Tissue factor and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in breast cancer: potential role as prognostic or therapeutic marker1

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Tissue factor (TF) is thought to play an important role in cancer biology including cancer progression, angiogenesis and metastasis. TF may also be a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to have a role in tumour angiogenesis. <h3>Aim</h3> To perform a correlation study for the expression of TF and VEGF in breast cancers assessed by immunohistochemistry. <h3>Method</h3> Paraffin embedded tissue from 132 representative breast cancers (grade 1–3), 29 fibroadenomas and 22 normal breast sections were examined using a three point intensity scale. TF and VEGF staining was scored in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of both stromal and tumour cells in the breast cancer specimens. <h3>Results</h3> Breast cancers show stronger TF stromal cyoplasmic expression (<i>p</i>=0.0021), stronger stromal nuclear staining (<i>p</i>=0.0003), and stronger total TF staining (<i>p</i>=0.0002) than non-neoplastic breast tissue. There was no significant difference in VEGFR expression between disease groups for stromal cytoplasmic staining but some difference in cytoplasmic staining of cancer cells of different grades (<i>p</i>=0.02). Stromal nuclear staining for TF, but not VEGFR expression, correlated with patient survival. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Stromal cell TF expression is overexpressed in breast cancer and this correlates with patient survival.