A research report submitted to the Faculty of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medicine in Nuclear Medicine. / Forty (40) female patients with breast masses underwent Technetium 99m Sestamibi scintigraphy in order to evaluate its usefulness in differentiating benign from malignant breast disease and to compare scintigraphy to mammography. Informed consent was obtained from each patient. Scintigraphy consisted of anterior chest and lateral and oblique breast planar images, obtained 5 minutes after intravenous injection of 20 rnecuries (740 MBq) Technetium 99m Sestamibi. Eleven (11) of the 40 patients also had Technetium 99m Methylene Diphosponate breast scintigraphy for comparison. Four nuclear medicine physicians of who three also graded the MDP images performed grading of the Sestamibi scintigraphic images. The grading method, although focussing on the absence (0) or presence (>0) of uptake of isotope, was also designed for comparison of the Sestamibi and MDP images. Statistical analysis showed good correlation between observer grading. Breast scintigraphy was compared to mammography in 27 ofthe 40 patients. Of the 26 malignant breast masses confirmed on histology, 19 were positively identified on Sestamibi scanning giving a sensitivity of 73%, 2 results were inconclusive (grading (0·1) and 5 had a grading 0, of the 8 patients with confirmed lymph node metastases, only 2 were positive on the Sestamibi scans, with 1 inconclusive result. Of the 19 benign breast masses, 9 were visible on Sestamibi scans with additional 3 inconclusive results (grading of 0-1). Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the Sestamibi and MDP grading. In comparison to mammography, breast scintigraphy was less accurate in distinguishing benign from malignant breast masses. Mammography identified 85.7% of the malignant breast masses and 72.7% of the benign breast masses. Sestamibi scintigraphy identified 76.2% of the malignant breast masses and only 36.4% of the benign breast masses. / Andrew Chakane 2018

by Choy Kwong Wai. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-138). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a rare, lethal, and understudied form of breast cancer. Although affecting 1-2% of the population, the remission rate is half that of the spectrum of other breast cancers, and most cases present in the advanced stages due to rapid undetectable development. Of the diagnosed cases, systemic chemotherapeutics are relatively ineffective in comparison to non-IBC breast cancer cases, indicating other unique mechanisms driving IBC progression. Historically, the specific sensitivities of a particular tumor type or subtype have been linked to genetic alterations that represent addiction hubs, such as hyperactivation of oncogenes due to mutation. Although some efforts have been made to characterize the molecular fingerprint of inflammatory breast cancers (IBCs), unfortunately, no clinical application has emerged from these studies. Thus, we decided to utilize a different strategy to identify the Achilles' heel of IBC cells. Using shRNA libraries, we performed an unbiased genome-wide loss-of-function screen comparing the gene functions required for survival of IBC and non-IBC cells. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) emerged as one of the top genes required for IBC cell survival and was further validated. HDAC6 is vital in the cell's unfolded protein response (UPR) to clear misfolded or toxic protein, and IBC cells proved to be preferentially sensitive to this aspect of HDAC6 inhibition, displaying increased protein accumulation, ER stress indicators, and subsequent apoptosis upon failure to clear or refold accumulated proteins. These data indicate HDAC6 is a crucial gene required for IBC cell line survival, in part due to its function in IBC cell UPR. Furthermore, emerging orally bioavailable agents for HDAC6 inhibition make it a promising candidate towards tailored therapeutic implementation in IBC patient trials.

This thesis presents a discursive analysis of accounts of breast cancer screening, risk and prevention. Breast cancer is currently the largest form of cancer death for women in Australia ( and many other Western nations ), but the causes are unknown. Consequently, health promotion has tended to focus on the early detection of the disease. Despite this focus, the currently available techniques for early detection of breast cancer continue to be subject to research and debate. For women at high risk of the disease due to a family history and, in some cases, a genetic predisposition, there is also discussion regarding the best course of preventative action. One option, prophylactic surgery ( or the removal of healthy breasts ), continues to be the topic of both medical and psychological research. In addition to the ongoing medical research and debate around the topics of breast cancer screening, risk and prevention, there has been extensive sociological theorising around the increased societal emphasis on risk more generally. This emphasis on risk has been argued to be one feature of governance in modern liberal democratic societies. Particularly with respect to health - care in such societies, there has been argued to be a shift towards increasing individual responsibility for health and the management of potential illness. A focus on individual responsibility is not necessarily a key feature of contemporary public health approaches. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that the emphasis on risk management, in combination with the prevalence of ' lifestyle ' diseases, has widened the gaze of public health, such that all aspects of individuals ' lives are open to scrutiny and regulation. An inevitable consequence of such shifts is the placing of increased responsibility for health on to individuals. The analysis in this thesis draws on a synthetic discursive approach to examine talk and text around the issues of breast cancer screening, risk and prevention, in light of these shifts in conceptualisations of health and health - care, and the medical debate surrounding detection and prevention techniques. In particular, three analytic chapters are concerned with three sets of data : media accounts of prophylactic mastectomy ; pamphlets promoting breast cancer screening ; and women ' s focus group talk. The analysis focuses on the discursive themes, ideological dilemmas, and subject positions deployed in the data. The following analytic findings are discussed : - the repeated positioning of individuals as ' patients without symptoms ', who are required to engage in risk management in order to prevent their ( inevitable ) future illness ; - the positioning of women in terms of traditional notions of femininity and mothering ; - the construction of a dilemmatic relationship between individuals and medical experts, whereby individuals are positioned as responsible for their own health and illness prevention, while simultaneously being reliant on medical experts who are sometimes wrong ; - the negotiation and flexible management of notions of responsibility, emotion and health behaviours in women ' s talk. The final chapter in the thesis considers implications of the analysis for public health and health promotion, and for a critical ( public ) health psychology. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Psychology, 2006.

The number of women living with a breast cancer diagnosis will continue to increase with growing breast cancer incidence rates, greater utilization of early detection, and longer length of survival times. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is likely to increase as well, making it important to determine the nature and extent of CAM use in this population. This study explored CAM use and the influence of the control constructs in the context of the theory of cognitive adaptation. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed with 551 women diagnosed with breast cancer in Portland, Oregon. Results indicated that two-thirds (66%) of the women used at least one CAM therapy during the past 12 months. The majority of women had high perceptions of cancer control and believed the CAM therapies were important in influencing the course of the cancer. Logistical regression analysis found that significant demographic predictors of CAM use were younger age, higher education, and private insurance. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to refine and test the construct validation of the Cancer Locus of Control scale. Results supported a three-factor model (control over cause of cancer, control over course of cancer, and religious control of cancer) of the scale. Results of multinomial logistical regression indicated that higher perceptions of control over the course of the cancer significantly predicted CAM use in three categories. Religious control over the cancer was not a predictor of CAM use. The findings from this study will help health care professionals and policy makers identify patient needs that go beyond surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, and address patient-centered health-related goals and outcomes for optimal health and recovery from breast cancer. / Graduation date: 2002

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-320).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 159-171.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Food Science." Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-97).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-240).

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences