• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.199-205
• /
• 2010

This paper presents a tumor detection system for breast cancer that utilizes two-dimensional (2D) image reconstruction with microwave tomographic imaging. The breast cancer detection system under development consists of 16 transmit/receive antennas, and the microwave tomography system operates at 900 MHz. To solve a 2D inverse scattering problem, the method of moments (MoM) is employed for forward problem solving, and the simplex method employed as an optimization algorithm. The results of the reconstructed image show that the method accurately shows the position of a breast tumor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.2207-2212
• /
• 2013

Cancer prevention is rapidly emerging as a major strategy to reduce cancer mortality. In the field of breast cancer, significant strides have recently been made in the understanding of underlying preventive mechanisms. Currently, three major strategies have been linked to an increase in breast cancer risk: obesity, lack of physical exercise, and high levels of saturated dietary fat. As a result, prevention strategies for breast cancer are usually centered on these lifestyle factors. Unfortunately, there remains controversy regarding epidemiological studies that seek to determine the benefit of these lifestyle changes. We have identified crucial mechanisms that may help clarify these conflicting studies. For example, recent reports with olive oil have demonstrated that it may influence crucial transcription factors and reduce breast tumor aggressiveness by targeting HER2. Similarly, physical exercise reduces sex hormone levels, which may help protect against breast cancer. Obesity promotes tumor cell growth and cell survival through upregulation of leptin and insulin-like growth factors. This review seeks to discuss these underlying mechanisms, and more behind the three major prevention strategies, as a means of understanding how breast cancer can be prevented.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.3747-3750
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of conservative surgery plus chemo-, radio-therapy in treating patients with early stage breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Eligible patients were treated by postoperative chemotherapy as well as whole-breast irradiation with tumor bed boost. Postoperative radiotherapy consisted of 6 MV whole breast linear accelerator irradiation with two tangential half fields to a total dose of 45~50 Gy, followed by $10{\sim}15MeV{\beta}$ boost irradiation to tumor bed for 10~20Gy, total dose 56~66Gy. Results: Fifty-two patients were enrolled. Overall 1-, 2- and 3 year survival rates were 98.1%, 92.3%, and 90.4%, respectively, with a local recurrence rate of 5.77%. Cosmetic results were evaluated as good by doctors in 90.4% of patients. Conclusions: Breast conservative surgery combined with chemo- radio-therapy could be a treatment option for Chinese patients with early stage breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3507-3511
• /
• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate possible mechanisms of LOX gene effects on invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells by RNA interference. Methods: LOX-RNAi-LV was designed, synthesized, and then transfected into a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). Expression of LOX, MMP-2 and MMP-9 was determined by real-time PCR, and protein expression of LOX by Western blotting. Cell migration and invasiveness were assessed with Transwell chambers. A total of 111 cases of breast cancer tissues, cancer-adjacent normal breast tissues, and 20 cases of benign lesion tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: Expression of LOX mRNA and protein was suppressed, and the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was significantly lower in the RNAi group than the control group (P<0.05), after LOX-RNAi-LV was transfection into MDA-MB-231 cells. Migration and invasion abilities were obviously inhibited. The expression of LOX protein in breast cancer, cancer-adjacent normal breast tissues and benign breast tumor were 48.6% (54/111), 26.1% (29/111), 20.0% (4/20), respectively, associations being noted with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and ER, PR, HER2, but not age. LOX protein was positively correlated with MMP-2 and MMP-9. Conclusion: LOX displayed an important role in invasion and metastasis of breast cancer by regulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression which probably exerted synergistic effects on the extracellular matrix (ECM).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.16
• /
• pp.7351-7357
• /
• 2015

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Roles of the Epstein-Barr, Merkel cell polyoma and mouse mammary tumor viruses in breast carcinogenesis are still controversial although any relationship would clearly be important for breast cancer etiology, early detection and prevention. In the present study associations between EBV, MMTV and Merkel cell polyoma virus and breast cancer in 100 Iranian patients were evaluated using paraffin-embedded tissues. EBER RNA and expression of p53 and large T antigen were evaluated by real time PCR and CD34, p63, HER2, PR and ER markers were studied by immunohistochemistry. EBV was detected in 8/100 (8%), MMTV in 12/100 (12%), MPy in 3/100 (3%) and EBER RNA in 18/100 (18%) cases. None of the control samples demonstrated any of the viruses. p53 was suppressed in EBV, MPy and MMTV positive samples. The large T antigen rate was raised in MPy positive samples. Our results showed that EBV, MMTV and the Merkel cell polyoma virus are foundwith some proportion of breast cancers in our patients, suggesting that these viruses might have a significant role in breast cancer in Kerman, southeast of Iran.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.1783-1789
• /
• 2014

Background: The EMSY gene encodes a BRCA2-binding partner protein that represses the DNA repair function of BRCA2 in non-hereditary breast cancer. Although amplification of EMSY gene has been proposed to have prognostic value in breast cancer, no data have been available concerning EMSY tissue expression patterns and its associations with clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we examined the expression and localization pattern of EMSY protein by immunohistochemistry and assessed its prognostic value in a well-characterized series of 116 unselected breast carcinomas with a mean follow up of 47 months using tissue microarray technique. Results: Immunohistochemical expression of EMSY protein was detected in 76% of primary breast tumors, localized in nuclear (18%), cytoplasmic (35%) or both cytoplasmic and nuclear sites (23%). Univariate analysis revealed a significant positive association between EMSY expression and lymph node metastasis (p value=0.045) and larger tumor size (p value=0.027), as well as a non-significant relation with increased risk of recurrence (p value=0.088), whereas no association with patients' survival (log rank test, p value=0.482), tumor grade or type was observed. Conclusions: Herein, we demonstrated for the first time the immunostaining pattern of EMSY protein in breast tumors. Our data imply that EMSY protein may have impact on clinicipathological parameters and could be considered as a potential target for breast cancer treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.4965-4969
• /
• 2015

LCN2 (Lipocalin 2) is a 25 KD secreted acute phase protein, reported to be a novel regulator of angiogenesis in breast cancer. Up regulation of LCN2 had been observed in multiple cancers including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer. However, the role of LCN2 promoter methylation in the formation of microvessels is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of LCN 2 promoter methylation with microvessel formation and tumor cell proliferation in breast cancer patients. The LCN2 promoter methylation status was studied in 64 breast cancer tumors by methylation specific PCR (MSP). Evaluation of microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 cell proliferation index was achieved by immunohistochemical staining using CD34 and MIB-1 antibodies, respectively. LCN2 promoter unmethylation status was observed in 43 (67.2%) of breast cancer patients whereas LCN2 methylation status was seen in 21 (32.8%). Further, LCN2 promoter unmethylation status was associated with aggressive tumor phenotype and elevated mean MVD in breast cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.857-860
• /
• 2012

Serum tumor marker CA15-3 is widely used in follow-up for assessment of breast cancer prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate levels among healthy females and patients, to assess differences with tumor stage and grade, and to determine the relationship with estrogen and progesterone receptor expression. One hundred and thirty six Jordanian females were enrolled in this study: Forty-five were healthy females; seventy-two were diagnosed with breast cancer and nineteen diagnosed with benign breast lesions. Elevated serum CA15-3 level was significantly observed among breast cancer patients ($37.95{\pm}6.65$) compared to both healthy ($14.97{\pm}0.8$) and benign females ($12.30{\pm}1.55$), but no significant association was detected between serum CA15-3 level and age of cancer onset, menarche age, menopause age, parity and BMI. Decreased CA15-3 level was significantly associated with hormone therapy and oral contraceptive consumption among breast cancer patients. Significantly elevated CA15-3 serum levels were found among grade II, III and stage II and III breast cancer females compared to normal healthy females. Elevated CA15-3 serum levels were also found among ER+/PR+($54.242{\pm}7.89$) and ER+/PR-($37.08{\pm}8.22$) compared to healthy control females.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.252-257
• /
• 2013

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a specific serine protease expressed in tumor stroma proven to be a stimulatory factor in the progression of some cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of FAP knockdown on tumor growth and the tumor microenvironment. Mice bearing 4T1 subcutaneous tumors were treated with liposome-shRNA complexes targeting FAP. Tumor volumes and weights were monitored, and FAP, collagen, microvessel density (MVD), and apoptosis were measured. Our studies showed that shRNA targeting of FAP in murine breast cancer reduces FAP expression, inhibits tumor growth, promotes collagen accumulation (38%), and suppresses angiogenesis (71.7%), as well as promoting apoptosis (by threefold). We suggest that FAP plays a role in tumor growth and in altering the tumor microenvironment. Targeting FAP may therefore represent a supplementary therapy for breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.3857-3862
• /
• 2012

A total of 96 cases of invasive breast ductal carcinoma were examined for immunohistochemical expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the epithelial tumor cells and endothelial cells of the blood vessels. We also investigated the association between both proteins in the epithelium in relation to tumor characteristics such as tumor size, grade, lymph node involvement, microvessel density (MVD), hormonal receptors expression and c-erbB-2 overexpression. Bax expression showed a significant association between tumor and endothelial cells (p<0.001) while Bcl-2 expression in tumor cells was inversely associated with that in the endothelial cells (p<0.001). Expression of Bcl-2 in tumor cells was strongly associated with expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors (p=0.003 and p=0.004, respectively). In addition, intratumoral MVD was significantly higher than peritumoral MVD (p<0.001) but not associated with Bax or Bcl-2 expression and other tumor characteristics. We concluded that the number of endothelial cells undergoing apoptosis was in direct linkage with the number of apoptotic tumor cells. Anti-apoptotic activity of the surviving tumor cells appears to propagate cancer progression and this was influenced by the hormonal status of the cells. Tumor angiogenesis was especially promoted in the intratumoral region and angiogenesis was independent of anti-apoptotic activity.