PROGRAM AREA REPORT

BREAST CANCER

Coordinators: Dr. Nathaniel Berlin
Dr. Haruo Sugano


In July 1974, a joint executive meeting of Breast Cancer Group was held in the U.S. on the occasion of the meetings of the NCI Breast Cancer Task Force (BCTF). The BCTF meetings enabled the Japanese delegation to observe the planning and current programs of BCTF, as well as attend the scientific conference on estrogen receptors and to meet with leading American breast cancer specialists. As a result of the discussions, it was pointed out that the future efforts should be focused on comparison of breast cancer cases of both countries. Distribution of ‘Intercom’ of BCTF, NCI, to the Japanese breast cancer groups was negotiated for better communication of information. To compliment the BCTF, NCI, the two groups were established in Japan; the Estrogen Receptor Group and the Mammary Cancer Biology Group, under the auspices of the Cancer Fund of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture of Japan to support the U.S. - Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program. The Japanese Mammary Cancer Society agreed to be a counterpart of the Treatment and Diagnosis group of BCTF of the U.S.
In February 1975, a group of five Japanese cancer specialists, including three exchange scientists for Japanese FY 1974 under the program participated in both the scientific and executive sessions of the BCTF meeting in San Antonio, Texas. They also discussed, the possibilities of future cooperation in the following areas:

  1. Early diagnosis of breast cancer
  2. Standardization of criteria for evaluation of therapy
  3. Standardization and comparison of end results
  4. Comparative epidemiology

As the exchange of scientists for 1975, two Japanese pathologists were sent for short term periods to the U.S. to engage in collaborative studies in histological study of minimal breast cancer and in estrogen and progesterone receptor assay. The presence of progesterone receptor in the breast cancer cells paralleled with the response to the hormonal therapy. In this respect 3H-R5020, originally supplied by a French scientist, have been shared among some U.S. and Japanese hormone receptor specialists.
Through the previously mentioned joint planning meetings and communications between the coordinators, progress has been made in the Breast Cancer program with the initiation of interchange between the Japanese and American scientists. However, there are some discrepancies in some aspects of breast cancer research between them. For example, the ‘protocol’ of breast cancer treatment is understood among the Japanese researchers as the standardization of surgical techniques and the handling of the mastectomized materials; whereas, in the U.S. the term ‘protocol’ is used for that of surgery and adjuvant treatment. It was agreed that future meetings should be organized to survey the subareas of breast cancer study for joint activity. Future plans were discussed to schedule the following pro jections:

  1. Joint seminar to focus binational efforts on breast cancer, March 26-27, 1976, Tokyo.
  2. Workshop on estrogen receptor and progesterone receptors by the exchange of senior and junior specialists.
  3. Workshop on standardization of criteria of response to the treatment.
  4. Workshop on experimental tools
  5. Seminar on “minimal breast cancer”.

It is anticipated that the March 1976 meeting will provide opportunities to select topics of mutual interest to promote cooperation and collaboration on several specific research projects.