The process of metastasisation for breast cancer

Seeding of epithelial cells into circulation during surgery for breast cancer: the fate of malignant and benign mobilized cells

Background

Surgery of malignant tumors has long been suspected to be the reason for enhancement of growth of metastases with fatal outcome. This often prevented surgeons from touching the tumor if not absolutely necessary. We have shown in lung cancer patients that surgery, itself, leads to mobilization of tumor cells into peripheral blood. Some of the mobilized cells finding an appropriate niche might grow to form early metastases. Monitoring of tumor cell release during and the fate of such cells after surgery for breast cancer may help to reveal how metastases develop after surgery.

Method

We used the MAINTRAC^® analysis, a new tool for online observation of circulating epithelial cells, to monitor the number of epithelial cells before, 30 min, 60 min, three and seven days after surgery and during subsequent variable follow up in breast cancer patients.

Results

Circulating epithelial cells were already present before surgery in all patients. During the first 30–60 min after surgery values did not change immediately. They started increasing during the following 3 to 4 days up to thousand fold in 85% of treated patients in spite of complete resection of the tumor with tumor free margins in all patients. There was a subsequent re-decrease, with cell numbers remaining above pre-surgery values in 58% of cases until onset of chemotherapy. In a few cases, where no further therapy or only hormone treatment was given due to low risk stage, cell numbers were monitored for up to three years. They remained elevated with no or a slow decrease over time. This was in contrast to the observation in a patient where surgery was performed for benign condition. She was monitored before surgery with no cells detectable. Epithelial cells increased up to more than 50 000 after surgery but followed by a complete reduction to below the threshold of detection.

Conclusion

Frequently before but regularly during surgery of breast cancer, epithelial cells are mobilized into circulation. Part of these cells, most probably normal or apoptotic cells, are cleared from the circulation as also shown to occur in benign conditions. After resection even if complete and of small tumors, cells can remain in the circulation over long times. Such cells may remain "dormant" but might settle and grow into metastases, if they find appropriate conditions, even after years.

Heterogeneity of invasive ductal carcinoma: proposal for a hypothetical classification

To investigate what heterogeneity exists in breast cancer, 228 consecutive patients with operable invasive duetal carcinoma (IDC), not otherwise specified, were categorized on the basis of the horizontal progression model of carcinogenesis. Using the reversed Black's nuclear grade (RBNG) in the IDC component and the association of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the patients were classified into pure IDC (IDC de novo or ab initio) as Group I, non-high grade (RBNG 1 and 2) IDC with DCIS as Group II, and high grade (RBNG 3) IDC with DCIS as Group III. The Groups classified in the present study appeared as a prognostic factor independent of known prognostic and predictive factors in multivariate test. Group I had the worst prognosis among the three groups and was the most non-responsive to tamoxifen. After performing stratifying analyses by group, it was found that metastasis-free survival was statistically associated with the status of hormone receptors estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and tamoxifen therapy only in Group II. In addition, the status of c-erbB-2 expression had prognostic significance only within the Group III. Our results may be used to frame an alternative hypothetical model for breast cancer evolution and will lead us to reconsider the tailoring of the comprehensive therapeutic modality used at the present time.

Costs and health effects of breast cancer interventions in epidemiologically different regions of Africa, North America, and Asia

We estimated the costs and health effects of treating stage I, II, III, and IV breast cancer individually, of treating all stages, and of introducing an extensive cancer control program (treating all stages plus early stage diagnosis) in three epidemiologically different world regions--Africa, North America, and Asia. We developed a mathematical simulation model of breast cancer using the stage distribution and case fatality rates in the presence and absence of treatment as predictors of survival. Outcome measures were life-years adjusted for disability (DALYs), costs (in 2000 U.S. dollars) of treatment and follow-up, and cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs; in dollars per DALY averted). Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the robustness of the results. Treating patients with stage I breast cancer resulted in 23.41, 12.25, and 19.25 DALYs averted per patient in Africa, North America, and Asia, respectively. The corresponding average CERs compared with no intervention were 78 U.S. dollars , 1,960 U.S. dollars, and 62 U.S. dollars per DALY averted. The number of DALYs averted per patient decreased with stage; the value was lowest for stage IV treatment (0.18-0.19), with average CERs of 4,986 U.S. dollars in Africa, 70,380 U.S. dollars in North America, and 3,510 U.S. dollars per DALY averted in Asia. An extensive breast cancer program resulted in 16.14, 12.91, and 12.58 DALYs averted per patient and average CERs of 75 U.S. dollars, 915 U.S. dollars, and 75 U.S. dollars per DALY averted. Outcomes were most sensitive to case fatality rates for untreated patients, but varying model assumptions did not change the conclusions. These findings suggest that treating stage I disease and introducing an extensive breast cancer program are the most cost-effective breast cancer interventions.

Preoperative Profiling of Symptomatic Breast Cancer by Diagnostic Core Biopsy

BACKGROUND

Precise preoperative profiling of breast tumors could facilitate fuller consideration of (neo)adjuvant therapies.

METHODS

Diagnostic core biopsy (DCB) accuracy in profiling the primary tumor was prospectively studied in 95 patients with operable breast cancer. The histological type and grade (hematoxylin and eosin staining) and membrane receptor status (semiquantitative immunohistochemistry for estrogen [ER] and progesterone [PR] receptors, as well as Her-2 antigen expression) were assigned by the DCB before surgery. These measures were then compared with those of the definitive surgical specimen available after operation.

RESULTS

DCB correctly ascribed tumor type and grade and ER, PR, and Her-2 receptor status in most cases (correlating exactly in 97.5%, 77%, 68%, 71%, and 60%, respectively) with at least moderate concordance (weighted kappa, >.41). When miscategorized, DCB consistently tended to upscore the receptor stain intensity compared with the surgical specimen (22%, 19%, and 27% had higher ER, PR, and Her-2 categorical scores, respectively). ER H-scores correlated best in specimens that stained strongly (224.4 +/- 3 vs. 215.5 +/- 5) and were significantly higher on DCB in those that stained either moderately (195.6 +/- 8.2 vs. 156.8 +/- 5.1; P < .0001) or weakly (157.1 +/- 24.8 vs. 81.4 +/- 4; P = .02). DCB accurately identified all tumors with clinically important ER and Her-2 expression. Furthermore, it promoted three patients into the therapeutically significant range of ER (n = 1) or Her-2 (n = 2) expression. ER negativity on DCB (n = 25) indicated a high-grade tumor (88%), although 11 (44%) patients also overexpressed Her-2. Significant Her-2 expression (n = 16) on DCB predicted the tumor as being poorly differentiated (80%) and both ER and PR negative (67%).

CONCLUSIONS

DCB accurately profiles clinically relevant measures of primary tumor cell differentiation. It also reliably categorizes patients with regard to (neo)adjuvant therapy before radical surgery is attempted.

[Aftercare or not--that is the question!]

There are about 345,000 Germans who have been diagnosed with urological cancer over the last 5 years expecting help from the health services. Even if aftercare is now a substantial part of cancer treatment, its effectiveness has been proven for only a few cancer types. For the subset of urological cancers, evidence for effective diagnostic measures in the framework of aftercare exists only for cancers of the bladder and testis. In this case, the main objective is early detection of local recurrences and providing a curative chance for small cancers. Lack of effectiveness may result from the logic of cancer itself, and is not the consequence of insufficient study designs. Therefore, the main task of aftercare is talking to the patient, to determine individual needs and to recognise treatment consequences. For asymptomatic patients, there is no indication for routine aftercare diagnostics.

Brain metastases: epidemiology and pathophysiology

Metastases are the most common tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), but cancer databases are often incomplete leading to underestimation of the incidence of even symptomatic brain metastases. Brain imaging studies are not routinely performed on neurologically asymptomatic cancer patients and autopsy studies are outdated. Furthermore, while incidence rates for cancers are stable and mortality is decreasing due to earlier detection and better therapy, the incidence of brain metastases appears to be increasing. The pathophysiology of brain metastases is a complex multistage process, mediated by molecular mechanisms; from the primary organ, cancer cells must transform, grow and be transported to the CNS where they can lay dormant for various lengths of time before invading and growing further. Understanding the pathophysiology of brain metastases is of great importance, because it may lead to the development of more efficient therapies to combat brain tumor growth or to possibly make the CNS an undesirable environment for tumor progression.

Are we wasting our time with the sentinel technique? Fifteen reasons to stop axilla dissection

Originally, surgery for breast cancer involved removing the pectoral muscles and the regional lymph nodes. This drastic technique was based on Halsted's paradigm of continuous tumour spread via the lymph nodes. In the last century, the amount of surgery has gradually decreased as breast cancer has been recognised as a primary systemic, or partially systemic, disease. Nowadays, breast-conserving therapy is widely used, but axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and the sentinel technique are still common. Can the patient also be spared such axillary surgery? We have assembled convincing arguments against ALND (and therefore also against the sentinel technique) based on the probability that positive lymph nodes are unlikely to metastasise and that removing them is redundant. At least a discussion of this topic is more than overdue, even if it may be too early to change behaviour.

Survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer: twenty-year data from two SEER registries

BACKGROUND

Many researchers are interested to know if there are any improvements in recent treatment results for metastatic breast cancer in the community, especially for 10- or 15-year survival.

METHODS

Between 1981 and 1985, 782 and 580 female patients with metastatic breast cancer were extracted respectively from the Connecticut and San Francisco-Oakland registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The lognormal statistical method to estimate survival was retrospectively validated since the 15-year cause-specific survival rates could be calculated using the standard life-table actuarial method. Estimated rates were compared to the actuarial data available in 2000. Between 1991 and 1995, further 752 and 632 female patients with metastatic breast cancer were extracted respectively from the Connecticut and San Francisco-Oakland registries. The data were analyzed to estimate the 15-year cause-specific survival rates before the year 2005.

RESULTS

The 5-year period (1981-1985) was chosen, and patients were followed as a cohort for an additional 3 years. The estimated 15-year cause-specific survival rates were 7.1% (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.8-12.4) and 9.1% (95% CI, 3.8-14.4) by the lognormal model for the two registries of Connecticut and San Francisco-Oakland respectively. Since the SEER database provides follow-up information to the end of the year 2000, actuarial calculation can be performed to confirm (validate) the estimation. The Kaplan-Meier calculation for the 15-year cause-specific survival rates were 8.3% (95% CI, 5.8-10.8) and 7.0% (95% CI, 4.3-9.7) respectively. Using the 1991-1995 5-year period cohort and followed for an additional 3 years, the 15-year cause-specific survival rates were estimated to be 9.1% (95% CI, 3.8-14.4) and 14.7% (95% CI, 9.8-19.6) for the two registries of Connecticut and San Francisco-Oakland respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

For the period 1981-1985, the 15-year cause-specific survival for the Connecticut and the San Francisco-Oakland registries were comparable. For the period 1991-1995, there was not much change in survival for the Connecticut registry patients, but there was an improvement in survival for the San Francisco-Oakland registry patients.