Breast cancer in the elderly: a histological assessment.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the correlation between the expression status of different biological markers in breast cancers in the elderly.


RESULTS
Three hundred and ninety-seven cases were evaluated for expression of hormone receptors [oestrogen receptors (ER) alpha and beta, progesterone receptor (PR)], basal markers [p63, cytokeratin (CK) 5/6 and CK14] and others (HER2/neu, synaptophysin and chromogranin). The expression rates were 60, 29, 25, 6, 14, 8, 28, 17 and 5%, respectively, for these markers. The expression of ER alpha and beta, PR, synaptophysin and chromogranin at any level correlated with low nuclear or tumour grades, whereas the expression of HER2/neu, CK5/6 and CK14 at any level correlated with high nuclear grade. By using hierarchical clustering, groups of HER2, luminal and basal types were identified. In addition, a neuroendocrine group was also identified, being characterized by expression of synaptophysin, chromogranin, ER and PR, but not HER2/neu, and other basal cytokeratins. This group was associated with lower nuclear grade, and hence better prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer in the elderly shows similar molecular groupings as other breast cancers, with an additional neuroendocrine group that is associated with a favourable biological marker profile.
Tse
Gary M
GM
Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, Hong Kong. garytse@cuhk.edu.hk
Tan
Puay-Hoon
PH
Lau
Kin-Mang
KM
de Andrade
Victor Piana
VP
Lui
Philip C W
PC
Vong
Joaquim S
JS
Chaiwun
Benjaporn
B
Lam
Christopher C
CC
Yu
Alex M
AM
Moriya
Takuya
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053547:Keratin-14 / Q000378:metabolism; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D053553:Keratin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D053547:Keratin-14; D053555:Keratin-5; D053553:Keratin-6; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016708:Synaptophysin; C081876:CKAP4 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human