INTRODUÇÃO: Os microRNAs (miRNAs) são uma classe de pequenas moléculas não codificadoras de proteínas que regulam a expressão gênica durante a etapa de tradução. Esta regulação é feita pelo pareamento de bases com o mRNA-alvo (RNA mensageiro), resultando na supressão da tradução ou na clivagem do mRNA. A depender se os miRNAs têm como alvo genes supressores de tumor ou oncogenes, eles podem atuar como supressores tumorais ou oncogenes. A imunoistoquímica triplo negativa, no câncer de mama, é, comumente, utilizada como substituto clínico para identificação dos tumores basaloides, que se caracterizam pela expressão de genes epiteliais basais, sendo associados a menores taxas de sobrevida livre de doença e sobrevida global. O câncer de mama triplo negativo faz com que seja necessária a descoberta de marcadores moleculares que possam servir de alvos terapêuticos ou, pelo menos, que sirvam como marcadores preditivos da resposta aos quimioterápicos. OBJETIVO: avaliar a expressão de microRNAs, por PCR em tempo real, no carcinoma mamário ductal invasivo (CDI) triplo negativo. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados materiais em parafina de tumor de 31 pacientes com as seguintes características: carcinoma invasivo de mama...

Chromosome analysis was performed on samples from 20 Brazilian patients with breast cancer. All the samples were from untreated patients who presented the clinical symptoms for months or years before surgical intervention. Six cases showed axillary lymph node metastases. Clonal chromosome abnormalities were detected in all cases. The numerical alterations most frequently observed involved the loss of chromosomes X, 19, 20, and 22 followed by gain of chromosomes 9 and 8. Among the structural anomalies observed, there was preferential involvement of chromosomes 11, 6, 1, 7, 3, and 12, supporting previous reports that these chromosomes may harbour genes of importance in the development of breast tumors. Two cases with a family history of breast cancer had in common total or partial trisomy 1.

INTRODUCTION: In Mexico, breast cancer (BC) is one of the main causes of cancer deaths in women, with increasing incidence and mortality in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the study is identify possible risk factors related to BC. METHODS: An epidemiological study of hospital cases of BC and controls with cervical uterine cancer (CUCA) was carried out at eight third level concentration hospitals in Mexico City. The total of 353 incident cases of BC and 630 controls with CUCA were identified among women younger than 75 years who had been residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City for at least one year. Diagnosis was confirmed histologically in both groups. Variables were analyzed according to biological and statistical plausibility criteria. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out. Cases and controls were stratified according to the menopausal hormonal status (pre and post menopause). RESULTS: The factors associated with BC were: higher socioeconomic level (OR= 2.77; 95%CI = 1.77 - 4.35); early menarche (OR= 1.32; 95%CI= 0.88 - 2.00); old age at first pregnancy (>31 years: OR= 5.49; 95%CI= 2.16 - 13.98) and a family history of BC (OR= 4.76; 95% CI= 2.10 - 10.79). In contrast, an increase in the duration of the breastfeeding period was a protective factor (>25 months: OR= 0.38; 95%CI= 0.20 - 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the identification of risk factors for BC described in the international literature...

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most frequent cancer in the world. Squamous cell cancer often occurs in sun-exposed areas, such as the head and neck. When it involves the breast and ulce-rates, invading the glandular parenchyma, it may mimic breast cancer. Confirmation by means of histopathological examination, combined with clinical examination, is a critical instrument for the accuracy of the diagnosis. We report a case of an epidermoid carcinoma located on the breast skin, initially diagnosed as breast cancer.

The longevity of dogs has increased the number of neoplasm cases, and the breast neoplasm is one of the most frequent diagnosed in this species. The female dogs are important as a study population as they present similarities between the breast neoplasms developed in humans and canines, thus allowing the use of the compared pathology in an attempt to have a better understanding of the disease. Changes in calcium and magnesium levels may be related to the presence and occurrence of breast neoplasms, but there is no defined standardization of these changes. The study aimed to analyze epidemiological data in canine patients with breast neoplasms, determine levels of serum calcium and magnesium in dogs with breast neoplasms before and after excision, and associate variation of calcium and magnesium blood levels with the neoplasms malignity. The study had a sample of 53 females 53 female dogs with tumors in the mammary gland, from which we obtained data of descriptive characteristics of the sample, regarding the review of the animal, exposure to risk factors and tumor development, associated with the morphological characteristics and anatomical location. Excision of tumor masses was performed for histopathological analysis evaluating the surgical margin and classifying the patients according to the biological behavior and malignancy degree: high malignancy (HM)...

The role of BRCA1 in sporadic breast and ovarian cancers remains elusive. Direct involvement of BRCA1 in the development of breast and ovarian cancer is suggested by the finding that the BRCA1 promoter region CpG island is methylated in a proportion of breast and ovarian cancers. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of BRCA1 promoter region methylation in tumours in which loss of BRCA1 has been shown to play a role in pathogenesis (breast and ovarian carcinomas) with the incidence in tumours in which BRCA1 is unlikely to play a role in pathogenesis. Promoter region hypermethylation was significantly more common (P < 0.008) in breast and ovarian cancer (6/38 tumours methylated) than in colon cancer (0/35 tumours methylated) or in leukaemias (0/19 samples methylated). The restriction of BRCA1 promoter region hypermethylation to breast and ovarian cancer is consistent with a pathogenetic role of BRCA1 promoter methylation in these tumours. We suggest that the rarity of observed BRCA1 mutations in sporadic breast and ovarian cancer is due to the greater likelihood of BRCA1 inactivation by non-mutational mechanisms such as methylation.

Purpose: The recognition of breast cancer as a spectrum tumor in Lynch syndrome remains controversial. The aim of this study was to explore features of breast cancers arising in Lynch syndrome families. Experimental Design: This observational study involved 107 cases of breast cancer identified from the Colorectal Cancer Family Registry (Colon CFR) from 90 families in which (a) both breast and colon cancer co-occurred, (b) families met either modified Amsterdam criteria, or had at least one early-onset (<50 years) colorectal cancer, and (c) breast tissue was available within the biospecimen repository for mismatch repair (MMR) testing. Eligibility criteria for enrollment in the Colon CFR are available online. Breast cancers were reviewed by one pathologist. Tumor sections were stained for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, and MSH6, and underwent microsatellite instability testing. Results: Breast cancer arose in 35 mutation carriers, and of these, 18 (51%) showed immunohistochemical absence of MMR protein corresponding to the MMR gene mutation segregating the family. MMR-deficient breast cancers were more likely to be poorly differentiated (P = 0.005) with a high mitotic index (P = 0.002), steroid hormone receptor–negative (estrogen receptor, P = 0.031; progesterone receptor...

Forty four specimens from neoplastic, hyperplastic and normal human breast tissues were studied for localization of collagens and fibronectin. Affinity purified antihuman type I, I11 and IV collagens and antifibronectins were utilized by the indirect immunoperoxidase technique on fixed and paraffinembedded sections. 86% of the cell cytoplasm of infiltrating ductal and 83% of the lobular cancers were positively stained for collagen type I and 111. Collagen type IV, however, was detected in 100% of infiltrating ductal and 83% of lobular carcinomas. Focal cytoplasmic staining is a predominant feature for all antigens in the intraduct carcinoma while a diffuse pattern is encountered in the infiltrating types. Intact basement membranes in various lesions always stained for type IV collagen and showed variable staining for type I11 collagen and fibronectin. Epithelia of normal, benign, hyperplastic breast and most medullary carcinoma were negative for the three collagen types. Our results are in favour of the view that infiltrating breast carcinoma cells produce inappropriately the majority of collagens and inconsistently other proteins such as fibronectin.

Numerous cytogenetic and molecular studies of breast cancer have identified frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the long arm of human chromosome 16. On the basis of these data, the likely locations of breast cancer tumor suppressor genes are bands 16q22.1 and 16q24.3. We have mapped the CBFA2T3 (MTG16) gene, previously cloned as a fusion partner of the AML1 protein from a rare (16;21) leukemia translocation, to the 16q24.3 breast cancer LOH region. The expression of CBFA2T3 was significantly reduced in a number of breast cancer cell lines and in primary breast tumors, including early ductal carcinomas in situ, when compared with nontransformed breast epithelial cell lines and normal breast tissue. Reintroduction of CBFA2T3 into different breast tumor derived cell lines with decreased expression of this gene reduced colony growth on plastic and in soft agar. CBFA2T3 was shown to function as a transcriptional repressor when tethered to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain in a reporter gene assay and, therefore, has the potential to be a transcriptional repressor in normal breast epithelial cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that CBFA2T3 is a likely candidate for the breast cancer tumor suppressor gene that is the target for the frequent 16q24 LOH in breast neoplasms.; Marina Kochetkova...

INTRODUCTION: The Kathleen Cuningham Foundation Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (kConFab) is a multidisciplinary, collaborative framework for the investigation of familial breast cancer. Based in Australia, the primary aim of kConFab is to facilitate high-quality research by amassing a large and comprehensive resource of epidemiological and clinical data with biospecimens from individuals at high risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer, and from their close relatives. METHODS: Epidemiological, family history and lifestyle data, as well as biospecimens, are collected from multiple-case breast cancer families ascertained through family cancer clinics in Australia and New Zealand. We used the Tyrer-Cuzick algorithms to assess the prospective risk of breast cancer in women in the kConFab cohort who were unaffected with breast cancer at the time of enrolment in the study. RESULTS: Of kConFab's first 822 families, 518 families had multiple cases of female breast cancer alone, 239 had cases of female breast and ovarian cancer, 37 had cases of female and male breast cancer, and 14 had both ovarian cancer as well as male and female breast cancer. Data are currently held for 11,422 people and germline DNAs for 7,389. Among the 812 families with at least one germline sample collected...

The objective of this integrative review is to analyze the scientific production addressing the sexuality of women with breast cancer following mastectomy, focused on the effects that the physical discomfort due to cancer treatments have on their sex life. The search included articles published in the period between 2000 and 2009 on the MEDLINE, LILACS and PsycINFO databases, using the following descriptors: mastectomy, breast neoplasms, sexuality, sexual behavior, amputation, psychosexual development, and marital relations. Nine articles were selected, which addressed the effects of the physical discomfort from cancer treatments on the patients' sexuality. The findings revealed that, even when the patient's sex life is intense and fulfilling before the disease, factors such as stress, pain, fatigue, insult to body image, and low self-esteem due to the treatments may alter the sexual functioning of the affected woman. Healthcare professionals must be sensitized in order to welcome and include the topic in policies as well as in preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies.; Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP; Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

BACKGROUND Oral contraceptives are known to influence the risk of cancers of the female reproductive system. Evidence regarding the relationship between injectable contraceptives and these cancers is limited, especially in black South Africans, among whom injectable contraceptives are used more commonly than oral contraceptives. METHODS AND FINDINGS We analysed data from a South African hospital-based case-control study of black females aged 18-79 y, comparing self-reported contraceptive use in patients with breast (n = 1,664), cervical (n = 2,182), ovarian (n = 182), and endometrial (n = 182) cancer, with self-reported contraceptive use in 1,492 control patients diagnosed with cancers with no known relationship to hormonal contraceptive use. We adjusted for potential confounding factors, including age, calendar year of diagnosis, education, smoking, alcohol, parity/age at first birth, and number of sexual partners. Among controls, 26% had used injectable and 20% had used oral contraceptives. For current and more recent users versus never users of oral or injectable contraceptives, the odds ratios (ORs) for breast cancer were significantly increased in users of oral and/or injectable contraceptives (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.28-2.16...

Overview: Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a rare and very aggressive type of cancer that tends to develop at a younger age, compared with other subtypes of breast cancer. Because a distinct lump may not be noticeable, correct diagnosis takes longer and, therefore, successful treatment may hinder a patient’s prognostics. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of research articles on IBC. Methods: This is a systematic review of studies in the PubMed database to April 2013, which fit the eligibility criterion of “Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms” (MeSH Terms), filtered by Languages (English OR Portuguese OR Spanish). Findings: Of the 119studies identified, 25 complied with the eligibility criterion for the disease, diagnostics, treatment and prognostics. Final Considerations :Despite methodological differences, findings evidence that although IBC presents particular features (lower survival rate and worse prognostics than most types of breast cancer), very few studies examine its epidemiology and specific risk factors in depth and use any other therapeutic approaches than those commonly used for other breast cancer subtypes. Therefore, further investigation of the disease’s aggressiveness is still necessary.

Introduction: breast cancer is one of the main causes of death among women in Brazil and worldwide. The diagnosis of breast neoplasms usually represents an emotional burden, and it may lead to adjustment reactions and even be the trigger for affective disorders (mainly depression), anxiety or psychosis. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is one of the most used mechanisms for the evaluation of depression in research and in clinics. Depression prevalence in patients with cancer varies from 3% to 55% among different studies. Methodological variation, different instruments to assess depression and different cut-off points for diagnosis contribute to the huge discrepancy in current findings. In general, the more specifically depression is defined and evaluated, the lower the rates of prevalence are reported. Many articles fail to demonstrate a statistical significance in the relationship between depression and cancer-specific factors. This suggests that risk factors for depression in those patients are more related to the patient as contextual variables and premorbid factors of personality – and not to the cancer or its treatment. Objective: to determine the prevalence of major depression in women with breast cancer. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in women with breast cancer. The sample consisted of 51 patients who answered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The presence of depression was considered in cases where the scores were above 20. A questionnaire with additional data about the patients such as age...

O linfedema representa uma das principais seqüelas do câncer de mama. Esta revisão da literatura visou discutir os principais fatores associados ao linfedema após o tratamento do câncer de mama. Foram selecionados 26 artigos publicados entre janeiro de 2000 e março de 2008 nas bases Medline e Lilacs, utilizando os descritores breast neoplasms, lymphedema, upper extremity, arm e risk factors. Sua revisão permitiu discutir os fatores relacionados ao linfedema, quanto a: clínica e paciente (tabagismo, escolaridade, etnia, comorbidades, hipertensão arterial, diabetes melito, menopausa, idade, peso corporal, índice de massa corporal, atividade física, membro dominante, restrição articular, infecção, seroma e trauma no membro superior); tratamento do câncer de mama (cirurgia, reconstrução mamária, número de linfonodos retirados, nível da linfadenectomia axilar, radioterapia, quimioterapia, hormonioterapia e tempo transcorrido após o tratamento); tumor (tamanho, grau, localização, comprometimento dos linfonodos axilares e estadiamento). A revisão feita indica que a linfadenectomia axilar, a radioterapia em cadeias de drenagem e a obesidade são fatores preponderantes do risco para desenvolvimento do linfedema.; Arm lymphedema is one of the most frequent sequelae of breast cancer treatment. The purpose of this literature review was to discuss main risk factors of lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. The search in Medline and Lilacs databases...

The objective of this integrative review is to analyze the scientific production addressing the sexuality of women with breast cancer following mastectomy, focused on the effects that the physical discomfort due to cancer treatments have on their sex life. The search included articles published in the period between 2000 and 2009 on the MEDLINE, LILACS and PsycINFO databases, using the following descriptors: mastectomy, breast neoplasms, sexuality, sexual behavior, amputation, psychosexual development, and marital relations. Nine articles were selected, which addressed the effects of the physical discomfort from cancer treatments on the patients' sexuality. The findings revealed that, even when the patient's sex life is intense and fulfilling before the disease, factors such as stress, pain, fatigue, insult to body image, and low self-esteem due to the treatments may alter the sexual functioning of the affected woman. Healthcare professionals must be sensitized in order to welcome and include the topic in policies as well as in preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies.; Revisión integrativa que objetiva analizar la producción científica orientada a la sexualidad de mujeres con cáncer de mama luego de mastectomía, atendiendo la interferencia de las incomodidades físicas derivadas del tratamiento en su vida sexual. El estudio incluye trabajos publicados entre 2000 y 2009...

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência de condutas na prevenção secundária do câncer de mama e fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo transversal de base populacional na cidade de Pelotas, RS, em 2002, com amostra de 879 mulheres de 40 a 69 anos. Foram coletadas informações sobre variáveis demográficas, socioeconômicas, comportamentais, biológicas e referentes ao manejo médico. A análise estatística das variáveis foi realizada utilizando o método de regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: A prevalência do "hábito de realizar o auto-exame" encontrada foi de 83,5% (IC 95%: 80,9-85,9), sendo que, dessas mulheres, 80,4% (IC 95%: 77,3-83,2) o realizavam ao menos uma vez ao mês. A prevalência de "exame clínico de mamas" foi de 83,3% (IC 95%: 80,6-85,7). "Mamografia alguma vez na vida" mostrou prevalência de 70% (IC 95%: 66,8-73,0), sendo que 83,7% (IC 95%: 80,5-86,6) realizaram a última mamografia há dois anos ou menos. Das entrevistadas, 62% (IC 95%: 58,7-65,2) consultaram ginecologista ao menos uma vez no último ano. Os fatores associados a maiores prevalências das condutas na prevenção secundária do câncer de mama foram: pertencer às classes sociais mais altas; ter a maior combinação de fatores de risco para neoplasia mamária; ter história familiar de câncer de mama; fazer uso de terapia de reposição hormonal e ter sido submetida à biópsia por patologia mamária. CONCLUSÕES: As medidas preventivas para o câncer de mama vêm sendo bastante utilizadas quantitativamente; entretanto...

OBJETIVO: O câncer de mama (CM) é uma das principais causas de morte por câncer em mulheres, no México, com aumento da incidência e da mortalidade nos últimos anos. O estudo realizado objetivou identificar possíveis fatores de risco relacionados ao CM. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se um estudo epidemiológico de casos hospitalares de CM e de controles hospitalares com câncer cérvico-uterino (CACU) em oito hospitais de terceiro nível, na Cidade do México. Foram estudados 353 casos incidentes de CM e 630 controles com CACU, identificados entre mulheres com menos de 75 anos de idade, residentes na área metropolitana da Cidade do México pelo menos há um ano. O diagnóstico foi confirmado histologicamente em ambos os grupos. As variáveis foram analisadas de acordo com critérios aprovados biológica e estatisticamente. Foram efetuadas análises univariadas, bivariadas e multivariadas. Os casos e controles foram estratificados de acordo com o estado hormonal menopáusico (pré e pós-menopausa). Foi usado o odds ratio (OR) como método de associação com intervalos de confiança (IC) acima de 95%. RESULTADOS: Os fatores associados com o CM foram: nível socioeconômico alto (OR=2,77 IC 95% 1,77 -- 4,35); menarca prematura (OR=1,32 IC 95% 0...

Background: During the surgical treatment of breast neoplasms (benign or malignant), frozen section biopsy is frequently requested to assess the kind of lesion and determine the surgical margins. Aim: To assess the diagnostic yield of frozen section breast biopsy. Material and methods: AH the pathological reports of frozen section biopsies and definitive biopsies of 337 women aged 26 to 88 years, operated for suspected breast neoplasms between 2002 and 2006, were reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of frozen section biopsy, were calculated using the definitive biopsy as the gold standard. Results: The definitive biopsy confirmed the presence of cancer in 290 women (86%). There were two false negative (0.59%) and no false positive frozen section biopsies for cancer detection. The sensibility for cancer detection was 99.3% and the specificity 100%. The positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value 96.1%. The diagnosis of phyllodes tumor was missed by frozen section biopsy in three cases. The margins were informed in the 258 frozen section biopsies (79%) and in 59 cases (18%), these were positive for cancer. Conclusions: Frozen section biopsy is useful and reliable for cancer detection and margin status assessment in breast cancer surgery (RevMéd Chile 2009; 137: 1173-8).

INTRODUCTION: In Mexico, breast cancer (BC) is one of the main causes of cancer deaths in women, with increasing incidence and mortality in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the study is identify possible risk factors related to BC. METHODS: An epidemiological study of hospital cases of BC and controls with cervical uterine cancer (CUCA) was carried out at eight third level concentration hospitals in Mexico City. The total of 353 incident cases of BC and 630 controls with CUCA were identified among women younger than 75 years who had been residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City for at least one year. Diagnosis was confirmed histologically in both groups. Variables were analyzed according to biological and statistical plausibility criteria. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out. Cases and controls were stratified according to the menopausal hormonal status (pre and post menopause). RESULTS: The factors associated with BC were: higher socioeconomic level (OR= 2.77; 95%CI = 1.77 - 4.35); early menarche (OR= 1.32; 95%CI= 0.88 - 2.00); old age at first pregnancy (>31 years: OR= 5.49; 95%CI= 2.16 - 13.98) and a family history of BC (OR= 4.76; 95% CI= 2.10 - 10.79). In contrast, an increase in the duration of the breastfeeding period was a protective factor (>25 months: OR= 0.38; 95%CI= 0.20 - 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the identification of risk factors for BC described in the international literature...