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

Literature Selection

• Veronesi U et al: "The value of radiotherapy on metastatic internal mammary nodes in breast cancer. Results on a large series", Ann Oncol. 2008 May 7. [Epub ahead of print]
• Yi M et al.: "How many sentinel lymph nodes are enough during sentinel lymph node dissection for breast cancer?", Cancer. 2008 May 5. [Epub ahead of print]
• Lipov EG et al.: "Effects of stellate-ganglion block on hot flushes and night awakenings in survivors of breast cancer: a pilot study", Lancet Oncol. 2008 May 14. [Epub ahead of print]
• Van Nes JG et al.: "Preoperative chemotherapy is safe in early breast cancer, even after 10 years of follow-up; clinical and translational results from the EORTC trial 10902", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 May 18. [Epub ahead of print]
• de Cremoux P et al.. "No evidence of Human papillomavirus DNA sequences in invasive breast carcinoma", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 May;109(1):55-58
• Ma H et al.a. "Low-dose medical radiation exposure and breast cancer risk in women under age 50 years overall and by estrogen and progesterone receptor status: results from a case-control and a case-case comparison", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 May;109(1):77-90
• Mohr SB et al.: "Relationship between low ultraviolet B irradiance and higher breast cancer risk in 107 countries", Breast J. 2008 May-Jun;14(3):255-60
• Dodds L et al.: "Relationship of Time Since Childbirth and Other Pregnancy Factors to Premenopausal Breast Cancer Prognosis", Obstet Gynecol. 2008 May;111(5):1167-1173
• Maruti SS et al.: "A Prospective Study of Age-Specific Physical Activity and Premenopausal Breast Cancer", Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]
• Rebora P et al.: "Timing of familial breast cancer in sisters", J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 May 21;100(10):721-7
• Clements A et al.: "Diagnosed with breast cancer while on a family history screening programme: an exploratory qualitative study", Eur J Cancer Care 2008 May;17(3):245-52
• Berg WA et al.: "Combined screening with ultrasound and mammography vs mammography alone in women at elevated risk of breast cancer", JAMA. 2008 May 14;299(18):2151-63
• Ailello Bowles EJ et al.: "Accuracy of short-interval follow-up mammograms by patient and radiologist characteristics", AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008 May;190(5):1200-8
• Mameri CS et al.: "Impact of breast MRI on surgical treatment, axillary approach, and systemic therapy for breast cancer", Breast J. 2008 May-Jun;14(3):236-44
• Warner F et al.: "Systematic review: using magnetic resonance imaging to screen women at high risk for breast cancer", Ann Intern Med. 2008 May 6;148(9):671-9
• Pestalozzi BC et al.: "Distinct Clinical and Prognostic Features of Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast: Combined Results of 15 International Breast Cancer Study Group Clinical Trials", J Clin Oncol. 2008 May 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Editorial

• "Annual MRI is the screening test of choice for all women over 30 with BRCA mutations" - Ellen Warner, Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
   
  "Multiple prospective studies have shown than MRI is much more sensitive than mammography for screening women with BRCA mutations. However, since MRI is much more expensive than mammography and has a 2 - to 3-fold higher rate of false positive results, finding a subgroup  whom mammography alone might be adequate would be highly desirable.  Unfortunately, this study showed that even in women with low breast density, measured either qualitatively or quantitatively, mammography detected only 37% to 43% of invasive breast cancers, compared to a 90% detection rate for MRI.   Furthermore, mammography missed 80% of the cases of DCIS detected by MRI regardless of breast density. There are several possible explanations for these findings.  Since tumours grow more quickly in women with BRCA mutations than in women with non-BRCA cancers,  and grow more quickly in younger than in older women, calcification of the malignant ducts - an  important mammographic feature of malignancy -may not have had time to occur.   Also, BRCA1-related tumours tend to be fleshier with less fibrous tissue than other breast cancers, which might decrease mammographic visibility.  Finally, even in women with generally fatty breasts,  there may be scattered areas of higher breast density where tumours would be obscured.  Although digital mammography was not used in this study, it would not be expected to be superior to film-screen mammography for fatty breasts. Tomosynthesis, a 3-dimensional mammographic technique under development, might hold promise for screening high-risk women, particularly if a contrast agent sensitive to angiogenesis is used, as is currently routine with MRI.  For now,  annual MRI (added to mammography) is the screening test of choice for all women over 30 with BRCA mutations or a very strong family history of breast cancer"
  (Comment on paper:  Bigenwald RZ et al.: "Is Mammography Adequate for Screening Women with Inherited BRCA Mutations and Low Breast Density?", Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17(3):706-11)

Press Releases

• "Adding Breast Ultrasound Screening to Mammography Reveals Cancers not Seen on Mammography Alone" - American College of Radiology - www.acr.org
• "Six-Month Follow-Up Diagnostic Mammograms Recommended for Women with Probably Benign Lesions" -  American Roentgen Ray Society - www.arrs.org

Healthcare Companies News

• "Continuing Herceptin treatment prevents disease progression in women with aggressive metastatic breast cancer" - Roche - www.roche.com

Calendar of Events

• 10th Milan Breast Cancer Conference, 18-20 Jun, 2008,  Milan, Italy
• Era of Hope, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Conference, 25-28 Jun, 2008, Baltimore, MD. USA
• Breast Cancer in Young Women Symposium, 3 July 2008, Lugano, Switzerland - During the ECLU 2008 Conference
• Seventh International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer, 23-26 Jul,  Koloa, Hi, USA

Literature Selection

• Patel P et al.: "Incidence of Types of Cancer among HIV-Infected Persons Compared with the General Population in the United States, 1992-2003", Ann Intern Med. 2008 May 20;148(10):728-736
• Meyer MS et al.: "A review of the relationship between tooth loss, periodontal disease, and cancer", Cancer Causes Control. 2008 May 14. [Epub ahead of print]
• Guo JH et al.: "Self-expandable esophageal stent loaded with 125I seeds: initial experience in patients with advanced esophageal cancer", Radiology. 2008 May;247(2):574-81
• Calderwood AH et al.: "Association between colorectal cancer and urologic cancers", Arch Intern Med. 2008 May 12;168(9):1003-9
• Cuzick J et al.: "Long-term follow-up of cervical abnormalities among women screened by HPV testing and cytology-Results from the Hammersmith study", Int J Cancer. 2008 May 15;122(10):2294-300
• Maris JM et al.: "Chromosome 6p22 Locus Associated with Clinically Aggressive Neuroblastoma", N Engl J Med. 2008 May 7. [Epub ahead of print]
• Hays LE et al.: "Cigarette smoke induces genetic instability in airway epithelial cells by suppressing FANCD2 expression", Br J Cancer. 2008 May 20;98(10):1653-1661
• Thomas J et al.: "Methylnaltrexone for opioid-induced constipation in advanced illness", N Engl J Med 2008 May 29;358:2332-2343