title: 21-Gene expression profile assay on core needle biopsies predicts responses to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients.
abstract: This study examined postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients who received prospective neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NAET) with tamoxifen or anastrozole to determine if the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) predicts NAET responses. RS scores were determined from pretreatment core biopsy specimens. Although half of the specimens yielded insufficient RNA, the remaining samples were highly representative. Patients with a low RS tended to respond better than those with an intermediate or high RS (n=43). Response rates by RS were similar between the tamoxifen and anastrozole groups. Patients with a low RS tended to have better relapse-free survival (RFS) than those with an intermediate or high RS (5y-RFS; 100% vs. 84% and 73%, respectively). These results suggest that RS predicts responses to NAET with tamoxifen or anastrozole. Because this pilot study examined a small sample size, these results should be validated in larger studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Breast Surgery, 1-1 Tsukiji 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. sakashi@ncc.go.jp
authors.forename: Sadako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akashi-Tanaka
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Tatsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kouno
authors.forename: Kotoe
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Tadahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shien
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000077384:Anastrozole; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D009570:Nitriles; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D014230:Triazoles; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077384:Anastrozole