title: Predictive and prognostic values of tau and ERCC1 in advanced breast cancer patients treated with paclitaxel and cisplatin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied tau and excision repair cross-complementing 1 expression to evaluate their predictive values in advanced breast carcinoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients treated with paclitaxel and cisplatin as the first-line chemotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer were enrolled. The expression levels of tau and excision repair cross-complementing 1 were assessed by immunohistochemistry and examined for their associations with treatment response and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four patients were included in this study. Despite the strong association between tau expression and lower histological grade and estrogen receptor expression, tau expression remained an independent predictor for a lower response rate in multivariate analysis (odd ratio = 0.24, P = 0.02). However, tau expression was a predictor for longer overall survival in both univariate analysis (median, 57.5 vs. 30.4 months, P = 0.02) and multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 0.36, P = 0.008). Excision repair cross-complementing 1 was not associated with treatment response or overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tau expression but not excision repair cross-complementing 1 in advanced breast cancer predicts poor response to combination chemotherapy of paclitaxel and cisplatin. However, tau expression is significantly associated with longer overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Yun
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Kuan-Ting
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Fu-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yen-Shen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chiun-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jau-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liau
authors.forename: Wei-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chiun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Wun-Hon
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: King-Jeng
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ching-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ann-Lii
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins; C071447:ERCC1 protein, human; D004720:Endonucleases; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin