The expression of fascin, an actin-bundling motility protein, correlates with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer and a more aggressive clinical course.
The invasion and metastasis of tumor cells is a major cause of mortality in cancer patients. In the current study, we investigated the expression of fascin, an actin-bundling motility-associated protein, in 210 invasive breast carcinomas with corresponding 5-year clinical follow-up. Fascin expression was compared with hormone receptor (ER/PR) status, HER2 status, cancer grade, cancer stage, metastasis pattern, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Fascin expression was seen in 16% (33/210) of the cases and correlated with ER negativity (22/33, P < 0.001), PR negativity (21/33, P < 0.001), Bloom-Richardson grade 3 (19/29, P < 0.001), and advanced stage (stage 3 or 4, P = 0.04). There was no correlation between fascin expression and HER2 status or pattern of metastases. Patients whose tumors were positive for fascin showed both a decreased mean disease-free survival (74.44 versus 100.52 months, P = 0.002) and mean overall survival (77.58 versus 98.98 months, P = 0.002), independent of tumor stage and HER2 status, but not independent of ER/PR status or cancer grade. Given fascin's role in altering cell motility, overexpression may contribute to a more aggressive clinical course in ER/PR-negative breast cancers. If so, then fascin may represent a new molecular target for therapeutic intervention in patients with ER-negative breast cancer.
Yoder
Brian J
BJ
Department of Anatomic Pathology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Tso
Elisa
E
Skacel
Marek
M
Pettay
Jim
J
Tarr
Shannon
S
Budd
Thomas
T
Tubbs
Raymond R
RR
Adams
Josephine C
JC
Hicks
David G
DG
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002465:Cell Movement; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
D000199:Actins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C020324:fascin