title: Biomarkers and outcome after tamoxifen treatment in node-positive breast cancers from elderly women.
abstract: The predictive role of tumour proliferative rate and expression of p53, bcl-2 and bax proteins, alone and in association with tumour size, nodal involvement and oestrogen receptors (ER), was analysed on 145 elderly patients (> or =70 years of age) with histologically assessed node-positive breast cancers treated with radical or conservative surgery plus radiotherapy followed by adjuvant tamoxifen for at least 1 year. The 7-year probability of relapse was significantly higher for patients with tumours rapidly proliferating (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.0, P = 0.01), overexpressing p53 (HR = 4.4, P = 0.0001), weakly or not exhibiting bcl-2 (HR = 1.9, P = 0.02), without ERs (HR = 3.4, P = 0.0001) or with > or = 4 positive lymph nodes (HR = 2.3, P = 0.003) than for patients with tumours expressing the opposite patho-biological profile. Conversely, tumour size and bax expression failed to influence relapse-free survival. Adjustment for the duration of tamoxifen treatment did not change these findings. Oestrogen receptors, cell proliferation, p53 accumulation and bcl-2 expression were also predictive for overall survival. Within ER-positive tumours, cell proliferation, p53 accumulation, bcl-2 expression and lymph node involvement provided significant and independent information for relapse and, in association, identified subgroups of patients with relapse probabilities of 20% (low-risk group, exhibiting only one unfavourable factor) to 90% (high-risk group, exhibiting three unfavourable factors). Such data could represent the initial framework for a biologically tailored therapy even for elderly patients and highlight the importance of a patho-biological characterization of their breast cancers.
authors.affiliation: Oncologia Sperimentale C, Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Semeiotica Chirurgica e Chirurgia Ambulatoriale, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Daidone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luisi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Veneroni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomasic
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Palo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvestrini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen