5 research outputs found
Pilot phase III immunotherapy study in early-stage breast cancer patients using oxidized mannan-MUC1 [ISRCTN71711835]
INTRODUCTION: Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a high molecular weight glycoprotein overexpressed on adenocarcinoma cells and is a target for immunotherapy protocols. To date, clinical trials against MUC1 have included advanced cancer patients. Herein, we report a trial using early stage breast cancer patients and injection of oxidized mannan-MUC1. METHOD: In a randomized, double-blind study, 31 patients with stage II breast cancer and with no evidence of disease received subcutaneous injections of either placebo or oxidized mannan-MUC1, to immunize against MUC1 and prevent cancer reoccurrence/metastases. Twenty-eight patients received the full course of injections of either oxidized mannan-MUC1 or placebo. Survival and immunological assays were assessed. RESULTS: After more than 5.5 years had elapsed since the last patient began treatment (8.5 years from the start of treatment of the first patient), the recurrence rate in patients receiving the placebo was 27% (4/15; the expected rate of recurrence in stage II breast cancer); those receiving immunotherapy had no recurrences (0/16), and this finding was statistically significant (P = 0.0292). Of the patients receiving oxidized mannan-MUC1, nine out of 13 had measurable antibodies to MUC1 and four out of 10 had MUC1-specific T cell responses; none of the placebo-treated patients exhibited an immune response to MUC1. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that, in early breast cancer, MUC1 immunotherapy is beneficial, and that a larger phase III study should be undertaken
Diet and Expression of Estrogen Alpha and Progesterone Receptors in Malignant Mammary Tissue
Estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) expression has
been associated with more favorable breast cancer prognosis. Results on
the differential association of diet with ER and/or PR positive and
negative tumors have been inconclusive. In a large case-control study
conducted in Athens, Greece, we investigated whether diet is associated
with the expression of ERalpha or PR in mammary tumors of 421 women with
histologically confirmed breast cancer. Diet was assessed through an
extensive food frequency questionnaire and results were analyzed using
multiple logistic regression. After controlling for non-nutritional
variables and mutually adjusting for energy-generating nutrients and
ethanol, carbohydrate intake was inversely associated with ER-alpha (P =
0.04) and PR (P = 0.10) expression. The odds ratios (OR) per one
standard deviation increment were 0.69 with 95% confidence interval
(95% CI) 0.48-0.98 for ER-alpha and 0.72 (95% CI 0.49-1.07) for PR
expression. No consistent or statistically significant associations were
noted for any of the other energy-generating nutrients or food groups
examined. Although in these data no strong relations of qualitative
aspects of diet with hormone receptor expression in breast cancer tumors
were evident, the inverse association of carbohydrate intake with
ERalpha, and perhaps PR, expression merits further study in future
investigations