Factors Mediating Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Delayed Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Background: Despite improvements, disparities in breast cancer care have led to an inequitable distribution of treatment delays and worse outcomes among patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to quantify the contribution of mediators that may explain racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer treatment delays.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients from the National Cancer Database with stage I-III breast cancer who underwent surgical resection.

100 Disruptive Publications in Breast Cancer Research.

Background: Breast cancer has a rich history of research over the past 75 years. Many studies have had disruptive influences on the field itself. Our study employs a new, validated measurement to determine the most disruptive publications within the field of breast cancer.

Safety and Efficacy of Palbociclib and Radiation Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Initial Results of a Novel Combination.

Purpose: Palbociclib is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor approved for metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Preclinical evidence suggests a possible synergistic effect of palbociclib when combined with radiation therapy (RT); however, the toxicity of this pairing is unknown. We report preliminary results on the use of this combination.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Endocrine therapy is a critical part of adjuvant therapy in women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, and has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence and death from breast cancer. For decades, 5 years of tamoxifen has been the standard treatment. For premenopausal women, it remains so, and we await the results of ongoing trials to define the role of ovarian suppression or ablation with endocrine therapy.

Phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective randomized trial of adjuvant tamoxifen vs. tamoxifen and fenretinide in postmenopausal women with positive receptors (EB193): an intergroup trial coordinated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

Fenretinide and tamoxifen have additive antitumor effects preclinically. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind adjuvant trial in breast cancer patients treated for 5 years with tamoxifen, with or without fenretinide. Between October 1995 and October 1999, 426 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer were randomized.

Radiation recall reaction with docetaxel administration after accelerated partial breast irradiation with electronic brachytherapy.

Purpose: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) offers several advantages over whole breast irradiation. Electronic brachytherapy may further reduce barriers to breast conserving therapy by making APBI more available. However, its toxicity profile is not well characterized.

Effects of ERBB2 amplicon size and genomic alterations of chromosomes 1, 3, and 10 on patient response to trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer.

Trastuzumab is widely used for advanced breast cancer patients with ERBB2-amplified tumors. Nevertheless, over half of these patients do not have an objective response. One reason may be altered expression of genes that might compensate for ERBB2 inhibition.

Efficacy of topical cyclosporine 0.05% in the treatment of dry eye associated with graft versus host disease.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of topical cyclosporine 0.05% (Restasis) in patients with dry eye associated with graft versus host disease after stem cell transplantation.

Methods: After completing a 3-month run-in period of using only artificial tears to control dry eye symptoms in both eyes, patients who failed to achieve adequate relief (n = 8) were instructed to instill topical cyclosporine twice a day.