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A multi-institutional trials program was initiated to define the effects of interferons in disseminated human breast carcinoma. Interferon alpha, prepared from buffy coats, was administered intramuscularly at 3 x 10(6) U daily for an initial period of 28 days. Of 23 patients who entered the program, five had an objective partial response of 92 days mean duration at diverse sites of involvement. Patients who responded were significantly older (p = 0.05) than nonresponders. Dose escalation in eight patients did not result in any clear evidence of additional responses. Major toxicities were fatigue, anorexia with weight loss, and reversible leukopenia (less than 3.5 x 10(9) leukocytes/L in 16 patients). Natural killer cell and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity were significantly (p less than 0.05) enhanced 48 hours after interferon administration began but subsequently declined despite continued therapy. Serum beta 2-microglobulin concentration increased on day 15 (p less than 0.05) and remained significantly elevated on day 22 (p less than 0.005). Peak interferon titers (mean, 62 U) occurred 6 hours after interferon was started, varied widely between patients, and were higher and more persistent with dose escalation. Once an optimal dose is defined, prospectively randomized trials will define what role interferons may have in systemic therapy of breast carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the results of a new method for surgical treatment of aphakic eye glaucoma with the use of low-frequency ultrasound. The suggested surgery, ultrasonic cyclodialysis, was carried out in 15 patients with glaucoma on the aphakic eyes. A follow-up of 6 months has demonstrated a stable normalization of intraocular pressure. The mechanism of the hypotensive effect of the operation is explained largely by improvement of fluid discharge and a certain inhibition of the chamber humor production. The authors emphasize the sparing nature of the operation and a serene postoperative course.

The surgical treatment and outcome of 31 women with a pathologic diagnosis of cystosarcoma phyllodes at Roswell Park Memorial Institute were reviewed. Surgical excision was performed upon 20 patients with a mean tumor size of 4.5 centimeters (range of 1.0 to 9.0 centimeters). Mastectomy was performed initially upon 11 patients with a mean tumor size of 15 centimeters (range of 3 to 40 centimeters). Local recurrence was seen in five patients treated by excision and one patient treated by mastectomy. All patients retreated by repeat excisions were controlled; one patient retreated with mastectomy died with local recurrence and distant disease. Routine axillary dissections were not performed. Involvement of the axillary lymph nodes occurred in one patient and was associated with advanced systemic disease. Local recurrences did not imply associated systemic spread and were controlled in five of six patients by repeat excision or mastectomy. Although the benign behavior of this tumor is commonly emphasized, four of the patients we studied died of malignant spread of cystosarcoma phyllodes.

Two routes of administration were used to test the susceptibility of the mammary gland of the rat to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) carcinogenesis in relation to age of the tissue. In one series of experiments, 60-, 70-, 90-, 120-, 150-, and 200-day-old female noninbred Sprague-Dawley rats were given DMBA iv. In parallel experiments, rats of the same ages as those above were given DMBA by local application. Mammary tumors developed in 80-90% of the 60- and 70-day-old rats and in 40% of the 90-day-old rats. Rats 120 days old and older were completely "refractory" to DMBA. In contrast, all rats, irrespective of their ages, developed tumors when DMBA was applied locally. The DNA synthesis labeling index (LI) of mammary glands of rats in two series of experiments was examined by [3H]thymidine incorporation and autoradiography at 24, 48, and 72 hours after DMBA treatment. DMBA, given iv significantly inhibited DNA synthesis in mammary glands, but DMBA applied locally significantly increased the LI of the mammary glands. Thus the LI of the mammary glands in 60-day-old rats increased from 8% (control, untreated) to 16% (rats receiving local applications of DMBA), whereas the LI of the mammary glands in 150-day-old rats increased from 1.15% (control, untreated) to 8% (rats receiving local application of DMBA).

The hydrodynamic properties of rat hepatic prolactin receptors have been determined by a combination of gel chromatography and ultracentrifugation. Prolactin receptors were detergent extracted from partially purified plasma membranes prepared from female rat livers. Fifteen different nonionic detergents were tested for solubilizing prolactin receptors, including Triton X-100, Polyoxyethylene W-1, Lubrol WX, detergents of the Tween and Brij series, and digitonin. When the receptors were detergent solubilized after ligand was bound to the receptor, 1% Triton X-100 had the highest efficacy of solubilization. However, if the receptors were solubilized prior to exposure to ligand, maximum binding was to receptors solubilized with 0.25% Triton X-100. The Kd of 43.2-74.5 pM for binding to the soluble receptor was three- to fivefold lower than the Kd for the membrane receptor. Gel chromatography (Bio-Gel A-1.5m, 2.5 x 50 cm) of the soluble receptor indicated a Stokes radius (Rs) of 5.0 nm for the hormone-receptor-detergent complex. The hydrodynamic properties of the receptor-detergent-ligand complex were determined by centrifugation in 5-20% sucrose gradients in H2O and in D2O. They are v = 0.7; S20,w = 4.7; f/f0 = 1.49; Mr = 118,000 for the complex, 73,000 for the receptor alone. Approximately 0.22 mg of Triton X-100 is estimated bound per milligram of protein. This represents about 25 mol detergent/mol receptor.

A retrospective analysis of 52 patients with intraductal carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 30 patients with microinvasive DCIS was performed. All patients but one were treated by mastectomy. The average follow-up was 5 1/2 years. The clinical presentation of the patients having DCIS only included the presence of a mass in 33% (17/52), nipple discharge in 34% (18/52), or suspicious mammographic finding in 33% (17/52), whereas in those patients having DCIS with microinvasion, the initial presenting symptom was a mass in 63% (19/30) of the patients, nipple discharge in 13% (4/30), and mammographic finding in 23% (7/30). The presence of axillary lymph node metastasis was identified in one of the 52 patients with DCIS and six (20%) of the 30 patients with DCIS and microinvasion. Associated carcinomas in the mastectomy specimens of patients with DCIS were as follows: DCIS, 18% (9/51); lobular carcinoma in situ, 13% (7/51); Paget's disease, 8% (4/51); and invasive carcinoma, 2% (1/51). In the 30 patients with microinvasion, DCIS was found in other quadrants in 23% (7/51) of the patients; lobular carcinoma in situ, 7% (2/51); Paget's disease, 13% (4/51); and invasive carcinoma, 7% (2/51). There was one death due to cancer in the patients with DCIS only. Of the patients diagnosed as having DCIS with microinvasion, seven patients have developed metastasis and four have died of the disease.

Sialyltransferase and 5'-nucleotidase were measured in the sera of 135 women with breast cancer: 53 undergoing mastectomy for primary cancer and 83 receiving different modalities of palliative therapy for metastatic disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether these enzyme levels were associated with the extent of the disease and whether changes in these enzyme levels could be correlated with success or failure of treatment. Mastectomy caused a rapid fall of elevated enzyme levels to within the normal range in all patients with stage I breast cancer but not in those with stage II or III disease. In women with metastatic disease, elevated enzyme levels fell only in patients responding to treatment. Thus serum sialyltransferase and 5'-nucleotidase activities are reliable biomarkers of breast cancer activity, and serial measurement of these enzyme activities provides a useful tool for the monitoring of disease activity and success or failure of the treatment.