Oncogenes and male breast carcinoma: c-erbB-2 and p53 coexpression predicts a poor survival.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prognostic value of biomarkers in male breast carcinoma (MBC).


METHODS
Fifty patients (mean age, 62.2 years) with invasive ductal carcinoma were retrospectively studied. All patients received surgery; 35 had adjuvant postoperative therapy. The median follow-up was 59 months (range, 1 to 230 months). c-myc, c-erbB-2, p53, and bcl-2 proteins were immunohistochemically detected on sections from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using 9E11, CB11, DO7, and bcl-2 124 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors were detected using specific mAbs. Cell proliferation was assessed by MIB-1 mAb.


RESULTS
In univariate analysis, c-myc, c-erbB-2, and p53 protein overexpression was significantly correlated with prognosis. The median survival was 107 months for c-myc-negative and 52 months for c-myc-positive patients (P =.01), 96 months for c-erbB-2-negative and 39 months for c-erbB-2-positive patients (P =.02), and 100 months for p53-negative and 33 months for p53-positive patients (P =.0008). Tumor histologic grade (P =.01), tumor size (P =.02), patient age at diagnosis (P =.03), and MIB-1 scores (P =.0004) also had prognostic value. In multivariate analysis, only c-erbB-2 and p53 immunoreactivity retained independent prognostic significance. All nine patients who did not express c-erbB-2 and p53 proteins were alive after 58 months, whereas none of the 14 patients expressing both proteins survived at 61 months follow-up (P =.0002).


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of c-myc, c-erbB-2, and p53 proteins may be regarded as an additional prognostic factor in MBC. The combination of c-erbB-2 and p53 immunoreactivity can stratify patients into different risk groups.
Pich
A
A
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Section of Pathology, University of Turin, Italy. pich@molinette.unito.it
Margaria
E
E
Chiusa
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015870:Gene Expression; D018734:Genes, erbB-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000032:analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53