Immunohistochemical biomarkers in patients with early-onset breast carcinoma by tissue microarray.
Young women with breast cancer have a poor prognosis, and the role of biologic markers in young women is not well defined. We investigated the association of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Bcl-2, HER-2/neu, p53, and Ki-67 with clinicopathologic features and outcome in young women with breast cancer.


METHODS
A cohort of 103 patients with early-onset breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy were entered in this study. Age range was 25-45 years, and median follow-up was 8.7 years. Each of the paraffin-embedded specimens was immunologically stained for six biomarkers expression by a recently developed tissue microarray method.


RESULTS
The 10-year overall breast relapse-free and distant relapse-free survival rates were 82.7%, 84.6.4%, and 66.7%, respectively, with 14 local relapses and 26 distant metastases among the 103 patients evaluated. Positive expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, bcl-2, HER-2/neu, p53, and Ki-67 were 42.7%, 48.5%, 35.6%, 28.0%, 36.9%, and 39.7%, respectively. Tumor stage and nodal status were significantly associated with overall survival and distant metastasis-free rate in univariate and multivariate analysis. Progesterone receptor negativity and Ki-67 positivity were associated with distant metastasis. There was no statistically significant correlation between the six biomarkers and local relapse.


CONCLUSIONS
Progesterone receptor, Ki-67, tumor stage, and nodal status were prognostic factors for distant failure in early-stage breast cancer in young patients. Further studies are needed to find other biologic markers associated with local failure in this group of patients.
Choi
Doo Ho
DH
Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Kim
Sung
S
Rimm
David L
DL
Carter
Darryl
D
Haffty
Bruce G
BG
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism; D018299:Neoplasms, Ductal, Lobular, and Medullary / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D016387:Women's Health
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53