Studying Blood Samples in Women With Breast Cancer or a History of Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• To compare peripheral blood (PB) concentrations of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) in women with measurable, active breast cancer to PB concentrations of CEC in a control population of women with a history of breast cancer who are currently without evidence of active disease.

Secondary

• To compare in women with measurable breast cancer the relationship between PB concentrations of CEC prior to and at 3 and 6 weeks following initiation of a new chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, and correlate these values with clinical response to treatment to determine if CEC can be used as a tumor marker or indicator of disease burden.
• To compare PB concentrations of CEC to levels of plasma proteins associated with angiogenesis, including vascular endothelial growth factor, in women with active or a prior history of breast cancer.

OUTLINE: Peripheral blood and plasma samples are collected for analysis of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) and angiogenic growth factor levels. Blood samples from patients initiating a new chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for breast cancer are collected at baseline and at 3 and 6 weeks following the start of treatment. CEC are quantified via flow cytometry and plasma angiogenic markers are assessed via ELISA.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 100 patients with active, measurable breast cancer and 100 patients with a prior history of breast cancer will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

• Receiving treatment for measurable breast cancer at the Arizona Cancer Center Clinic
• Being followed for a prior history of breast cancer (with no evidence of active disease) at the Arizona Cancer Center
• Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Menopausal status not specified
• Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics