Satoko Abe

Monitoring of early response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer with 1H MR spectroscopy: Comparison to sequential 2-[18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

To assess the efficacy of 1H MR spectroscopy (MRS) to evaluate early responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, as compared to that of the standardized uptake value (SUV) in 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).

Parotid Gland Metastasis of Breast Cancer: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: Parotid gland metastasis in breast cancer is extremely rare, and only 14 cases have been reported between 1982 and 2010. Case Report: A 67-year-old female patient was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma of the left breast. Although clinical staging was T1N3M1 (stage IV), the tumor experienced a complete response to chemotherapy. We therefore performed a mastectomy followed by radiotherapy, and continued administration of trastuzumab. However, 11 months later, the patient complained of a swelling in the left parotid gland. Histology following a partial parotidectomy revealed a parotid gland metastasis from the breast. Conclusion: Treatment with capecitabine in addition to trastuzumab, which is one of the strategies applied in HER2-positive breast cancer, was effective in our patient. Analysis of the 14 cases of parotid gland metastasis from the breast reported between 1982 and 2010 revealed that the metastasis may occur not by direct lymphatic but by hematogenous spread.

Early results of an endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer.

Background.Endoscopic mastectomy has been reportedly associated with smaller scars and greater patient satisfaction; however, few reports on this topic have been made. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the early results of endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (ENSM) and to investigate the safety of this procedure.Methods.Between January 2002 and December 2005, a total of 87 patients with breast cancer but without skin and nipple involvement, including two cases of bilateral breast cancer, underwent E-NSM. In case of bloody nipple discharge and suspicious extension near the nipple as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, the major ducts within the nipple were cored (nipple coring). In other cases, nipple coring was not performed.Results.Of the 89 breasts in 87 patients, 42 had tumors of >2 cm and 80 were diagnosed as having invasive carcinoma. Lymph node involvement was observed in 36 procedures. The overall rate of nipple necrosis was 18% (16 of 89). The rate of nipple necrosis among the procedures with nipple coring was statistically higher than that among those without nipple coring (7 of 17, 41%, vs. 9 of 72, 13%) (P = .01). Nipple involvement was observed in 2.2% (2 of 89). After a median follow-up period of 52 months, distant metastasis was observed in nine cases; no local recurrences occurred in this series.Conclusions.E-NSM is an oncologically safe procedure and an acceptable method in selected patients requiring a mastectomy. The higher rate of nipple necrosis may have been the result of a technical problem, indicating the need for continued improvement in nipple coring procedures.

New preoperative MRI marking technique for a patient with ductal carcinoma in situ

We herein present a case of non-palpable ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with successful breast-conserving surgery (BCS) using MR markers made with commercially available materials in the supine position. The patient was a 40-year-old woman found to have a non-mass lesion by routine screening ultrasonography (US). The margin of the lesion was unclear by the US examination, whereas contrast-enhanced MR mammography (MRM) revealed a clear margin of the lesion. After the resection line was determined by under US guidance, the area was marked by original markers for MRI using the pills of Breath Care® inside a Penrose drain. MRM was performed in the supine position (supine MRM), which is similar to the posture used for surgery. The lesion was located within the resection area, but it was not at the center of the resection area; thus, the resection lines were modified using information obtained by MRM. The histological evaluation of the BCS specimen demonstrated a wide extension of the DCIS. The lesion was located at the center of the resection specimen, and the surgical margin was free. In conclusion, since our procedure can be performed easily, it is useful for evaluating the extent of the lesion as determined by the US examination in difficult cases.