Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF-Ag) is expressed in many carcinomas, including those of the breast, colon, bladder, and prostate. TF-Ag is important in adhesion and metastasis and as a potential immunotherapy target. We hypothesized that passive transfer of JAA-F11, an anti-TF-Ag monoclonal antibody, may create a survival advantage for patients with TF-Ag-expressing tumors by cytotoxicity, blocking of tumor cell adhesion, and inhibition of metastasis. This was tested using in vitro models of tumor cell growth; cytotoxicity assays; in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models of cancer metastasis; and, finally, in vivo effects in mice with metastatic breast cancer. Unlike some anti-TF-Ag antibodies, JAA-F11 did not enhance breast carcinoma cell growth. JAA-F11 did not induce the killing of 4T1 tumor cells through complement-dependent cytotoxicity or apoptotic mechanisms. However, JAA-F11 blocked the stages of metastasis that involve the adhesion of human breast carcinoma cells to human endothelial cells ( human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human bone marrow endothelial cells 60) in in vitro static adhesion models, in a perfused ex vivo model, and in murine lung vasculature in an in vivo metastatic deposit formation assay. JAA-F11 significantly extended the median survival time of animals bearing metastatic 4T1 breast tumors and caused a > 50% inhibition of lung metastasis.

In 1998, the Iowa Department of Education established the Community College Research Agenda Task Force in an effort to address the increasing data and research needs of the state's 15 community colleges. The purpose of the task force was to identify and prioritize the data and research needs and seek out educational partners with the capabilities of meeting such needs. This article summarizes the results of the community college personnel survey, conducted through the combined resources of the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa State University, the community college presidents, and the community college trustees. This demonstration of the research initiative established an initial relationship linking the doctoral studies and research of Iowa State University to that of the Iowa Department of Education and the system of community colleges. The survey reported here can be easily replicated by other states.

Student retention is critical to the community college environment. To understand student retention issues in community colleges, it is necessary to identify the retention goal of the institution, the criteria, definitions, and data needed to monitor progress toward the retention goal. Only then can a retention program be designed and implemented. A plan to establish a college-wide retention program is included. An overview of past and present research pertaining to student retention is provided.

Previous studies have suggested that differential expression and/or activation of integrins facilitates metastatic progression in murine and human melanoma. While recent data show that the integrin αvβ3 is involved in tumor angiogenesis and that tumor growth may be abrogated by αvβ3 inhibitorsin vitro,the clinical significance of β3 integrin expression in human malignant melanoma is not known. To assess the prognostic value of β3 integrin expression, we examined primary cutaneous melanomas from 160 patients followed for a mean of 98 months or until death. We quantified the percentage of tumor area stained with β3 integrin Ab CD-61 using an image analyzer. β3 integrin expression was detected in 107/160 primary melanomas (69%). β3-integrin-positive (β3+) tumors were thicker (mean 2.98 ± 0.3 mm) than β3-integrin-negative (β3−) melanomas (mean 1.64 ± 0.2 mm) (P= 0.002). Patients with β3+ melanomas were more likely to relapse (57/107, 53%) and to die from disease (45/107, 42%) than those with β3− tumors (6/53, 11%; and 4/53, 8%, respectively) (P< 0.001). Overall survival was greater for β3− than for β3+ patients (mean 102 ± 9 vs 69 ± 6 months) (P= 0.001). These data show that β3 integrin expression in primary cutaneous melanoma predicts subsequent metastatic progression. Further study of β3 integrins in the development of melanoma metastases may yield new therapeutic strategies, as well as prognostic information, for the treatment of this cancer.

The current study attempted to assess the potential proficiency of radioimmunodetection (RAID) of primary, residual, multicentric, and recurrent breast carcinoma using two radiolabeled murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), anti-human milk fat globulin (HMFG1) labeled with iodine (123I) and anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) labeled with technetium (99Tc). Thirteen patients with suspicious clinical and/or mammographic primary or recurrent breast carcinoma were studied in a phase I-II prospective, consecutive, nonrandomized, noncontrolled study. Five patients received intravenous infusion with 0.5-2.0 mg anti-CEA MoAb type CYT 380 labeled with 99Tc [13-22 millicurie (mCI)] and 8 patients received intravenous infusion with 0.25-1.0 mg anti-HMFG1 MoAb (Unipath, U.K.) labeled with 123I (4-17 mCI). Both MoAbs used in this study demonstrated ability to bind specifically to breast cancer lesions, resulting in successful RAID in 10 of 12 of studied patients (5 of 5 patients in the anti-CEA-99Tc and 5 of 7 in the anti-HMFG-123I group--accuracy 83.3%). One patient was excluded due to protocol violation. Seven patients had true-positive scans when correlated with surgery (sensitivity 87.5%). The MoAb scans accurately diagnosed lesions in 3 of the 4 primary invasive breast carcinomas confirmed histologically. Presence of residual carcinoma following wide excision was established in 1 of 2 patients and presence of soft tissue metastases in 3 patients. Three patients had true-negative scan (specificity 75%): 2 patients presented with suspicious mammographic recurrence postlumpectomy and 1 patient had questionable soft tissue recurrence. One patient with primary breast carcinoma had a false-negative scan and another had a false-positive scan in the presence of fibrosis following lumpectomy and radiation therapy. No adverse reactions were noted in the patients studied. RAID findings were confirmed by immunohistochemistry in 6 of 9 cases studied. Our data suggest that radiolabeled MoAbs used in this study are potentially useful diagnostic agents for evaluation of primary or recurrent breast carcinoma, particularly in the areas where conventional methodology is limited.

Whether the prognosis for black women with breast cancer differs from that of nonblack women remains controversial. The treatment results of 526 black women who received definitive therapy for Stage I-III breast cancer at Cook County Hospital, 1973 through 1987 are presented. The 5-year and 10-year projected survival rates for 272 node-negative patients (83.9% and 76.6%, respectively) and for 72 node-positive nonadjuvant treated patients (58.1% and 35.2%, respectively) are similar to those reported in the literature for nonblack patients. Adjuvant therapy improved the projected relapse-free (P = 0.0744) and overall survival curves (P = 0.0448) for 182 node-positive patients compared with nonadjuvant patients. The greatest benefit was seen for patients greater than 50 years of age with one to three positive nodes. The incidence of estrogen and progesterone receptors was found to be similar to those reported for nonblack patients. Once breast cancer has been diagnosed and appropriately treated, there appear to be few differences in the natural history of breast cancer between black and nonblack patients.