title: Changes in cell kinetics induced by primary chemotherapy in breast cancer.
abstract: Changes in the 3H-thymidine labelling index (3H-TdR LI) of primary tumor induced by cytoreductive chemotherapy were evaluated in 26 patients with locally advanced breast cancer subjected to mastectomy after different systemic therapies. A significant reduction of 3H-TdR LI by primary chemotherapy was observed in 11 cases. Changes in cell kinetics were related to the pretreatment proliferative activity: significant increases were observed in 70% of tumors with a very low 3H-TdR LI (less than 25%) and significant decreases in 100% of tumors with a very high 3H-TdR LI (greater than 7.0%). There was no correlation between pretreatment 3H-TdR LI and the objective clinical response, which was conversely related to posttreatment cell kinetics. The 2-year progression rate was lower for patients whose residual tumors after treatment had remained (2/7) or become (1/8) slowly proliferating than for patients whose tumors had remained (5/7) or become (4/4) rapidly proliferating.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Daidone
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvestrini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valentinis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartoli
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D013936:Thymidine