FPA-FTIR Microspectroscopy for Monitoring Chemotherapy Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Izabela Zawlik,Ewa Kaznowska,Joanna Depciuch,Magdalena Kolodziej,Jitraporn Vongsvivut,Jozef Cebulski,Marian Cholewa

doi:10.1038/srep37333

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Approximately 70% of triple-negative breast cancer patients fail to achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR) after chemotherapy due to the lack of targeted therapies for this subtype. We report here the development of a focal-plane-array Fourier transform infrared (FPA-FTIR) microspectroscopic technique combined with principal component analysis (PCA) for monitoring chemotherapy effects in triple-negative breast cancer patients. The PCA results obtained using the FPA-FTIR spectral data collected from the same patients before and after the chemotherapy revealed discriminatory features that were consistent with the pathologic and clinical responses to chemotherapy, indicating the potential of the technique as a monitoring tool for observing chemotherapy efficacy.

Highlights

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are a specific subtype of epithelial breast tumors that are negative for the protein expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR) and lack overexpression/ gene amplification of HER2[1]
The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral features were characterized and assigned to specific biomolecules found in the breast cancer tissues collected before and after chemotherapy
This is the first report of using FPA-FTIR imaging technique together with principal component analysis (PCA) approach to investigate chemotherapy efficacy in triple negative breast cancer observed within the same patients

Summary

Introduction

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are a specific subtype of epithelial breast tumors that are negative for the protein expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR) and lack overexpression/ gene amplification of HER2 (hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2)[1]. The aim of the present study was to develop a diagnostic approach based on FTIR imaging technology and multivariate data analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), to monitor the course of chemotherapy in seven female patients suffered from triple-negative breast cancer. We present here a FTIR-based approach that substantially extends the current capabilities of breast cancer diagnosis by providing insights into changes of biomolecular information in the breast tissue as a result of chemotherapy in different cancer patients. Such a knowledge will underpin further development of chemotherapy to achieve optimal efficacy in cancer patients with diverse biological makeups. This study, on the other hand, is the first report of developing the combined FTIR and PCA approach for investigating chemotherapy efficacy within the same patients

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