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To define prognostic factors for breast cancer patients with brain metastases, compare their clinical courses and prognoses according to breast cancer subtypes, and analyze the causes of death in such patients. We retrospectively analyzed 1,466 patients diagnosed with brain metastases between April 1, 2001 and December 31, 2012, from 24 institutions of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group. Overall, 1,256 patients with brain metastases were included. The median overall survival (OS) was 8.7 months (95 % confidence interval [CI] 7.8-9.6 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that patients diagnosed with brain metastasis within 6 months of metastatic breast cancer diagnoses, asymptomatic brain disease, or HER2-positive/estrogen receptor-positive tumors had increased OS. Median OS after the development of brain metastases was 9.3 months (95 % CI 7.2-11.3) for the luminal type, 16.5 months (95 % CI 11.9-21.1) for the luminal-HER2 type, 11.5 months (95 % CI 9.1-13.8) for the HER2 type, and 4.9 months (95 % CI 3.9-5.9) for the triple-negative type. Luminal-HER2 type patients had significantly longer OS than patients with the luminal type (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.50, P < 0.0001) and triple-negative type (HR = 1.97, P < 0.0001); no significant differences were noted compared to HER2-type patients (HR = 1.19, P = 0.117). The prognosis and clinical course of patients with brain metastasis from breast cancer before and after developing brain metastases vary according to subtype. Focusing on the subtypes of breast cancer can optimize the prevention, early detection, and improved treatment of brain metastases.

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#15 Background: Exemestane (E) is a steroidal aromatase inactivator, which has been demonstrated to be more effective than tamoxifen (T) in metastatic breast cancer (BC). The role of E in adjuvant therapy has been established after 2 to 3 years of T compared to 5 years of T in the Intergroup Exemestane Study (Lancet 2007; 369: 599-70). One objective of the TEAM study was to evaluate E compared to T as initial adjuvant endocrine therapy.&#x2028; Methods: Using common criteria, eligible postmenopausal patients in 9 countries with invasive ER+ and/or PR+ early BC, were prospectively randomized to either open-label E 25 mg/day or T 20 mg/day. All patients had completed primary therapy of surgery and chemotherapy if indicated. All data were collected and analyzed by the Central Data Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. The trial was initiated in 2001 with a primary endpoint of DFS between T and E. In 2004, based on results of the IES, TEAM was modified such that all patients on T were switched to E at 2.5-3 years. The modified design includes 2 primary endpoints: DFS of T versus E followed up to 2.75 years, and DFS of E for 5 years versus T switched to E treated for a total of 5 years. The present analysis focuses on the first primary endpoint: DFS for T compared to E at 2.75 years with censoring of events after 2.75 years. Log rank test with a 2-sided significance level of 2.98% stratified by country and factors nested in protocols will be utilized.&#x2028; Results: Between January 2001 and January 2006, 9775 women were randomized to T or E of which 9300 will be followed for 2.75 years by October 2008: 99% were ER and/or /PgR+, 50% were node negative, 44% underwent mastectomy, 68% received radiotherapy, and 36% chemotherapy. There have been 693 DFS events (locoregional or distant recurrence, second breast cancers, or death without recurrence) by April 2008 within 2.75 years of randomization. In accordance with the statistical analysis plan, the first planned analysis will be based on 723 events or 9300 patients with at least 2.75 years follow-up. We will present a detailed analysis of the first primary endpoint of DFS between T and E at 2.75 years at the 2008 SABCS. The TEAM study represents the largest of the 3 major trials to compare efficacy of an aromatase inhibitor/inactivator versus tamoxifen as initial endocrine therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 15.

This is the first study to use a magnetic tracer to identify sentinel lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer. This new technique may alter the role of radioisotopes with further refinement and experience.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how beverages containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota (BLS) and soy isoflavone consumption since adolescence affected the incidence of breast cancer. In a population-based case-control study, three hundred and six cases with breast cancer and 662 controls aged 40 to 55 were matched for age and residential area and included in the analyses. Diet, lifestyle and other breast cancer risk factors were investigated using the self-administered questionnaire and interview. Odds ratios (ORs) of BLS and soy isoflavone consumption for breast cancer incidence were independently and jointly estimated using a conditional logistic regression. The ORs of BLS consumption (≥ four times a week against < four times a week) was 0.65 and statistically significant (p = 0.048). The analysis of association between soy consumption and breast cancer incidence showed the more the isoflavone consumption is, the lower the odds of breast cancer becomes. Adjusted ORs for breast cancer in the second, the third and the fourth quartiles of soy consumption against the first quartile were 0.76, 0.53 and 0.48, respectively (trend test, p = 0.0002). The BLS-isoflavone interaction was not statistically significant; however, a biological interaction was suggested. Regular consumption of BLS and isoflavones since adolescence was inversely associated with the incidence of breast cancer in Japanese women.