Gian Paolo Andreoletti, MD, Editor-in-Chief  -  paolo.andreoletti@senology.it

Best Study of the Month

• Tewes M et al.: "Molecular profiling and predictive value of circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer: an option for monitoring response to breast cancer related therapies", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jun;115(3):581-90

Vote for your favourite study

Literature Selection

• Parkin DM et al.: "Is the recent fall in incidence of post-menopausal breast cancer in UK related to changes in use of hormone replacement therapy?", Eur J Cancer. 2009 Jun;45(9):1649-53
• Mignone LI et al.: "Dietary carotenoids and the risk of invasive breast cancer", Int J Cancer. 2009 Jun 15;124(12):2929-37
• Nair A et al.: "The role of freehand needle core biopsy in the diagnosis of isolated axillary lymphadenopathy", Breast. 2009 Jun: 18(3): 175-7
• Mery CM et al.: "Secondary sarcomas after radiotherapy for breast cancer: sustained risk and poor survival", Cancer. 2009 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]
• Milano MT et al.: "Oligometastatic breast cancer treated with curative-intent stereotactic body radiation therapy", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jun;115(3):601-8
• Trombetta M et al.: "Long-term Cosmesis After Lumpectomy and Brachytherapy in the Management of Carcinoma of the Previously Irradiated Breast", Am J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun:;32(3):314-318
• Peccatori FA et al.: "Weekly epirubicin in the treatment of gestational breast cancer (GBC)", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jun;115(3):591-4
• Jiralerspong S et al.: "Metformin and Pathologic Complete Responses to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Diabetic Patients With Breast Cancer", J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]
• Grant CS et al.: "Menstrual Cycle and Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer: Findings From the NCCTG N9431 Study", J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]
• Lee MS et al.: "Acupuncture for treating hot flashes in breast cancer patients: a systematic review", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jun;115(3):497-503
• Wu MF et al.: "The efficacy of sertraline for controlling hot flashes in women with or at high risk of developing breast cancer", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Jun 3. [Epub ahead of print]

Comment

• "Some elderly breast cancer patients may be spared lymph node evaluation" - Anees B. Chagpar, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
   
  "As our population ages, women over the age of 70 will continue to form a significant proportion of our patient population.  These patients often present unique challenges to clinicians:  they frequently have relatively favorable hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, yet they may have other comorbidities that influence treatment options.  We sought to determine whether a subset of these patients could be predicted to be node-negative, and could therefore be spared axillary node evaluation.  We found that patient age, tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion were independent predictors of lymph node status in this population.  Based on these factors, we created and validated a clinical prediction model to determine the likelihood of lymph node metastases, and defined a population in whom the risk of lymph node metastases is low (less than/equal to 5%).  While most patients will undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy, for patients in whom comorbidities may imply significant risk of this procedure, our model may aid clinicians in predicting risk of lymph node metastases"
  (Comment on: Chagpar AB et al.: "Can sentinel node biopsy be avoided in some elderly breast cancer patients?", Ann Surg. 2009; 249(3):455-60)

Press Releases

• "Genetic Variant Associated with Resistance to Chemotherapy Drug in Women with Breast Cancer" - National Institutes of Health (NIH), U. S. Department of Health and Human Services - www.nih.gov

Calendar of Events

• Eighth International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer, Jul 22-25, 2009, Wailea, Maui, HI,  USA

• 15th Annual Perspectives in Breast Cancer, Aug 21-22, 2009, New York, NY, USA
• 7th Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society of Breast Disease, Oct 1-3, 2009, Gold Coast, Australia
• Global Breast Cancer Conference, Oct 8-10, 2009, Seoul, South Korea
• 22-24, 8th Annual Symposium on Advances in Breast MRI, Oct 22-24, 2009, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Best Study of the Month

• Pui CH et al.: "Treating Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia without Cranial Irradiation", N Engl J Med 2009; 360(26):2730-41

Vote for your favourite study

Literature Selection

• Lee B et al.: "The efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral metastases associated with solid malignancies", 2009 Jun;45(9):1597-1602
• Singh R et al.: "Evaluation of the DNA damaging potential of cannabis cigarette smoke by the determination of acetaldehyde derived N2-ethyl-2'-deoxyguanosine adducts", Chem Res Toxicol. 2009 Jun;22(6):1181-8
• Lange MM et al.: "Risk factors for sexual dysfunction after rectal cancer treatment", J Cancer. 2009 Jun;45(9):1578-1588
• Regge D et al.: "Diagnostic accuracy of computed tomographic colonography for the detection of advanced neoplasia in individuals at increased risk of colorectal cancer", JAMA. 2009 Jun 17;301(23):2453-61
• Ruers TJ et al.: "Improved Selection of Patients for Hepatic Surgery of Colorectal Liver Metastases with 18F-FDG PET: A Randomized Study", J Nucl Med. 2009 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]
• Stock RG et al.: "Outcomes for patients with high-grade prostate cancer treated with a combination of brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy and hormonal therapy", BJU Int. 2009 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print]
• Bolla M et al.; "Duration of androgen suppression in the treatment of prostate cancer", N Engl J Med. 2009 Jun 11;360(24):2516-27
• Alibhai SM et al.: "Impact of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes", J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]
• Swaak-Kragten AT et al.: "Multimodality treatment for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma - Treatment outcome in 75 patients", Radiother Oncol. 2009 Jul: 92(1): 100-4
• Salaun PY et al.: "Analysis of (18)F-FDG PET diffuse bone marrow uptake and splenic uptake in staging of Hodgkin's lymphoma: a reflection of disease infiltration or just inflammation?", Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2009 Jun 5. [Epub ahead of print]
• Brandes AA et al.: "Temozolomide concomitant and adjuvant to radiotherapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma", Cancer. 2009 Jun 9. [Epub ahead of print]