Several pilot studies have indicated that SLN biopsy can be used to identify axillary lymph node metastases in patients with breast cancer. To confirm this finding, a multicenter study in a variety of practice settings was performed. A total of 674 patients with breast cancer at five institutions were enrolled. The techniques of SLN identification included the vital dye-guided and the vital dye- and gamma probe-guided methods. The SLN was removed, and complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was performed. SLN and ALND specimens were examined separately. The SLN was successfully identified in 214 (94%) of 227 patients using the combined dye- and gamma probe-guided methods. The SLN was identified in 332 (74%) of 447 patients using vital dye-guided method alone. Patient age of at least 21 years, medially located primary tumor, and clinically positive nodes were correlated with failure to identify the SLN. The accuracy of SLN biopsy for the detection of metastatic disease was 96% (522 of 546), and the sensitivity was 90% (203 of 226). Accuracy of 100% was achieved in the patients with tumors less than 1.6 cm in diameter. All 23 false negative results occurred with larger primary tumors. SLN biopsy can accurately predict the presence or absence of axillary lymph node metastases, particularly in patients with small (< or = 1.5 cm) breast cancers.

We investigated the antitumor effects induced by the production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) or IL-18, which influence the function of T helper type 1 cells, in murine colon carcinoma cells (Colon 26). Retrovirally transduced cells with IL-12 genes that encoded both p35 and p40 (Colon 26/IL-12) lost their tumorigenicity when inoculated subcutaneously or intraperitoneally into syngeneic immunocompetent mice. Moreover, the mice that had rejected the Colon 26/IL-12 cells generated protective immunity to wild-type

We examined a 31-year-old woman with a solid mass in her left axilla. Physical examination and ultrasonography confirmed a 2 cm well-defined mass. Fine needle aspiration biopsy suggested fibroadenoma of breast. Excisional biopsy revealed benign phyllodes tumor of the ectopic breast tissue. Phyllodes tumor in ectopic breast tissue is an extremely rare occurrence. Only nine cases have been reported, including tumors of the vulva, inguinal region and axilla. This is the second case in the axillary region.

A total of 100 gastric adenocarcinomas, comprising 50 cases with lymph node metastasis and 50 cases without lymph node metastasis, were examined for immunohistochemical reactivity with the monoclonal antibody to urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), Lex related 4C9 antigen, Jun, or to nucleobindin (Nuc). In tumors with lymph node metastasis, 41 (82%) were positive for u-PA and 28 (56%) were positive for Nuc. In tumors without lymph node metastasis, 26 (52%) were positive for u-PA and five (10%) were positive for Nuc. The percentage of cases positive for u-PA or Nuc was significantly higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis than that in tumors without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01). The expression of u-PA was found to be significantly correlated with that of Nuc (P < 0.001), mode of infiltrative growth (P < 0.05), depth of invasion (P < 0.01), and grade of lymphatic invasion (P < 0.01). However, the expression of Nuc was found to be significantly correlated with the expression of Jun (P < 0.05), depth of invasion (P < 0.01), and grade of lymphatic invasion (P < 0.001). These results suggest that immunohistochemical examination for the expression of u-PA and Nuc in tumor cells may help evaluate the potential of adenocarcinomas of the stomach for lymph node metastasis.

We examined the antitumor effect of locally secreted interleukin (IL)-12 or IL-15 on human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1). We subcutaneously inoculated AsPC-1 cells retrovirally transduced with IL-12 or IL-15 cDNA into nude mice. Tumors derived from these cells showed retarded growth compared with those from wild-type (wt) cells. Nude mice inoculated intraperitoneally with the cytokine producers survived longer than those injected with wt cells. These cytokine producers were also tested for their tumor growth in severe combined immunodeficient mice. The tumor growth of IL-12 producers was similarly suppressed as found in nude mice, but the average tumor volumes of IL-15 producers were not statistically different from those of wt tumors. In nude mice that were administered anti-asialo GM 1 antibody before the inoculation of the tumor cells, growth retardation of tumors of IL-12 producers remained the same as in untreated animals, but that of IL-15 producers was markedly reduced. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CD11b ϩ cells migrated into the tumors of cytokine producers and that the number of CD31 ϩ endothelial cells within the tumors was not different between IL-12 producers and wt cells. Taken together with other data, it is possible that granulocytes are candidate cells for the IL-12-mediated antitumor effect, and that natural killer cells and ␥␦ T cells are involved in the IL-15-induced antitumor effect. We did not observe synergistic effects of these cytokines to suppress subcutaneous tumors.