Immunohistochemical diagnosis of a case of metastatic prostate cancer to breast

Bilateral breast mass was found in a 71-year-old male who had been placed on estrogen therapy for stage D2 prostatic adenocarcinoma. Microscopically the mass contained adenocarcinoma morphologically similar to that of the prostate, but the differential diagnosis was impossible between metastatic prostatic carcinoma and primary breast carcinoma. Formalin-paraffin sections of both tumors were stained positively by PSA (prostatic specific antigen) and PAP (prostatic acid phosphatase) using B-SA (biotin-streptavidin) system technique and prostatic origin of the breast mass was confirmed. Prostatic origin for metastatic carcinoma in the breast is are with only 30 reported cases in the literature including 5 Japanese cases. In most of them the diagnosis of the breast lesion as prostatic carcinoma has been made on morphologic and clinical grounds only. Accurate diagnosis is important for the prognosis of the patient, and immunohistochemical method is useful for he diagnosis of breast carcinoma metastasized from prostatic origin.     

Occipital condyle syndrome guiding diagnosis to metastatic prostate cancer

Occipital condyle syndrome (OCS) results from a unilateral occipital pain associated with an ipsilateral paresis of the 12th cranial nerve (hypoglossal), and is typically caused by metastasis of the skull base. OCS diagnosis occurred, in all cases described in the published literature, when metastatic prostate cancer (MPC) was previously known. We present a case of a patient whose initial manifestation of MPC was OCS. The patient was treated with complete hormonal blockade and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as opposed to locoregional radiotherapy applied in other cases. After 18 month follow-up, the patient had a complete neurological and biochemical response.     

Carcinoma of prostate metastatic to breast

Clinically diagnosed breast metastasis from prostatic carcinoma is rare. Primary breast carcinoma in patients with prostatic primary is also uncommon. Four patients who presented with breast malignancies in the course of their prostatic carcinoma are described. All but one of them had diffuse metastatic disease. Three of them were on estrogens at the time breast malignancy was diagnosed. Difficulties always arise in differentiating primary lesions from metastasis clinically and histopathologically. The development of histochemical methods for acid phosphatase, and the newest indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique, used in one of our patients, helped in making the differentiation between primary lesion and metastatic disease. Diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma metastatic to breast carries a poor prognosis, and may be an indication for aggressive therapy.     

Esophageal cancer metastatic to kidney: report of 2 cases

We report 2 cases of renal tumor secondary to an esophageal cancer and discovered during an examination for hematuria. Despite the history the existence of a renal tumor with no apparent metastatic spread and hematuria justified nephrectomy, which led to the confirmation of metastasis to the kidney. Metastases of esophageal cancers represent only 4.8 per cent of secondary renal tumors. The kidneys are the fourth most common metastatic site of esophageal cancers, generally associated with several other secondary localizations. Their clinical latency is common. The difficulty in diagnosing these tumors and the frequent failure of complementary examinations result from their character, that is nodular, small diameter, multiple and cortical.     

Impact of age at diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer on overall survival in the real-life ESME metastatic breast cancer cohort

BackgroundYoung age is a poor prognostic factor in early stage breast cancer (BC) but its value is less established in metastatic BC (MBC). We evaluated the impact of age at MBC diagnosis on overall survival (OS) across three age groups (<40, 40 to 60 and > 60 years(y)).MethodsESME MBC database is a national cohort, collecting retrospective data from 18 participating French cancer centers between January 01, 2008 and December 31, 2014.ResultsAmong 14 403 women included, 1077 (7.5%), 6436 (44.7%) and 6890 (47.8%) pts were <40, 40–60 and > 60 y respectively. Pts <40 had significantly more aggressive presentations than other age groups: more frequent HER2+ (25.7 vs 15.3% in >60y) and triple negative subtypes (27.4 vs 14.6% in >60y), and more frequent visceral involvement (36.3 vs 29.8% in >60y). At a median follow-up of 48 months, median OS differed across age groups: 38.8, 38.4 and 35.6 months for pts <40, 40–60 and > 60y, respectively (p < 0.0001). Compared to pts <40y, older pts had a statistically significant higher risk of death (all causes of death included), although of limited clinical value (HR = 1.1, IC 95%:1.01–1.20). There was a significant trend for better OS in pts <40y with HER2+ and luminal diseases. A possible explanation is a greater use of anti-Her2 therapies as first-line treatments: 86.6, 81.9 and 74.9% for pts <40, 40–60 and > 60y, respectively (p < 0.0001).ConclusionAlthough young age seems associated with more aggressive presentations at diagnosis of MBC, it has no deleterious effect on OS in this large series.     

Fulminant hepatic failure secondary to metastatic prostate cancer

The most common sites of metastatic disease from prostate cancer include the bones, lymph nodes and less commonly the lungs, adrenal glands, brain and kidneys. Acute fulminant hepatic failure secondary to cancer metastasis is rare and has unique clinical presentation. We describe a case of fatal liver failure in a 71-year-old male due to metastases to the liver from a prostatic adenocarcinoma. Thus in patients with metastatic cancer and elevated liver function tests, the possibility of hepatic involvement by the cancer should be considered as a possible cause of hepatic failure.     

复发转移乳腺癌(附34例报告)

目的　探讨复发转移乳腺癌的临床病理特点 ,最佳治疗方法和治疗效果。方法　对3 4例复发转移乳腺癌病人 ,采取化疗 ,结合手术 ,放射治疗 ,术后继续化疗。结果　 2 3例伴有内脏转移的 2个部位以上复发转移病人 ,经化疗病灶缩小明显 (PR) 7例 ,病情稳定 (SD ) 8例 ,病情进展(PD) 8例 ,临床获益 (CR PR SD) 65 % (15 / 2 3 )。 1年生存率 65 % ,11例局部复发化疗后病灶缩小 (PR) 10例 ,病情进展 (PD) 1例 ,临床获益 90 % (10 / 11) ,2年无瘤生存率 90 %。结论　伴有内脏转移的复发转移应以化疗为主 ,病灶缩小者 ,局部手术切除 ,放疗 ,术后继续化疗。显著延长生存时间。局部复发无内脏转移 ,也应先化疗 ,再手术 ,可减少远隔器官转移。     

Immunotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer

Chemotherapy with docetaxel is the standard treatment for men with metastatic prostate cancer, and results in statistically significant improvements in survival, as well as in quality of life. However, the response rate to single-agent docetaxel is approximately 40% to 45%, emphasizing a need for alternative approaches. More significantly, with the onset of early, PSA-based detection of prostate cancer and closer follow-up, many men present with metastatic disease that remains asymptomatic. For such patients, the side effects of chemotherapy would compromise their current performance status and, thus, a nontoxic, early treatment option that could improve overall survival would be highly desirable. Immunotherapy represents one such approach; a number of clinical trials have suggested a survival benefit for immunotherapy in metastatic prostate cancer and confirmed that these agents are generally well-tolerated. As is the case for chemotherapy, it is doubtful that maximal survival benefit will be achieved with single-agent immunotherapy; experimental treatments in which mechanistically distinct immunotherapy approaches are combined, as well as approaches in which immunotherapy is combined with chemotherapy or hormonal therapy are currently under investigation. This review will discuss the mechanisms of action of several immunotherapy approaches for metastatic prostate cancer, focusing on active immunotherapy as opposed to administration of anti-tumor antibodies. The relative advantages and disadvantages of current approaches will be noted, and ongoing clinical trials will be highlighted.     

Bone and prostate cancer cell interactions in metastatic prostate cancer

The interplay in prostate cancer bone metastases between the 'seed' (the prostate cancer cells) and the 'soil' (the bone microenvironment) has been increasingly recognized as integral to the remarkable tropism for bone shown by prostate cancer. Increasing research into this area is elucidating the mechanisms involved in this complex 'cross-talk'. Recent developments, including the use of bisphosphonates in metastatic disease, highlight the important role of bone cells in the development and progression of metastatic prostate cancer. We review the current reports emphasising these possible mechanisms and indicating possible factors for future treatment directions.     

HER2阳性转移性乳腺癌治疗年度进展

乳腺癌是我国女性发病率最高的恶性肿瘤,其中HER2阳性转移性乳腺癌在晚期乳腺癌占比为25%~30%。HER2阳性乳腺癌患者预后差,如何提高HER2阳性转移性乳腺癌的治疗效果,包括优化靶向治疗、化疗药物的选择、后线治疗的策略等具有重要的临床意义。本文基于2017年各大乳腺癌会议,针对HER2阳性转移性乳腺癌在临床中的常见问题,阐述HER2阳性转移性乳腺癌治疗策略的新进展。     

Management of metastatic breast cancer

Systemic treatment almost certainly prolongs the median survival of women with metastatic breast cancer, and it may prolong the survival of a small number of patients substantially. Even with conventional therapy, 10% or more patients may live into the second decade after recurrence. However, the disease cannot be eradicated, and the primary goal of treatment remains palliation and improvement of the quality of life. Because of the great variability in the pattern and course of the disease from one patient to another, therapy should be selected judiciously to maximize response and minimize toxicity. In some clinical situations, such as pathologic fractures and brain metastases, local therapies alone, such as surgery or irradiation, are the treatments of choice. Patients who will respond to endocrine therapy are well defined, and all patients with the characteristics of an endocrine responder deserve a chance at palliation with this modality alone because of its limited toxicity. A number of new forms of endocrine therapy with more specific targets at estrogen and progesterone receptor sites are now in clinical trials. When used appropriately, chemotherapy significantly improves patient quality of life despite its toxicity. No drug combinations, schedules, or doses have been shown to prolong survival or provide better net palliation than classic CMF (oral cyclophosphamide with intravenous methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) or CAF (intravenous cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil). Treatment with these combinations in excess of 6 to 9 months provides only marginal additional benefits and no survival advantage. The role of high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation remains a promising area of investigation, but the available survival data are entirely compatible with the possibility that this modality will eventually prove inferior to conventional therapy. Many new cytotoxic agents with unique mechanisms of action are currently under investigation, including taxol, taxotere, Topotecan, and amonafide. Taxol may be the most promising therapy now available for patients whose disease has become refractory to doxorubicin. Biologic therapies using monoclonal antibodies against a specific oncogene or its product have entered clinical trials, and novel drug delivery systems using liposomes are under evaluation.

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Resumen El tratamiento sistémico casi ciertamente prolonga la supervivencia media de las mujeres con cáncer mamario metastásico y logra prolongar la sobrevida de un muy pequeño número de pacientes en forma muy sustancial. Aún con terapia convencional, 10% o más de las pacientes sobreviven hasta la segunda década después de una recurrencia. Sin embargo, la enfermedad no puede ser erradicada y el objetivo primario del tratamiento sigue siendo paliativo para mejorar la calidad de vida. Teniendo en cuenta la gran variabilidad del patrón y de la evolución de la enfermedad entre una y otra paciente, la terapia debe ser cuidadosamente seleccionada a fin de lograr la máxima respuesta y minimizar la toxicidad. En algunas situaciones clínicas, tales como las fracturas patológicas y las metástasis cerebrales, las solas modalidades de terapia local, tales como la cirugía o la irradiación, constituyen los tratamientos de elección. Las pacientes que puedan responder a la terapia endocrina están bien definidas, y todas las pacientes con las características de ser una de las que responda al manejo endocrino merece la oportunidad de paliación con esta modalidad, en virtud de su limitada toxicidad. Variadas y nuevas formas de terapia endocrina con miras más específicas en cuanto a receptores de estrógeno y de progesterona se encuentran en ensayo. Cuando la quimioterapia es utilizada en forma apropiada, ésta mejora significativamente la calidad de vida a pesar de su toxicidad. Ninguna combinación de drogas, programas o dosificaciones ha demonstrado prolongar la sobrevida o lograr mejor paliación que el régimen clásico CMF (ciclofosfamida oral con metotrexato IV y 5-fluorouracilo). El tratamiento con estas combinaciones por más de 6–9 meses provee apenas beneficios adicionales marginales y ninguna ventaja en cuanto a sobrevida. El papel de la quimioterapia de altas dosis con trasplante autólogo de médula ósea permanece como una promisoria área de investigación, pero la información sobre supervivencia hasta ahora disponible es enteramente compatible con la posibilidad de que esta modalidad llegue a demostrar ser inferior a la terapia convencional. Muchos nuevos agentes citotóxicos con mecanismos de acción únicos están siendo investigados en la actualidad. Estos incluyen el taxol, el taxotere, el Topotecan y el amonafide. El taxol puede ser la forma más promisoria de terapia actualmente disponible para pacientes cuya enfermedad se ha hecho resistente a la doxorubicina. Las terapias biológicas usando anticuerpos monoclonales contra un oncogene específico o su producto han ingresado a los ensayos clínicos y novedosos sistemas de administración de drogas, utilizando liposomas, también se hallan en proceso de investigación.

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Résumé Le traitement par voie systémique prolonge la survie médiane des patientes ayant un cancer métastatique du sein et peut également prolonger, sans doute, la survie d'un petit nombre d'autres patientes quel que soit le dégréé de sévérité de la maladie. Même avec une thérapeutique conventionnelle, 10% ou plus des patientes peuvent espérer survivre plus de 10 ans après leur récidive. La maladie ne peut, dans ce cas cependant, être enrayée et le but de la thérapeutique restera palliatif et d'améliorer la qualité de vie. En raison de la grande variabilité du type et de l'évolutivité de la maladie d'une patiente à l'autre, chaque protocole thérapeutique se doit d'être élaboré de façon à maximaliser la réponse tout en minimisant la toxicité. Dans certaines situations cliniques, telles les fractures pathologiques ou les métastases cérébrales, les thérapeutiques locales, telles la chirurgie ou l'irradiation, sont de modalités thérapeutiques de choix. On connaît aussi une catégorie de patientes qui répondent bien au traitement hormonal, qui devraient toutes être traitées par cette modalité étant donnée le peu de toxicité. Un certain nombre de ces traitements hormonaux sont actuellement l'objet d'essais thérapeutiques. Utilisée judicieusement la chimiothérapie améliore de façon significative la qualité de vie, et ce souvent, malgré sa toxicité. Aucune combinaison de médicaments ni de régimes ou de doses ne se sont montrés plus efficaces pour prolonger la survie ou améliorer le confort mieux que la classique association CMF (cyclophosphamide per os, methotrexate et 5-Fluorouracil par voie intraveineuse) ou la CAF (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, 5-fluorouracil par voie intraveineuse). Un traitement par ces combinaisons pendant plus de 6–9 mois n'apporte guère d'avantages, sans prolonger la survie pour autant. Le rôle de la chimiothérapie à hautes doses combinée avec la greffe de moelle osseuse était une voie prometteuse mais pour le moment, il semble exister de preuves en faveur de son infériorìté par rapport aux traitements conventionnels. D'autres nouvelles substances cytotoxiques, faisant intervenir d'uniques mécanismes d'actions, sont actuellement en cours d'évaluation. Ces nouveaux médicaments comprennent le taxol, le taxotère, le Topotécane, et l'amonafide. Le taxol est probablement celuì qui a le plus d'intérêt, semble-t'il, e cas de résistance à la doxorubicine. Des traitements biologiques, utilisant des anticorps spécifiques dirigés contre tel on tel oncogèn ou son produit, ainsi que de nouveaux systèmes d'apport des médicaments sont également au stade d'évaluation clinique.

     

MRI鉴别诊断乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结转移

目的探讨MRI对乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结转移的鉴别诊断价值。方法分析经病理证实并行腋窝MR扫描的44例乳腺癌患者资料,分析MRI表现,包括淋巴结长径、短径、皮质厚度、ADC值、淋巴门情况、淋巴结边缘、周围脂肪间隙情况、DWI信号、强化方式及时间—信号强度曲线等,并绘制的ROC曲线分析淋巴结长径、短径、皮质厚度、ADC值对腋窝淋巴结转移的诊断效能。结果病理结果显示有淋巴结转移者24例(24/44,54.55%),无淋巴结转移者20例(20/44,45.45%),两者淋巴结长径、短径、皮质厚度、ADC值、淋巴门是否消失、淋巴结边缘、周围脂肪间隙、DWI信号、强化方式差异均有统计学意义(P均0.05)。淋巴结长径、短径、皮质厚度及ADC值的ROC曲线下面积分别为0.797、0.765、0.848、0.749。结论 MRI在鉴别乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结状态中有重要价值,皮质厚度大于0.54cm高度提示腋窝淋巴结转移。     

Utility of prostate-specific antigen in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of metastatic effusion secondary to prostate cancer

Pulmonary or pleural involvement from prostate cancer is an uncommon clinical finding. We report on a patient with prostate cancer and a diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion made by determination of pleural fluid prostate specific antigen.     

Ulcerative paraneoplastic dermatomyositis secondary to metastatic breast cancer

A 40-year-old Chinese-American woman with breast carcinoma metastatic to her lungs presented with a 3-month history of erosions on her inner thighs (Figure 1) and medial left shoulder. Faint livedo reticularis was evident on her legs as well. She had difficulty in walking and raising her shoulders. Her cutaneous examination was also notable for cuticular erythema (Figure 2) and mild periorbital erythema and edema. She had no systemic or rheumatologic complaints other than some difficulty in swallowing. Her blood chemistry values were notable for a creatinine kinase of 564 IU/L (5-200 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase 161 U/L (0-40 U/L) and aspartate aminotransferase 93 U/L (0-40 U/L), and an antinuclear antibody titer of 1:2560. Other blood chemistries and antibody serologies (anti-Jo-1, anti-Mi-2 and other anti-tRNA synthetase, anti-Ro/SSA, anti-U1RNP, anti-PM/Scl, and anti-Ku) were within normal limits. A biopsy specimen was obtained from an area of intact skin close to a right thigh ulceration that showed subtle vacuolar alteration at the dermo-epidermal junction with occasional necrotic keratinocyte (Figure 3). Melanophages and telangiectases were present. Within the subcutis there was fibrin deposition and neutrophils. A diagnosis of dermatomyositis was made. The patient received oral prednisone 20 mg three times a day, and her ulcerations resolved. Her creatinine kinase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase values returned to normal over the course of 3 weeks, but her antinuclear antibody was unchanged. Radiographic studies concurrently noted that her breast cancer had recurred in her lungs; plans were made to treat her with chemotherapy. The patient was lost to close follow-up, but it was learned that her erosions had reoccurred while her prednisone was tapered and resolved when her dosage of prednisone was increased.     

Unilateral exophthalmos revealing metastatic prostate cancer

Prostate cancer, when metastatic, typically involves the axial skeleton. Sphenoidal metastasis is uncommon. We report a rare case of a 75-year-old man who presented with isolated unilateral exophthalmos. Digital rectal examination and serum prostate-specific antigen level were suggestive of metastatic prostate cancer. The prostate biopsy and imaging findings confirmed the source of the exophthalmos as a sphenoidal metastasis of an aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma.     

Clinical experience of hormone therapy to bone metastatic prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: A novel hormone therapy was instituted against prostate cancer with bone metastases and its therapeutic efficacy was investigated. METHODS: A total of 35 patients who had been pathologically diagnosed with carcinoma of the prostate between December [corrected] 1994 and December 2003 were entered into the present study. Patients aged over 80 years were excluded from the study. As for the treatment methodology, diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DES-P) at 500 mg/day was intravenously injected for 20-40 days, followed by monotherapy with an analog of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). In all subjects, surgical castration was not conducted. The survival rate was analysed according to the method of Kaplan-Meier. RESULTS: One of the 35 patients was excluded from the study as this patient did not meet the inclusion criteria. There were four patients who dropped out of the study. On histology, 17 patients had moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas and 17 patients had poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. As for the extent of disease (EOD), the patients were classified as with a score of 1 in 10 patients, 2 in 13 patients, 3 in 7 patients and 4 in 4 patients. The 5-year progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate were 24.3% and 60.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our new hormone therapy in the management of prostate cancer metastatic to the bone has demonstrated markedly superior therapeutic results compared to those so far obtained.