Do BRCA 1 mutations affect selected molecular variables in women with breast and ovarian cancer carrying cerebral metastases?

Abstract

e13017 Background: Cerebral metastases develop in 10-30% of patients with breast cancer and in around 3.3 to 4% of patients with ovarian cancer. The present study evaluates the expression of ER alpha and beta receptors, PR, HER2 and markers associated with metastases: stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF1) and its receptor CXCR4, breast cancer metastasis suppressor (BRMS1), astrocyte elevated gene (AEG-1), depending on the status of BRCA1 protein in cancerous cells of the patients (somatic mutation). Methods: The material originated from 30 women with breast cancer and 22 patients with ovarian cancer in whom cerebral metastases were detected. The studies were conducted on paraffin block sections, the markers were detected using immunocytochemistry, employing specific antibodies. Results: In the breast cancer group, BRCA 1 protein expression was detected in 11 patients, absence of the protein in 19. No significant differences were disclosed in the grade of ER, PR, HER2, SDF1, CXCR4, BRMS1 or AG-1 expression which would be dependent on the status of BRCA1. Expression of the proteins failed to correlate with patients' age, clinical advancement at diagnosis, presence of metastases to lymph nodes. Patients with no PR expression significantly more frequently manifested high expression of CXCR4 (p = 0.0436). The ovarian cancer group included 7 patients with expression of BRCA1 protein, absence of such expression was recorded in 15 patients. No statistically significant differences were disclosed in the expression of the studied factors which would be related to the status of BRCA1 in cancer cells. Also, no differences were detected in the expression of the studied factors which would depend on the patient’s age, primary advancement of the disease or histological type of the cancer. Conclusions: Among numerous molecular factors examined in women with breast or ovarian cancer no statistically significant differences were detected which would depend on BRCA1 protein status in cancer cells. The absence of PR expression in women with breast cancer was associated with high expression of CXCR4, which might indicate that PR-negative women with breast cancer exhibit higher metastatic potential.