Early prediction of pathological outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients using automated breast ultrasound

Objective： Early assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy （NAC） for breast cancer allows therapy to be individualized. The optimal assessment method has not been established. We investigated the accuracy of automated breast ultrasound （ABUS） to predict pathological outcomes after NAC. Methods： A total of 290 breast cancer patients were eligible for this study. Tumor response after 2 cycles of chemotherapy was assessed using the product change of two largest perpendicular diameters （PC） or the longest diameter change （LDC）. PC and LDC were analyzed on the axial and the coronal planes respectively. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curves were used to evaluate overall performance of the prediction methods. Youden＇s indexes were calculated to select the optimal cut-off value for each method. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values （PPV and NPV） and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） were calculated accordingly.Results： ypT0/is was achieved in 42 patients （14.5%） while ypT0 was achieved in 30 patients （10.3%） after NAC. All four prediction methods （PC on axial planes, LDC on axial planes, PC on coronal planes and LDC on coronal planes） displayed high AUCs （all〉0.82）, with the highest of 0.89 [95% confidence interval （95% CI）, 0.83-0.95] when mid-treatment ＆BUS was used to predict final pathological complete remission （pCR）. High sensitivities （85.7%-88.1%） were observed across all four prediction methods while high specificities （81.5%-85.1%） were observed in two methods used PC. The optimal cut-off values defined by our data replicate the WHO and the RECIST criteria. Lower AUCs were observed when mid-treatment ABUS was used to predict poor pathological outcomes. Conclusions：ABUS is a useful tool in early evaluation of pCR after NAC while less reliable when predicting poor pathological outcomes.

Evaluation of menopausal status among breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea

Objective： In patients with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea （CIA）, the menopausal status is ambiguous anddifficult to evaluate. This study aimed to establish a discriminative model to predict and classify the menopausalstatus of breast cancer patients with CIA.Methods： This is a single center hospital-based study from 2013 to 2016. The menopausal age distribution andaccumulated incidence rate of CIA are described. Multivariate models were adjusted for established and potentialconfounding factors including age, serum concentration of estradiol （E2） and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）,feeding, pregnancy, parity, abortions, and body mass index （BMI）. The odds ratio （OR） and 95% confidenceinterval （95% CI） of different risk factors were estimated.Results： A total of 1,796 breast cancer patients were included in this study, among whom, 1,175 （65.42%） werepremenopausal patients and 621 （34.58%） were post-menopause patients. Five hundred and fifty patients wereincluded in CIA analysis, and a cumulative CIA rate of 81.64% was found in them. Age （OR： 1.856, 95% CI：1.732-1.990）, serum concentration of E2 （OR： 0.976, 95% CI： 0.972-0.980） and FSH （OR： 1.060, 95% CI：1.053-i.066）, and menarche age （OR： 1.074, 95% CI： 1.009-1.144） were found to be associated with the patients＇menopausal status. According to multivariate analysis, the discriminative model to predict the menopausal status isLogit （P）=-28.396＋0.536Age-0.014E2＋0.031FSH. The sensitivities for this model were higher than 85%, and itsspecificities were higher than 89%.Conclusions： The discriminative model obtained from this study for predicting menstrual state is important forpremenopausal patients with CIA. This model has high specificity and sensitivity and should be prudently used.

Photodynamic Therapy for Gynecological Diseases and Breast Cancer

Photodynamic therapy （PDT） is a minimally invasive and promising new method in cancer treatment. Cytotoxic reactive oxygen species （ROS） are generated by the tissueqocalized non-toxic sensitizer upon illumination and in the presence of oxygen. Thus, selective destruction of a targeted tumor may be achieved. Compared with traditional cancer treatment, PDI has advantages including higher selectivity and lower rate of toxicity. The high degree of selectivity of the proposed method was applied to cancer diagnosis using fluorescence. This article reviews previous studies done on PDT treatment and photodetection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, ovarian and breast cancer, and PDT application in treating non-cancer lesions. The article also highlights the clinical responses to PDT, and discusses the possibility of enhancing treatment efficacy by combination with immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Male Breast Cancer:10-Year Experience at Mansoura University Hospital in Egypt

Objective Male breast cancer （MBC） is a rare disease representing less than 1% of all malignancies. The objective of the study is to report clinicopathological characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of MBC in Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. Methods This retrospective study focused on male breast cancer patients during 10 years （2000-2009）. The studied variables were data regarding general characteristics of patients, treatment modalities and survival. Results The series included 37 patients （0.8% of all breast cancer）. The median age was 57.7 years （range： 26-86 years）. The main clinical complaint was a mass beneath the areola ill 94.5% of the cases. Most patients had a locally advanced disease. 94.5% of tumors were invasive duct carcinomas. The treatment was essentially surgery in 91.8%, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy （in 89.2%）, hormonal therapy （in 56.7%） and chemotherapy （in 91.8%）. Follow-up period ranged from 6-115 months. Local recurrence occurred in 4 cases and metastasis in 11 cases. The 2-year and 5-year overall survival （OS） rates were 81.6% and 60.5%, respectively. The 2-year and 5-year disease-free survival （DFS） rates were 68.4%, and 52.6%, respectively. OS was not significantly affected by any of the studied parameters. Factors influencing DFS were： T stage （P=0.05）, positive lymph nodes （P=0.043）, metastasis （P=0.004）, and chemotherapy （1＇=0.046）. Conclusions MBC is a rare disease and often diagnosed at a locally advanced stage. The management of male and female breast carcinoma is identical. Future research for better understanding of this disease is needed to improve the management and prognosis of male breast cancer patients.

Application of phage display technology in targeted therapy of breast cancer

Phage display is a technology of gene expression and screening, it is widely used in the fields of defining antigen epitopes, signal transduction, genetic treatment, parasites research and tumor targeted therapy. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, we can obtain peptides specially associated with breast cancer by using phage display technology, and this method has great potential in early diagnosis of breast cancer and development new targeted drugs.

Evolution of breast cancer therapeutics: Breast tumour kinase's role in breast cancer and hope for breast tumour kinase targeted therapy

There have been significant improvements in the detection and treatment of breast cancer in recent decades. However, there is still a need to develop more effective therapeutic techniques that are patient specific with reduced toxicity leading to further increases in patients' overall survival; the ongoing progress in understanding recurrence, resistant and spread also needs to be maintained. Better understanding of breast cancer pathology, molecular biology and progression as well as identification of some of the underlying factors involved in breast cancer tumourgenesis and metastasis has led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Over a number of years interest has risen in breast tumour kinase(Brk) also known as protein tyrosine kinase 6; the research field has grown and Brk has been described as a desirable therapeutic target in relation to tyrosine kinase inhibition as well as disruption of its kinase independent activity. This review will outline the current "state of play" with respect to targeted therapy for breast cancer, as well as discussing Brk's role in the processes underlying tumour development and metas-tasis and its potential as a therapeutic target in breast cancer.

Male metaplastic breast cancer with poor prognosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Metaplastic breast cancer(MBC)is a rare subtype of breast cancer.They constitute less than 1%of breast cancer cases and are much rarer in males.There are few reports of MBC because of its rarity.MBC,an aggressive type of cancer,is refractory to common treatment modalities of breast cancer and has a poor prognosis.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of MBC in a 78-year-old man.He visited our clinic with a palpable mass on the left breast with no masses in the axillary areas.He had previously undergone robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer,but there was no family history of malignancy.The breast mass was visible on ultrasonography,mammography,and magnetic resonance imaging,and chest computed tomography revealed a lung mass in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe.The patient was diagnosed with metaplastic carcinoma on core needle biopsy with lung metastasis.Total mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and video-assisted segmentectomy of the right lung was performed.However,multiple metastases appeared 3 mo after surgery in the brain,chest,and abdomen,and the patient died 5 mo after the initial diagnosis.CONCLUSION MBC is an aggressive and extremely rare breast cancer type.Further case reports are needed to determine the optimal treatment.

Neoadjuvant targeted therapy for apocrine carcinoma of the breast:A case report

BACKGROUND Apocrine carcinoma of the breast is a special type of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast that is rare in clinical practice.Neoadjuvant therapy,especially neoadjuvant targeted therapy,has rarely been reported for apocrine carcinoma of the breast.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old woman presented with apocrine carcinoma of the left breast underwent core needle biopsy.The patient was diagnosed with apocrine carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining and negative hormone status(estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor)but showed overexpression of human epidermal factor receptor 2(HER-2).Moreover,positive expression of androgen receptor(approximately 60%)and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 was observed.The patient was treated with neoadjuvant targeted therapy consisting of the TCH regimen(docetaxel,carboplatin area under curve 6 and trastuzumab)every 21 d.The mass in the left breast was significantly reduced,and pain in the breast and left upper arm also improved.CONCLUSION HER-2 positive apocrine carcinoma of the breast can be improved by neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy.

Fatigue and Quality of Life of Women Undergoing Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVE To examine fatigue and quality of life (QOL) inbreast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.METHODS A self-report survey derived from the Chineseversion of Brief Fatigue Inventory, the Functional Assessmentof Chronic Illness Therapy for Breast Cancer, and the MedicalOutcomes Study Social Support Survey. Descriptive statisticswas used to examine the intensity of fatigue and the prevalenceof severe fatigue. Multivariate analysis of variance was used todetermine factors that affect the five domains of QOL among theparticipants.RESULTS The majority of the participants (n = 261) perceiveda mild level of fatigue, but 35.6% of them suffered severe fatigue.Fatigue had a significantly negative association with all domainsof QOL except social/family wellbeing. The participants whowere receiving chemotherapy, undergoing curative treatment andhaving inadequate social support were more likely to have poorerQOL in all five domains (after adjustment for age).CONCLUSION Although the majority of the participantsexperienced a mild level of fatigue, there was a substantial groupof breast cancer patients who perceived their fatigue as severe. Thefindings of this study showed that fatigue had a detrimental effecton the various aspects of the participants' QOL. Demographic andclinical characteristics of breast cancer patients who were at riskof getting poorer QOL were identified. The results of the studydemonstrate that we should enhance healthcare professionals'awareness of the importance of symptom assessment, andprovide them with information for planning effective symptom-management strategies among this study population.

A biomarker study in Peruvian males with breast cancer

BACKGROUND Breast cancer(BC)frequency in males is extremely low and tumor features vary from its female counterpart.Breast cancer clinical and pathological features differ by race in women.Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL)levels,mismatch repair(MMR)protein loss,androgen receptor(AR)expression,and PIK3CA gene mutations are predictive biomarkers of response to biological therapy in female BC.There is limited information about clinical and pathological features as well as predictive biomarkers in males of non-Caucasian races with BC.AIM To investigate clinicopathological features and biomarkers of BC tumors in males and their prognostic value in Peruvian population.METHODS This study looked at a single-institution series of 54 Peruvian males with invasive BC who were diagnosed from Jan 2004 to June 2018.Standard pathological features,TIL levels,MMR proteins,AR immunohistochemistry staining,and PIK3CA gene mutations were prospectively evaluated in cases with available paraffin material.Percentage of AR and estrogen receptor(ER)positive cells was additionally calculated by software after slide scanning.Statistical analyses included association tests,intraclass correlation test and Kaplan Meier overall survival curves.RESULTS The median age was 63 years and most cases were ER-positive(85.7%),HER2 negative(87.2%),Luminal-A phenotype(60%)and clinical stage II(41.5%)among our male breast tumors.Median TIL was 10%and higher levels tended to be associated with Luminal-B phenotype and higher grade.AR-positive was found in 85.3%and was correlated with ER(intraclass index of 0.835,P<0.001).Loss of MMR proteins was found in 15.4%and PIK3CA mutation(H1047R)in 14.3%(belonged to the Luminal-A phenotype).Loss of MMR proteins was associated with AR-negative(P=0.018)but not with ER(P=0.43)or TIL(P=0.84).Early stages(P<0.001)and lower grade(P=0.006)were associated with longer overall survival.ER status,phenotype,AR status,TIL level,MMR protein loss nor PIK3CA mutation was not associated with survival(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Male BC is usually ER and AR positive,and Luminal-A.MMR loss and PIK3CA mutations are infrequent.Stage and grade predicted overall survival in our South American country population.

A Predictive Model for Pathologic Complete Response in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Using Machine Learning

Background: In patients with breast cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC), pathological Complete Response (pCR) was associated with better long-term outcomes. We here attempted to predict pCR using machine learning. Patients and Methods: From 2008 to 2017, 1308 breast cancer patients underwent NAC before surgery, of whom 377 patients underwent Cancer SCANTM for gene data. Of 377, 238 were analyzed here, with 139 excluded due to incomplete medical data. Results: The pCR (-) vs. (+) group had 200 vs. 38 patients. In our predictive model with gene data, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.909 and accuracy was 0.875. In another model without gene data, the AUC of ROC curve was 0.743 and accuracy was 0.800. We also conducted internal validation with 72 patients undergoing NAC and Cancer SCANTM during July 2017 and April 2018. When we applied a 0.4 threshold value, accuracy was 0.806 and 0.778 in the predictive model with vs. without gene profiles, respectively. Conclusion: The present predictive model may be a useful and easy-to-access tool for pCR-prediction in breast cancer patients treated with NAC.

有氧运动改善化疗期间乳腺癌患者体质及生活质量研究:一项随机对照试验

背景蒽环类药物是乳腺癌基础化疗药物之一,但化疗常伴随着体质改变如体脂增加和心肺功能下降,胃肠道反应和骨髓抑制等毒副作用,影响患者的生活质量。目前关于运动改善以上毒副作用的研究结果不一致,有待进一步研究。临床上,应用运动处方改善乳腺癌患者以上化疗毒副作用的效果和安全性需要进一步探究。目的探究有氧运动改善蒽环类药物化疗期间乳腺癌患者体质和生活质量的效果及有氧运动的安全性。方法本研究是一项随机对照试验,纳入2022年3月—2023年1月在北京市朝阳区三环肿瘤医院接受蒽环类药物化疗方案的44例成年女性乳腺癌患者为研究对象,随机分为运动组(23例)与对照组(21例),对照组患者在化疗结束后提供个性化运动指导。运动组患者在化疗住院期间在康复师监督下进行锻炼,在家时通过患者自我监督和试验人员远程监督进行个性化运动干预。在化疗前后收集主要结局指标,包括体质和生活质量,记录胃肠道反应、骨髓抑制的发生次数、严重程度及运动相关不良事件。以化疗前数据为协变量,采用协方差分析比较两组体质情况和生活质量情况。结果本研究干预、随访过程中共流失4例,最终纳入40例患者(运动组21例,对照组19例)。运动干预期间未观察到严重不良事件。运动干预期间,患者平均依从性为81.8%;每次运动时长的平均依从性为91.9%;运动强度平均依从性为92.5%。化疗后,运动组体脂重、体脂百分比、内脏脂肪面积、腰围、腰臀比低于对照组,惯用手握力、相对峰值摄氧量(VO_(2)peak)高于对照组(P<0.05)。化疗后运动组患者功能性障碍发生率(7/20)低于对照组(12/16)(χ^(2)=5.707,P=0.017)。化疗后运动组生理状况、情感状况、附加得分低于对照组,功能状况得分高于对照组(P<0.05)。化疗后对照组生理状况分数(P<0.001)、运动组功能状况分数(P=0.017)高于化疗前。对照组和运动组患者分别共接受了84例次和94例次蒽环类药物化疗,对照组分别发生了84例次胃肠道反应和71次骨髓抑制,运动组分别发生了54例次胃肠道反应和45例次骨髓抑制,两组患者胃肠道反应和骨髓抑制发生情况比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论在蒽环类药物化疗期间进行有氧运动可以改善乳腺癌患者的体质和生活质量,且有监督的有氧运动是安全的。

Treatment for triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) neither express estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor nor over- express human epidermal growth factor receptor-2. Because of the special molecular features, triple-negative breast cancer is not either sensitive to endocrine therapy or targeted therapy of trastuzumab. There has not been standard treatment regimen for triple-negative breast cancer yet and chemotherapy has still been the chief therapy currently. However, with the great progress of oncology and molecular biology, the understanding of the natural history, pathophysiology and molecular features of this disease has been greatly improved, and a growing number of novel and effective therapies and discoveries of new biological targets for this phenotype of breast cancers have been reported, which provide new insights into therapeutic strategies for the women suffering from it.

Operable Breast Cancer： a Clinical Analysis of 6,263 Cases

OBJECTIVE In Europe and America breast cancer commonly occurs in women of middle and old age, with a median age of about 57 years. Modified radical mastectomy now called standard radical mastectomy, has taken the place of traditional radical mastectomy. Patients with breast cancer at an early stage commonly receive BCT （breast conservative therapy）. The TNM stage （especially the lymph node status） affects the prognosis, and adjuvant therapy can improve survival. In China, only a few reports have been published studying large numbers of breast cancer patients. This study was designed to analyze the clinical features, surgical pattern and treatment outcome of resectable breast cancer, as well as to explore the prognostic factors and the effect of adjuvant therapy, with a goal to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment. METHODS Records of the 6,263 patients with resectable breast cancer who had been admitted into our hospital from June 1964 to June 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS Of the 6,263 cases, 98.8% were female. Breast cancer occurred most frequently in patients of ages 40-49 years （41.0%）, especially in patients 45-49 years old （25.2%）. A breast lump, which occurred in 96.2% of the patients, was the main clinical manifestation. The overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 75.16% and 40.44%. Of the patients in TNM stages 0-1, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ, the 5-year survival rates were 96.8%, 73.7% and 46.4% respectively and the 10-year survival rates were 78.7%, 64.6% and 33.5% respectively. The 5-, and 10-year survival rates were higher in the lymph node negative group than in the lymph node positive group （80.3% vs. 55.6%, and 59.2% vs. 31.9%, P〈0.01）. Since the 1980s there was no significant difference in survival rates of patients who received a radical mastectomy compared to a modified radical mastectomy（P〉0.05）. Of the 73 patients who underwent breast conservative therapy, no local recurrence or metastasis occurred during a maximal follow-up of 17 years. Of the patients in stage T2- T4, the 5-, and 10-year survival rates were significantly higher in the group treated with adjuvant chemotherapy compared to the non-chemotherapy group （78.2% vs. 60.1%, and 48.9% vs. 30.7%, P〈0.01 ）. CONCLUSION According to our data, breast cancer most frequently occurred in patients of ages 45-49 years. The TNM stage （especially the lymph node status） relates to breast cancer prognosis. The prognosis was worse in patients with positive lymph nodes compared to the patients with negative lymph nodes. The efficacy of a modified radical mastectomy is equal to that of a radical mastectomy, and breast conservative therapy can be applied to patients in an early stage. Adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy can improve the survival of resectable breast cancer patients.

THE CLINICAL COURSE AND TREATMENT RESULTS OF LUNG METASTASES FROM BREAST CANCER

Objective: To analyze the clinical course and treatment result of lung metastases from breast cancer Method: 122 cases with lung metastases from breast cancer were treated with chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus endocrine therapy, response was assessed according to WHO criteria and survival rate estimated using the life Table Results: The median time from initial treatment of primary tumor to lung metastases was 22 months Sites of common consecutive metastases were lung, liver and bone The overall response rate was 48% with a CR rate of 15% Compared to non DDP encompassing regimen, the CR rate was higher in DDP based chemotherapy (7% versus 21%, P <0 05) with a longer median survival time (MST) The PR rate was higher in regimens containing anthracycline (48%) than in those without anthracycline (20%, P <0 01) The response rate was similar between chemotherapy and chemotherapy plus endocrine therapy ( P >0 05) No difference in MST was observed between patients receiving anthracycline and non anthracycline encompassing regimens The 1 , 3 , 5 , and 10 year survival rate was 77%, 22%, 11%, and 10%, respectively Conclusion: Size of primary tumor, the length of disease free interval, the number of lung metastases may provide additional information for predicting patients survival after treatment of lung metastases Combination chemotherapy, especially DDP based chemotherapy may prolong survival time of patients with lung metastases from breast cancer

Trans-arterial chemoperfusion for the treatment of liver metastases of breast cancer and colorectal cancer: Clinical results in palliative care patients

AIM To evaluate the clinical value and efficiency of transarterial chemoperfusion(TACP) in patients with liver metastases from breast cancer(BC) and colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS We treated 36 patients with liver metastases of BC(n = 19, 19 females) and CRC(n = 17; 8 females, 9 males) with repeated TACP. The treatment interval was 4 wk. TACP was performed with gemcitabine(1000 mg/m2) and mitomycin(10 mg/m2), administered within 1 h after positioning the catheter tip in the hepatic artery. Before treatment, the size, location, tumour volume, vascularization and number of liver tumours were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Tumour response was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines.RESULTS TACP using gemcitabine and mitomycin for metastases from CRC and BC was performed without any serious side effects. The follow-up MRI showed a therapeutic response in 84.2% of the BC patients-stable disease 47.4% and partial response 36.8%. A progression was seen in 15.8%.CRC patients showed a therapeutic response in 52.9% of cases. A progression of the disease was documented in 47.1% of the patients with CRC. These data show that TACP in patients with liver metastases of BC leads to a significantly better therapeutic response compared with CRC patients(P = 0.042). The median survival time was 13.2 mo for the BC patients, which is significantly longer than for CRC patients at 9.3 mo(P = 0.001).CONCLUSION TACP for liver metastases of BC appears to be a safe and effective palliative treatment with improved outcomes in comparison to patients with CRC.

Auricular-Plaster Therapy Plus Acupuncture at Zusanli for Postoperative Recovery of Intestinal Function

In order to relieve the abdominal distension and other discomforts due to gastrointestinal dysfunction after abdominal operations, the patients were treated by auricular-plaster therapy plus acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36). 12 (92.4%) of the 13 cases in the treatment group showed recovery of normal peristalsis within 72 hours after operations, while that in 13 cases of the control group was 46.1%, indicating that auricular-plaster therapy plus acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) may promote postoperative recovery of the intestinal function.

Effects of Electro-Acupuncture on Immune Function After Chemotherapy in 28 Cases

PURPOSE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture therapy on T cells and activity of NK cell in the patient of Chemotherapy. METHOD: Electro-acupuncture therapy was simultaneously applied during chemotherapy, T cells and activity of NK cell of patients were determined before electroacupuncture treatment (before chemotherapy) and after 4-course electro-acupuncture treatments. RESULTS: Before chemotherapy, CD3 was low within the normal range, CD4 was much lower than the normal range, and CD8, CD4/CD8 and activity of NK cell were within the normal range. After one month of chemotherapy combined with electro-acupuncture, no decline of all the indices was found (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture can really increase the immune function of patients of chemotherapy.

Retrovirus-mediated herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene therapy approach for hepatocellular carcinoma

The therapeutic effect of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-tk/GCV) system on hepatocellular carcinoma was studied in this experiment. The tk-containing retroviral recombinants were used to infect hepatoma cells (BEL-7402) and the cells were treated with ganciclovir (0-1000 microg/ml). The results showed that HSV-tk gene could be efficiently transferred in vitro into hepatoma cells and stably expressed. The growth potential of the tk-containing cells was significantly inhibited by GCV (P

Surgical salvage therapy of anal cancer

AIM:To evaluate the results of salvage resection in the management of persistent or locally recurrent anal canal cancer.METHODS: Details of all patients with anal canal cancer treated from 1978 to 1994 at Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) were reviewed retrospectively.Sixteen patients who presented with persistent or locally recurrent anal canal cancer received salvage surgery. Before surgery all of the patients had received radiotherapy alone as their primary treatments.RESULTS:Of the 16 patients, 14 received salvage abdominoperineal resection (APR) and two had transanal local excision. There were no deaths attributable to operation.Delayed healing of the perineal wound occurred in eight patients. Complications unrelated to the perineal wound were found in five patients. The median follow-up time was 120 (range 5-245) months after salvage surgery. Nine patients died of disease progression, with a median survival time of 16 (range 5-27) months. Six patients had a long-term survival.CONCLUSION:Salvage resection after radiotherapy can yield a long-time survival in selected patients with anal canal cancer. However it offers little hope to patients with T4 and/or N2-3 tumors.