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Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Die Informiertheit von Krebspatienten beeinflusst verschiedene Bereiche. Ziel der Studie ist zu untersuchen, welche Informationsquellen junge Brustkrebspatientinnen mit Kindern nutzen und wie sie die Informationslage bewerten. Methodik Die Teilnehmerinnen waren Rehabilitandinnen einer Reha-Masnahme fur junge Mutter mit nicht-fernmetastasiertem Brustkrebs (Projekt „gemeinsam gesund werden“ in Gromitz). Mittels Fragebogen wurden das Informationsverhalten, die Informationslage, klinische und soziodemographische Daten erfasst. Ergebnisse Die Patientinnen (n = 827) nutzten diverse zusatzliche Informationsquellen, vorrangig das Internet (69,5%; n = 767). Die Mehrheit fuhlte sich ausreichend uber die Erkrankung informiert und fand die Informationen hierzu leicht verstandlich. Ein sozialer Gradient hinsichtlich der Mediennutzung, der Informationsbewertung und dem Einholen einer Zweitmeinung war zu beobachten. Schlussfolgerung Fur Brustkrebspatientinnen hat das Internet eine zentrale Bedeutung. Die Hinweise auf einen sozialen Gradienten betonen, dass Informationsquellen auch auf Patientinnen mit niedrigerer sozialer Lage ausgerichtet werden mussen.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (calcitriol) is the most active natural metabolite of Vitamin D(3). It has strong antiproliferative and differentiating effects on various cell types including breast cancer cells. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D(3)-1alpha-hydroxylase (1alpha-hydroxylase, CYP27B1) is one of the key enzymes in the formation of calcitriol. It has been found in breast cancer cells suggesting an autocrine regulation of formation of calcitriol in these cells. Alternative splicing of the encoding genes for this enzyme can possibly play a role in regulating the enzyme level and can explain tissue specific variations of 1alpha-hydroxylase activity. Splice variants containing intron 1 may encode for truncated proteins with deletion of protein domains which are essential for its enzymatic activity. In order to obtain more information on the abundance of 1alpha-hydroxylase splice variants, we performed a highly specific nested touchdown PCR in MCF-7 cells. The full-length sequence of 1alpha-hydroxylase and two different splice variants of this enzyme containing intron 1 were isolated. By Western blot technique we then confirmed the protein products of the full-length enzyme and its splice variants. We hypothesize that that the expression of splice variants can lead to a quantitatively lower expression of the mRNA of the full-length enzyme. The abundance of less active 1alpha-hydroxylase protein variants can alter the local synthesis of calcitriol in the cells and may explain variations of enzymatic activity in different cells and tissues.

The most appropriate treatment for the individual patient with brain metastases from gynecological cancer is unclear. Most of these patients receive whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone. Prognostic factors predicting the outcomes of these patients may guide the physician to select the appropriate treatment regimen for the individual patient. The data of 42 patients with brain metastases from gynecological cancer treated with WBRT alone were retrospectively analyzed. Six potential prognostic factors were evaluated for survival and intracerebral control including WBRT regimen, age, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), primary tumor type, number of brain metastases, and extracranial metastases at the time of WBRT. On univariate analysis, improved survival was associated with KPS > or = 70 (P or = 70 (P=0.003). KPS was also significant in the multivariate analysis (P=0.007). KPS was the most important predictor for both survival and intracerebral control. For patients with a KPS or = 70, more aggressive treatment regimens including longer courses of WBRT, resection or radiosurgery should be seriously considered