Elevated expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ has no correlation with established prognostic markers.
OBJECTIVE
Elevated expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been established to be a feature of breast cancer. There has been inconsistency in the literature regarding the precise significance of this-some studies have found no clinicopathological relevance at all, whilst others have concluded COX-2 expression is an important biomarker in invasive disease and pre-cancerous lesions, correlating with poor prognostic features. We studied COX-2 expression in invasive ductal cancer (IDC) specimens and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in order to clarify these issues.


METHODS
Archival specimens of IDC and DCIS (n = 39) were stained with a polyclonal antibody to COX-2. Results were correlated with recognised clinicopathological parameters.


RESULTS
COX-2 expression occurred in 36.7% of IDCs and 54.5% of DCIS lesions. There was no correlation between increased expression and any clinicopathological features. COX-2 expression did not occur in adjacent non-cancerous tissue (ANCT).


CONCLUSIONS
We have confirmed that COX-2 expression does occur in invasive cancers, in DCIS, and is not associated with established prognostic markers. The presence of COX-2 expression in DCIS and invasive cancers has positive implications for the future prevention and treatment of breast cancer with COX-2 inhibitors. A large proportion of tumours are, however, COX-2 negative and may be poor candidates for COX-2 suppression.
Ranger
Gurpreet Singh
GS
Breast Cancer Unit, St. George's Hospital and Medical School, London, United Kingdom. gsinghranger@yahoo.co.uk
Jewell
Andrew
A
Thomas
Valerie
V
Mokbel
Kefah
K
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases