The specific aims of this project are: 1. To determine the feasibility of assaying the marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) fractions of breast cancer patients enrolled on S9623 for the presence of malignant cells; 2. To determine the feasibility of quantitating the breast cancer cell content of the marrow and PBPC fractions using immunocytochemistry with anti-breast cancer monoclonal antibodies and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for cytokeratin-19; and, 3. To determine the true incidence of tumor cell contamination of hematopoietic fractions of Stage II/III breast cancer patients with 4-9 axillary lymph nodes. The bulk of our preliminary breast cancer detection data was generated with fresh marrow and PBPC specimens obtained from University of Colorado breast cancer patients. Over the next two years, the current study will determine the feasibility of conducting similar detection studies with patient specimens shipped overnight from the many cooperative group institutions. If this feasibility study is successful, we will be able to determine the incidence of breast cancer contamination in the hematopoietic cell fractions of patients enrolled in the first two years of the study. We will then seek funding for two additional years to continue to assay the hematopoietic cell specimens of patients enrolled on S9623 for the remainder of the study, which is projected to accrue patients for a total of four years. Clinical outcomes, including disease-free survival rates as well as sites and patterns of relapse, will be correlated with the breast cancer detection assay results. Alternatively, if we are unable to successfully assay the specimens shipped from outside institutions, such additional funding will not be sought. The major aspects of the tumor detection assays which the current feasibility pilot will address include: assessment of the quality of the assays performed on specimens shipped overnight; assessment of outside institution compliance; assessment of the true incidence of breast cancer in the hematopoietic cell fractions of Stage II/III 4-9 nod-positive breast cancer patients; and, will compare the sensitivity of the immunohistochemical and molecular assays for breast cancer.
| Rothenberg, Marc E; Doepker, Matthew P; Lewkowich, Ian P et al. (2006) Cationic amino acid transporter 2 regulates inflammatory homeostasis in the lung. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:14895-900 |
