Psychological Factors and Characteristics of Recurrent Breast Cancer Patients with or without Psychosocial Group Therapy Intervention

To clarify psychological factors of patients with recurrent breast cancer, we examined their interest in group intervention and studied the characteristics of participants and non-participants in an intervention program. Using several self-administered assessment scales to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients and the symptoms specific to breast cancer patients, we compared sociomedical variables and QOL scores between participants and non-participants. Inter-group differences were significant in the scores for constipation, body image and future perspectives, suggesting the QOL to be higher among participants than non-participants. Interest in group intervention was identified as a major reason for participation in this type of program. Not only physical but also psychological factors were shown to be the reasons for deciding not to participate in group intervention. It is now desirable that efforts be made to stimulate greater understanding of group intervention as a means of psychosocial support for patients with recurrent breast cancer and that social environments be arranged so that these patients are supported by an approach tailored to individual cases, involving both group and individual intervention

Successful Management of Humoral Hypercalcemia of Malignancy in A Patient with Ovarian Cancer

We present here successful treatment with bisphosphonate pamidronate of a 54-year-old patient with advanced ovarian cancer and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, followed by cytoreductive surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. Concentration of serum calcium increased to 16.8 mg/dL and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP)-intact was remarkably elevated. Interestingly, the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-DHD) was high in this case. Treatment with bisphosphonate pamidronate was effective for the improvement of hypercalcemia so that she could undergo optimal surgery followed by postoperative chemotherapy. The histochemical examination of PTHrP using anti-human monoclonal antibody showed positive staining in the cancer cells of the ovary

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Taxane and Platinum Followed by Radical Hysterectomy for Stage IB2-IIB Cervical Cancer: Impact of Histology Type on Survival

The current study examined the histology-specific impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with a taxane/platinum regimen on survival in women with locally-advanced cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy. This nation-wide retrospective cohort study examined women with clinical stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer who received NACT prior to radical hysterectomy from 2004⁻2008 (n = 684). NACT type (taxane/platinum versus others) was correlated with survival based on histology: 511 squamous versus 173 non-squamous. Taxane/platinum chemotherapy use was more common in non-squamous compared to squamous tumors (53.8% versus 20.7%, P < 0.001). In both histology types, the taxane/platinum regimen was more frequently utilized over time (both, P < 0.01). Among squamous tumors, women who received taxane/platinum chemotherapy had survival comparable to those who received other regimens: 5-year rates for disease-free survival, 69.0% versus 70.1%, P = 0.98; and cause-specific survival, 80.0% versus 81.0%, P = 0.93. Similarly, in non-squamous tumors, disease-free survival (5-year rates: 60.4% versus 59.0%, P = 0.86) and cause-specific survival (74.7% versus 76.3%, P = 0.70) were similar. In conclusion, use of taxane/platinum regimens for NACT significantly increased during the study period. Irrespective of histology type, in women with clinical stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer who underwent NACT prior to radical hysterectomy, taxane/platinum regimens had a similar effect on survival compared to non-taxane/platinum regimens