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    Search British Journal of Cancer Help Site Index 21 August 2008 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cancer Research UK


Molecular Diagnostics

British Journal of Cancer (2007) 97, 654-658.
doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603916 www.bjcancer.com Published online 28 August 2007

Optimal indications of endocrine therapy alone as adjuvant systemic treatment of breast cancer

R Horii1, F Akiyama1, Y Ito2 and T Iwase2

1Department of Pathology, The Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

2Department of Breast Oncology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan



Correspondence to: Dr R Horii, E-mail: rie.horii@jfcr.or.jp

Received 12 April 2007; revised 3 July 2007; accepted 5 July 2007; published online 28 August 2007



We examined the validity of the St Gallen algorithm for Japanese breast cancer patients and sought the optimal indications of endocrine monotherapy as adjuvant systemic treatment. According to the 2005 St Gallen algorithm, endocrine responsiveness (responsive, uncertain, or non-responsive) and recurrence risk (low, intermediate, or high) were assessed in 436 invasive breast cancer patients, who underwent surgery and adjuvant therapy of tamoxifen alone in 1982-1993. Furthermore, intermediate-risk patients were divided into three groups based on lymph node metastasis and number of risk factors as follows: Group A, negative lymph node metastasis and one risk factor; Group B, negative lymph node metastasis and two to five risk factors; and Group C, positive lymph node metastasis. Cumulative 10-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of each type were calculated. Recurrence-free survival was as follows: endocrine responsiveness; responsive: 86.0%, uncertain: 79.5%, non-responsive: 72.4%, risk category; low: 93.3%, intermediate: 84.0%, high: 59.6%, intermediate-risk patients; Group A: 93.5%, Group B: 88.2%, and Group C: 75.0%. In conclusion, patient classification based on St Gallen algorithm appears valid in Japanese breast cancer patients. Endocrine monotherapy may be sufficient as adjuvant treatment in the intermediate-risk patients, in which only one risk factor was present without any metastatic involvement in lymph node.

Keywords: breast cancer; adjuvant therapy; St Gallen expert consensus meeting; pathology

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