Abstract
BackgroundTNBC is an aggressive subset of breast cancer (BC) without specific target therapy.MethodsThis observational, retrospective study included 45 cases of TNBC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of the AR, E-cadherin and Ki-67 in relation to histological type, time to relapse and overall survival (OS). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was carried out on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples obtained from patients defined TNBC.ResultsThe AR was positive (IHC >10%) in 26.6%. E-cadherin (CDH1) expression was considered positive if the score was ≥ 2. This expression was negative in 53.3% cases. The Ki-67 index was ≥ 20% in 37.7%. Univariate analyses showed that AR, CDH1 and Ki-67 are significantly associated with OS. Multivariate analysis showed that AR and Ki-67 expression are independent variables associated with OS. The statistical analysis showed that patients with AR negative and Ki-67 positive expression have a significant correlation with poor outcome.ConclusionsOur data suggest that the combination of AR and E-cadherin expression as well as Ki-67 status might be useful prognostic markers in TNBC. Hence, these molecular determinants could play an interesting role to classify subgroups of TNBC.
Highlights
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different morphologies, molecular profiles, clinical behavior, response to therapy and patient outcomes [1].Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents approximately 15% of all breast cancers and is a subtype distinguished by lack of expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptor by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and by the lack of overexpression and/or amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) obtained with IHC and or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
Univariate analyses showed that Androgen Receptor (AR), CDH1 and Ki-67 are significantly associated with overall survival (OS)
Our data suggest that the combination of AR and E-cadherin expression as well as Ki-67 status might be useful prognostic markers in TNBC
Summary
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different morphologies, molecular profiles, clinical behavior, response to therapy and patient outcomes [1].Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents approximately 15% of all breast cancers and is a subtype distinguished by lack of expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptor by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and by the lack of overexpression and/or amplification of HER2 obtained with IHC and or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different morphologies, molecular profiles, clinical behavior, response to therapy and patient outcomes [1]. TNBC do not benefit from endocrine therapy or therapies targeted to human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) in contrast with the other subtypes [2,3,4,5]. Compared to the other subgroups of tumors, TNBC is biologically more aggressive and is associated with higher recurrence rates during the first 1–3 years and higher frequency of metastatization to visceral organs and central nervous system (CNS) with lower rates of bone disease and poor overall survival in the five years after diagnosis [6,7,8]. TNBC is an aggressive subset of breast cancer (BC) without specific target therapy
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