Biomedical subjects

Yasuhiro Ogawa

Publications and source records attributed to Yasuhiro Ogawa.

65 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Breast-conservation treatment for bilateral breast cancer in five Japanese women.

Between August 1989 and September 1999, breast-conservation treatment (BCT) was performed in 250 of 256 breast cancer patients. Five of the 250 patients had bilateral breast cancer, and 4 with synchronous bilateral breast cancer of the 5 were concomitantly treated by chemo-endocrine therapy before simultaneous breast-conservation surgery for bilateral breast cancer. Chemotherapy was performed using cyclophosphamide, pirarubicin, and 5-fluorouracil, while endocrine therapy was performed using an antiestrogen agent (tamoxifen or toremifene). All patients were also treated by radiotherapy. Since no severe side effects or complications were induced by these therapeutic approaches, bilateral breast cancer may be successfully treated by BCT as in unilateral breast cancer. However, of the 5 patients with bilateral breast cancer, cancer recurrence in the axillary lymph nodes was detected only in 1 patient with T2N1 cancer 78 months after simultaneous breast-conservation surgery for bilateral breast cancer.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An elderly patient with DCIS of the breast effectively treated with toremifene alone.

An elderly patient with breast cancer received toremifene monotherapy for one year, and about 60% tumor remission rate was obtained. Since viability of the residual tumor was suspected on ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lumpectomy was performed under local anesthesia. The histopathological diagnosis was ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The patient did not undergo axillary lymph node dissection or systemic chemotherapy. The patient is alive without disease under postoperative radiotherapy and toremifene treatment. Toremifene monotherapy and/or preoperative adjuvant therapy with toremifene alone may be useful methods for elderly patients with breast cancer considering the patients' quality of life.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of tissue harmonic imaging for breast tumors and axillary lymph nodes.

We examined whether tissue harmonic imaging (THI) produces higher quality images of the breast and axilla than conventional sonography (CS). We studied 70 breast tumors in 68 consecutive patients and 170 axillary lymph nodes in 19 breast cancer patients. These areas were investigated by THI and CS, then image quality was evaluated by the consensus of three skilled radiologists. THI transmits and receives at 5.0 and 10.0 MHz, respectively, whereas CS uses 9.0 MHz. The evaluation parameters of image quality consisted of contrast and resolution with a visual scoring system. Resolution was individually evaluated on both proximal and distal sides of lesions. The grade of acoustic shadow was also evaluated. The quality in contrast (p<0.001) and proximal resolution (p<0.001) of breast tumors by THI was far superior to those of CS. Intense acoustic shadows degraded the distal resolution of breast lesions in THI compared with CS, but the quality of THI images of the axillary lymph nodes was higher with respect to all parameters (p<0.001). The grade of acoustic shadows did not differ between two modes of gray-scale sonography for lymph nodes. THI may improve diagnostic accuracy of breast and axillary lesions because image quality is improved, but acoustic shadows continue to present obstacles.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Docetaxel-cisplatin combined chemotherapy in Japanese patients with anthracycline-pretreated advanced breast cancer.

The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of docetaxel (DOC) 60 mg/m(2) and cisplatin (CDDP) 80 mg/m(2) combined chemotherapy in Japanese patients with anthracycline-pretreated advanced breast cancer, and to report the side effects of this therapy. Fourteen patients with anthracycline-pretreated advanced breast cancer were enrolled. DOC was administered at 60 mg/m(2) intravenously over at least 1 h, and then CDDP was administered at 80 mg/m(2) intravenously over at least 3 h. Two courses of this regimen were administered at an interval of 3-4 weeks. Two more courses were administered after 6 months if the disease did not progress, or toxicity was acceptable. The overall response (OR) rate was 64.3%. In the patients with metastases, OR was 58.3%, median duration of the response was 31 weeks (range, 6 to 78 weeks), and median overall survival was 85 weeks (range, 35 to >159). Grade 3/4 toxicities were: neutropenia 10/14; anorexia 5/14; nausea/vomiting 3/14; diarrhea 4/14; oral symptoms 1/14. In conclusion, the combination of DOC (60 mg/m(2)) and CDDP (80 mg/m(2)) is an active regimen that can be relatively safely administered to Japanese patients with anthracycline-pretreated advanced breast cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tamoxifen-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with breast cancer: determination of a suitable biopsy site for diagnosis.

We have evaluated the distribution of fatty infiltration in the liver for determination of a suitable biopsy site for diagnosis of tamoxifen-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with breast cancer. Thirty-eight consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing tamoxifen treatment were analyzed by CT to identify hepatic steatosis (HS) via calculation of the liver/spleen CT ratio in Couinaud's 8 areas. We defined hepatic fatty infiltration as a liver/spleen ratio of less than 0.9. The extent and distribution of the fatty infiltration was assessed using the liver/spleen ratio of the patients who had the lowest CT ratio below 0.9 in the 8 areas. Thirteen (34.2%) of the 38 patients had hepatic fatty infiltration. The liver/spleen ratios of each area differed significantly in all patients (p<0.0001). The CT ratio of these 13 patients was significantly lower in the right lobe than the left lobe (p<0.0001), although the ratios did not differ significantly among the 4 areas of the right lobe (p=0.52). Needle biopsy for diagnosis of NASH should be performed at the right lobe, which contains significantly more infiltrated fat than the left lobe in the liver.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differentiation of benign and malignant breast tumors using Doppler spectral parameters including acceleration time index.

Differentiation of breast cancer has been receiving increasing attention in attempts to minimize the numbers of excisional biopsies for benign tumors. Doppler spectral parameters, such as peak systolic velocity (PSV) and pulsatility index (PI), have been used but these are unable to differentiate breast cancers and benign tumors with adequate levels of specificity and sensitivity. The aim of this study was to determine whether the acceleration time index (ATI) could reliably differentiate breast tumors. In 102 breast masses, Doppler ultrasonography (US) was performed with a LOGIQ700MR. PSV, PI and ATI were calculated from intratumoral flow. Forty-eight malignant tumors were identified by histologic evaluation, 13 benign tumors were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and 41 benign masses were diagnosed by characteristic gray-scale findings and long-term (>18 months) follow-up examinations. Doppler signals were detected in 35 of 54 (64.8%) benign lesions and in 46 of 48 (95.8%) breast cancers. PSV and PI value showed no statistical significance between malignant and benign lesions (PSV; p=0.1147, PI; 0.1506). ATI values were lower in benign lesions (p<0.0001). An ATI value of 0.14 seems to be the optimum threshold for the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions (79.4% sensitivity, 87.2% specificity). No malignant lesions were seen when the ATI value was <0.14 and the PI value was <1.1. ATI was found to be the most useful parameter for differentiating benign breast tumors from malignant ones.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Thin-section CT evaluation and pathologic correlation of therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for axillary lymph nodes of clinically node-positive breast cancer patients.

In breast cancer patients, the number of surgically resected metastatic axillary lymph nodes has been considered to correlate closely with patient prognosis. Therefore, if metastatic lymph nodes could be controlled by neoadjuvant chemotherapy pre-operatively, we would be able to select a more appropriate regimen of post-operative chemotherapy for the individual patient and expect prognostic advantages of each patient with node-positive breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for metastatic lymph nodes of node-positive breast cancer patients, using thin-section (5 mm) helical CT (prone-position) with bolus injection of contrast agent. Between April 1994 and March 2002, 49 patients with node-positive breast cancer who had undergone thin-section CT study both before and following neoadjuvant chemotherapy enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 48.9 years and all were female. Concerning metastatic lymph nodes status, 45 patients were classified as N1, 2 patients as N2, and another 2 as N3. In the evaluation, if at least one lymph node of >5 mm in the short diameter was detected on the CT study, the case was classified as node-positive. For lymph nodes of >1 cm in short diameter, fine-needle aspiration biopsy guided by ultrasonography was performed in order to obtain pathological confirmation of the existence of cancer metastasis. The diagnostic results of the CT study were compared with the pathologic findings of the resected specimen operatively. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 3 to 4 times of CAF chemotherapy and an anti-estrogen agent, and intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was also performed in patients with lymph node status of N2 or N3. The axillary status of 15 (30.6%) out of the 49 patients was evaluated as N0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 14 out of the 15 patients were confirmed as node-negative based on the pathological results. Therefore, the diagnostic accuracy of the second CT study performed following the neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 85.7%, with a sensitivity of 96.6%, a specificity of 70.0%, a positive predictive value of 82.4%, and a negative predictive value of 93.3%. The results described above demonstrate that such a sophisticated and precise CT study performed following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and evaluating the therapeutic effect on metastatic lymph nodes following the neoadjuvant chemotherapy can help to determine an appropriate regimen of post-operative chemotherapy and be of prognostic advantage in patients with node-positive breast cancer.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMedDate not supplied

CT findings of breast cancer with clinically complete response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy--histological correlation.

In breast cancer patients, several regimens of neoadjuvant chemotherapy have been developed in order to achieve prognostic advantages for individual patients. Though some percentages of breast cancer patients show clinically complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the histopathological specimens of these patients demonstrate a considerably high frequency of the existence of residual disease. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients showing clinically complete response (cCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, using thin-section (5 mm) helical CT (prone position) with bolus injection of contrast agent. Between April 1994 and March 2002, 9 patients with breast cancer showing cCR to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, who had undergone thin-section CT study both before and following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 46.2 years and all of them were female. The clinical stages were, 8 patients in stage II, and one in stage IIIA. In the CT evaluation, residual disease was visualized in 5 out of the 9 patients. Histopathological examination disclosed the existence of residual cancers in 6 out of the 9 patients, but only non-invasive cancer was revealed in 1 out of the 6. As patients having residual disease composed only of non-invasive cancer are classified into the pathologically complete response group according to the WHO classification, 4 out of these 9 patients showing clinically complete response to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy were classified into pCR (pathologically complete response) group, and another 5 were classified into the pPR (pathologically partial response) group. As a result, the diagnostic accuracy of the second CT study performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated as 77.8%, with a sensitivity of 80.0%, a specificity of 75.0%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 80.0%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 75.0%. Therefore, for precise evaluation of the neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic effect for breast cancer, thin-section CT studies are considered to be essential.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Follow-up CT findings of tamoxifen-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) of breast cancer patients treated with bezafibrate.

One-third of the breast cancer patients who underwent tamoxifen intake showed less than 0.9 of their liver/spleen CT (computed tomography) ratio on their annual CT study, and were diagnosed as having fatty liver (hepatic steatosis). Among them, patients who showed a lower liver/spleen CT ratio of less than 0.5 were recommended to undergo needle biopsy of the liver in order to obtain histopathological confirmation of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with 15 patients undergoing needle biopsy of the liver. As a result, 14 out of the 15 patients were diagnosed as having NASH, and these patients were additionally administered bezafibrate in order to prevent possible progressive changes of NASH into liver cirrhosis. In this study, we show the changes of follow-up CT findings of 6 patients with histopathologically-proven NASH who continued to undergo bezafibrate intake after the diagnosis of NASH. Two patients showed almost complete improvement as indicated by the liver/spleen CT ratio several months after completion of a tamoxifen intake of 5 years, and another 3 showed partial improvement on their liver/spleen CT ratio by bezafibrate intake in spite of continuing tamoxifen intake. Another patient with diabetes mellitus (type II) showed a continually decreasing liver/spleen CT ratio during adjuvant tamoxifen in spite of bezafibrate intake. Therefore, we concluded that the progression of NASH could be prevented by bezafibrate without any interruption of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment. For patients with diabetes mellitus, critical follow-up using CT study and laboratory tests is considered essential.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pituitary stalk metastasis from breast cancer treated with systemic chemotherapy.

We describe a 61-year-old woman with diabetes insipidus caused by a pituitary stalk metastasis from breast cancer. She had a medical history of breast conservation therapy for early breast cancer 5 years previously. Pituitary, lung, liver, bone and neck lymphnode metastases was revealed at the same time. She received systemic chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel and cisplatin. After chemotherapy MRI finding in pituitary gland was improved, lung and liver metastases also improved, however, symptoms of diabetes insipidus did not improve. She is alive, receiving endocrine treatment for 2 years, since onset of diabetes insipidus.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diffuse micronodular pulmonary metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma predicts gefitinib response in association with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations.

Female, non-smoker, Asian ethnicity and adenocarcinoma histology are the major clinical predictors of gefitinib response in non-small cell lung cancer, as shown in previous studies. Recently, response to gefitinib has been associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Higher rates of mutation were seen in females, patients with adenocarcinomas, the Asian population and never-smokers, which may explain the clinical response predictors. The presence of diffuse micronodular pulmonary metastasis on chest imaging as a novel clinical predictor of its response is proposed here. Two cases of lung adenocarcinomas in men presenting with diffuse micronodular pulmonary metastasis were encountered. Both patients showed a major response to gefitinib. The dramatic reduction of micronodular pulmonary nodules throughout both lungs on computed tomography scans was achieved after treatment for a couple of months with 250 mg of oral gefitinib. In the molecular analysis, one patient had a heterozygous delL746-A750 mutation and the other had a heterozygous L858R EGFR mutation. In conclusion, patients with lung adenocarcinoma, even men, who presented with bilateral diffuse micronodular metastatic spread to the lungs tended to have an activated EGFR mutation. Therefore, they are most likely to receive benefits from molecular target drugs such as gefitinib and possibly erlotinib.

Adenocarcinoma↗