident enhancement on the contrast-enhanced scan. Of the entire group, 17 cases underwent radical resection and 6 cases had palliative operation. Eighteen patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (CHOP or COP regimen) and 5 patients underwent radiotherapy. The clinical stages were stage IE in 5 cases, IIE in 17 cases and IIIES in one case, respectively. Fourteen cases were diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 9 cases were mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with regard to the pathological classification. During the follow-up up to January 2012, 17 patients survived for periods from less than one year to more than 5 years. Conclusion: The rapidly enlarging thyroid mass in a background of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis combined with the characteristic CT findings may tend to support the preoperative diagnosis of PTML. Surgical resection and postoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy are the treatment modalities for this condition.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relationship between the serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level and the benign or malignant nature of the thyroid nodule(s). Methods: The clinical data of 421 patients with thyroid nodules admitted over the past three years were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 347 cases were diagnosed as benign nodular goiter and another 74 cases were diagnosed as thyroid carcinoma. The difference in serum TSH concentration between the patients with benign and malignant thyroid nodule(s) was compared, and the relevance of the serum TSH concentration to the malignancy risk of thyroid nodule as well as the pathological types of thyroid cancer to serum TSH level were analyzed. Results: The average serum TSH concentration of the thyroid cancer patients was significantly higher than that of the patients with nodular goiter [(2.57±3.32) mIU/L vs. (1.67±2.90) mIU/L] (P<0.05). The malignancy risk of thyroid nodule rose gradually with increasing serum TSH level, and the malignancy rate approached 50.0% as a TSH value exceeded 5 mIU/L. The serum TSH levels among the thyroid cancer patients of different pathological types showed no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion: The malignancy risk of thyroid nodule increases with increasing serum TSH level, thus the preoperative serum TSH determination can be exploited as a supplementary index for differentiating the nature of the thyroid nodule(s).

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the clinical features and principles for the diagnosis and treatment of nodular goiter with differentiated thyroid cancer. Methods: The clinical data of 47 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer in nodular goiter admitted from October 2003 to October 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All of the patients presented with neck mass or neck enlargement, and preoperative B ultrasound showed that 19 cases (40.43%) had small sand-like calcification in the thyroid nodules. The 47 patients underwent surgical treatment and were diagnosed to have differentiated thyroid cancer by postoperative pathological examination (36 cases of papillary carcinoma, accounting for 76.60% and 11 cases of follicular carcinoma, accounting for 23.40%). The surgical procedures performed included total ipsilateral lobectomy and isthmectomy plus level VI lymph node dissection, bilateral lobectomy and isthmectomy plus level VI dissection, and modified radical neck dissection that was additionally performed in cases with positive cervical lymph nodes. All patients received levothyroxine treatment after operation. These 47 patients were followed up for 6 to 36 months with average of (15.6±8.9) months after operation. Three cases developed recurrence within 16 to 33 months after operation and all underwent successful re-operation. No death occurred in the entire group. Conclusion: The preoperative diagnosis of nodular goiter with thyroid cancer is often difficult, for which preoperative ultrasound can provide useful information, and the pathological examinations of intraoperative fast frozen-section are critical for increasing the detection rate of thyroid cancer. The individualized, meticulous and standardized surgical treatment can provide a better prognosis for patients with concomitant nodular goiter and differentiated thyroid cancer.

Abstract:Objective: To assess the clinical value of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) monitoring for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) during parathyroidectomy. Methods: The clinical data of 36 PHPT patients undergoing surgical treatment from January 1998 to January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 22 cases (before 2005) received IOPTH monitoring (IOPTH group) during surgery and 14 cases (after 2005) underwent parathyroidectomy without IOPTH monitoring (conventional group). The intraoperative conditions and therapeutic efficacies between the two groups were compared. Results: Compared with conventional group, in IOPTH group, the operative time was reduced [(72.95±24.34) min vs. (81.86±29.46) min, P=0.000], ratio of patients with short-term (within the first month after surgery) recovery of parathyroid function increased (90.9% vs. 57.1%, P=0.018), and incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism decreased (4.5% vs. 28.6%, P=0.042). The sensitivity and accuracy of IOPTH monitoring for judgment of whether or not the hyperfunctioning lesions were completely resected was 100% and 95.5%, respectively. Conclusion: On the basis of preoperative localization, using IOPTH monitoring during parathyroidectomy is helpful to determine whether the hyperfunctioning glands are completely removed, and to avoid missing a synchronous lesion and unnecessary bilateral exploration. In addition, it reduces the operation time and is of precise efficacy.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the expression of FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene in breast cancer tissue and the influence of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on its expression. Methods: The FTO mRNA expressions in 28 cases of hyperplastic breast tissues, 24 cases of breast cancer tissues and 10 pairs of breast cancer tissues taken before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were determined by RT-PCR method. In addition, the relations of the expression level of FTO mRNA with the clinicopathologic parameters of the breast cancer patients were analyzed. Results: FTO mRNA was expressed in both hyperplastic breast tissue and breast cancer tissue, but its expression level in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in hyperplastic breast tissue (P<0.05). The expression level of FTO mRNA in breast cancer tissue after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was lower than that before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.05). The expression level of FTO mRNA was associated with lymphatic metastasis, which was higher in the patients with lymphatic metastasis than that in patients without lymph node involvement (P<0.05), while it was not relevant to the status of ER and PR receptors, CerbB-2 gene or the degree of obesity of the patients (all P>0.05). Conclusion: FTO expression is increased in breast cancer tissues, which may probably be associated with the occurrence and development of breast cancer; FTO mRNA expression in breast cancer tissues can be reduced by neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relationship between the content of cancer stem cells and clinicopathologic parameters of the patients with breast cancer, and the expressions and significances of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), glutathione S-transferase-π (GST-π), lung resistance protein (LRP) and topoisomerase II (TOPO-II) in breast cancer stem cells and differentiated breast cancer cells. Methods: Fresh tumor tissues from 30 invasive ductal carcinoma patients were mechanically dissociated into single cell suspensions, from which the cancer stem cells (CD44+/CD24– cells) and differentiated cancer cells (CD24+ and CD44–CD24– cells) were separated by two-step immunomagnetic sorting procedure and then counted. The relations of the content of cancer stem cells with the clinicopathologic variables of the patients were analyzed. The expressions of P-gp, GST-π, LRP and TOPO-II in the above two cells were determined by immunocytochemical staining. Results: The content of breast cancer stem cells was not clearly related to the age, tumor size, histological grade and lymph node metastasis of the patients (all P>0.05). Compared with differentiated cancer cells, the positive expression rate of P-gp was significantly elevated (73.3% vs. 40.0%) but TOPO-II was significantly decreased (40.0% vs. 76.7%) in breast cancer stem cells (P<0.05 or P<0.01). while the expressions of GST-π and LRP in the two types of cells showed no significant difference (both P>0.05). Conclusion: The content of cancer stem cells is not clearly associated with clinicopathologic parameters of breast cancer patients. However, breast cancer cells may contribute to chemotherapy resistance and recurrence of breast cancer due to their increased P-gp and decreased TOPO-II expression.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relations of multidrug resistance gene MDR1 polymorphism in breast cancer with its gene expression and chemotherapy-induced hematologic toxicity. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood samples from 92 patients with breast cancer, and the polymorphism of MDR1 exon 26 (C3435T) was analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The MDR1 mRNA expressions in the breast cancer tissues from these 92 patients and the adjacent tissues from 26 of these cases were determined by RT-qPCR method. Furthermore, the relation of C3435T polymorphism with chemotherapy-induced hematologic toxicity was analyzed according to the clinical data of the patients. Results: In the 92 breast cancer patients, the three C3435T genotypes, CC, CT and TT accounted for 21.7% (20/92), 62.0% (57/92) and 16.3% (15/92), respectively. All the breast cancer tissues showed MDR1 mRNA expression of different levels, but the differences among the genotypes had no statistical significance (F=0.173, P=0.841). The expression level of MDR1 mRNA in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in their paired adjacent tissues (3.83±5.27 vs. 1.81±4.42, t=2.522, P=0.018). There was statistical difference in incidence of neutropenia among patients with different C3435T genotypes, in which, the incidence of neutropenia (grade III-IV) in patients with CC genotype (5.0%) was significantly lower than that in patients with CT or TT genotype (26.3% and 46.7%; χ2=8.075, P=0.018, 95%CI=0.017-0.022). There was no significant difference in the incidences of leucopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia among genotypes (all P>0.05). Conclusion: MDR1 C3435T polymorphism is irrelevant to MDR1 gene expression in patients with breast cancer, and the patients with TT or CT genotype may have an increased risk of developing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the effect of down-regulation of HDAC6 expression on the biological behavior of breast cancer MCF-7 cells and the possible molecular mechanism. Methods: The breast cancer MCF-7 cells were transfected with HDAC6 siRNA or negative siRNA respectively, and the untreated MCF-7 cells were used as blank control. The gene and protein expressions of HDAC6 and p21 were determined by RT-PCR method and Western blot analysis, the cell proliferation and cell cycles were measured by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry respectively, and the cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining. Results: The tests for validation of the interference demonstrated that mRNA and protein expression of HDAC6 were significantly decreased after HDAC6 siRNA transfection (both P<0.05), while the negative siRNA did not exert any effect (P>0.05). Compared with the blank control group, in HDAC6 siRNA group, the cell proliferation was significantly inhibited, the ratio of cells in the G0/G1 phase increased and in the S phase decreased, and the cell apoptosis rate significantly increased (all P<0.05), while the negative siRNA had none of the above effects (all P>0.05). Moreover, the gene and protein expression of p21 were significantly higher than those of the blank control group and negative siRNA group (both P<0.05). Conclusion: In breast cancer MCF-7 cells, down-regulation of HDAC6 expression can inhibit the cell proliferation, induce G0/G1 phase arrest and promote apoptosis, which may probably be associated with the elevation of p21 expression.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relationship of the expressions of estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) between the primary tumor and axillary lymph node metastases in invasive ductal breast cancer. Methods: Expressions of ER and HER-2 in the primary tumors and axillary lymph node metastases of 80 patients with invasion ductal carcinoma were determined by immunohistochemical method (for ER) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH, for HER-2), respectively, and the correlation and consistency between them were analyzed. Results: Of the 80 breast cancer patients, ER- and HER-2-positivity in the primary lesions were found in 34 (42.50%) and 26 (32.50%) cases, and in axillary lymph node metastases were found in 37 (46.25%) and 27 (33.75%) cases, respectively. The positive rates of either ER or HER-2 between the primary lesions and axillary lymph node metastases exhibited no statistical difference (P=0.750 and P=1.000). The overall coincidence rate of the expression status of the two receptors in primary and axillary lymph node metastases was 83.75%, and the expressions of both receptors in primary tumors and axillary lymph node metastases had high correlation and consistency (r=0.825, 0.746 and κ=0.823,0.764). Conclusion: In invasive ductal carcinoma, the expressions of ER and HER-2 in primary tumors and axillary lymph node metastases have high correlation and consistency.

Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the expression of Bmi-1 and Mel-18 in breast cancer tissue and their clinical significance. Methods: The gene and protein expression in malignant (40 cases), benign (20 cases) and normal (20 cases) breast tissues were determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical method, respectively. The Bmi-1 and Mel-18 expression status and their correlationship in breast cancer tissue, and the relations of their expressions with the clinicopathologic factors were analyzed. Results: Both mRNA and protein positive expression of Bmi-1 increased significantly and successively in normal, benign and malignant breast tissues (all P<0.05), while those of the Mel-18 showed a roughly opposite tendency (no significant difference between normal breast tissue and benign breast lesion). There was a significant negative correlation between Bmi-1 and Mel-18 expression at either mRNA or protein level in breast cancer tissue (r=–0.317, P=0.023 and r=–0.413, P=0.008). The mRNA and protein levels of both Bmi-1 and Mel-18 were significantly related to the lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (all P<0.05), but not associated with the age, menstrual status, tumor size and histologic classification of the patients (all P>0.05). Conclusion: The increased Bmi-1 expression along with decreased Mel-18 expression may probably be important biological markers for malignant transformation of breast tissue or invasion and metastasis of breast cancer.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relations of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with the clinicopathologic characteristics of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients and its correlation with the proto-oncogene c-erbB-2 expression in the tumor tissues of the patients. Methods: HPV DNA detection and typing were performed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in the specimens of IDC breast tissues (60 cases), fibroadenoma breast tissues (30 cases) and normal breast tissues (30 cases). Meanwile, the C-erbB-2 protein expression in the IDC breast tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results: The HPV infection rate in IDC breast tissues was 36.7% (22/60), in which the HPV-33 accounted for 59.1% of the total HPV positive cases (13/22). The HPV infection rate in fibroadenoma breast tissues and normal breast tissues group was 13.30% and 3.33% respectively, which was significantly lower than that in IDC breast tissues (χ2=5.300, P=0.021). HPV infection in the IDC tissues was associated with the histologic grade and axillary lymph node metastasis of the patients (both P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between HPV infection and C-erbB-2 protein expression in IDC breast tissues (r=0.486, P<0.001). Conclusion: HPV infection contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of IDC, and also closely related to the degree of differentiation and invasive ability of the tumor. HPV infection participates in the occurrence and development of breast cancer and that may probably be effected by promoting the high expression of C-erbB-2.

Abstract:Breast cancer and diseases of the thyroid gland are prevalent in women in today’s society. Both breast and thyroid glands are regulated by hypothalamic-pituitary axis, which suggest that there are some common risk factors involved in the pathogenesis for both breast cancer and thyroid disorders. This paper is based on the recent relevant literature, and addresses the recent understanding in the relationship between breast cancer and thyroid diseases.

Abstract:Nowadays, the comprehensive treatment for inflammatory breast cancer has been widely accepted, but there is still a lack of general agreement on the diagnostic and treatment criterion for this disease in our country. Some improvements in the overall survival of this disease are achieved by treatments such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy as well as molecularly targeted therapy. This paper addresses the recent progress in diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.

Abstract:GRIM-19 (gene associated with retinoid-interferon-induced-mortality 19) is a newly discovered cell death regulator. This paper overviews its functions in oncogenesis and other diseases and associated mechanisms, and the text covers the cellular location of GRIM-19 and its function in cell apoptosis and respiratory chain maintenance, as well as its relations with viral and bacterial infections, and with oncogenesis of a variety of malignant tumors.