title: Prognostic value of bcl-2 expression in invasive breast cancer.
abstract: Expression of the bcl-2 proto-oncogene was studied immunohistochemically in 251 invasive ductal breast carcinomas (median follow-up time 91 months, range 24-186 months) and the results were correlated with clinicopathological data and prognostic variables. Sixty-three (25%) tumours were scored bcl-2 negative and 188 (75%) tumours were bcl-2 positive. No relationship could be observed between bcl-2 status and tumour grade, pTNM staging or menopausal status. A strong positive relationship was demonstrated between bcl-2 immunoreactivity and oestrogen receptor status (P < 0.001) and progesterone receptor status (P < 0.001). No prognostic value was demonstrated for bcl-2 expression on disease-free survival and overall survival in axillary node-negative breast cancer patients. However, in axillary node-positive breast cancer patients multivariate analysis demonstrated absence of bcl-2 expression to be independently related to shortened disease-free survival (P = 0.003) and shortened overall survival (P < 0.001). Our results suggest a potential important role for bcl-2 expression as a modulator of response to adjuvant therapy in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hellemans
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weyler
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: van Oosterom
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buytaert
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Marck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2