[Association between hormone receptors and response to neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the associations between the hormone receptors, Ki67 expression and response to neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-eight primary breast cancer patients received anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Ki67 were determined by immunohistochemistry assay in core-needle biopsy specimens prior to the chemotherapy, and pathologic response was assessed by Miller & Payne grade (G1 to G5).


RESULTS
40% (67/168) of the patients had a good pathologic response, defined as complete pathologic response (pCR or G5) and minimal residual disease (G4). Among the patients, 20% (33/168) had a complete pathologic response (G5). ER or PR status was significantly associated with pathological response. Patients with PR-negative tumors had a higher pathological response rate or pCR than those with PR-positive tumors (17/67 vs 45/90, P=0.002; 6/67 vs 25/90, P=0.003, respectively), whereas patients with ER-negative tumors had a higher pathological response rate than those with ER-positive tumors. Moreover, Patients with both ER- and PR-negative tumors exhibited a remarkable pathological response as compared with those with any single factor (36/17 vs 26/86, P=0.009). No association between Ki67 expression and pathological was found in this cohort of patients. There was a linear correlation between the expression of Ki67, ER or PR status and pathologic response.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant association between the hormone receptors and pathological response to neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, and patients with PR-negative tumors are more likely to respond to chemotherapy.
Wei
Yan
Y
Breast Center, Department of Pathology, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing 100036, China.
Li
Jin-feng
JF
Wang
Tian-feng
TF
Xie
Yun-tao
YT
Fan
Zhao-qing
ZQ
Fan
Tie
T
Lu
Ai-ping
AP
Ouyang
Tao
T
Lin
Ben-yao
BY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018943:Anthracyclines; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone