title: Glomeruloid microvascular proliferation is associated with lack of response to chemotherapy in breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glomeruloid microvascular proliferation (GMP), a novel histology-based angiogenesis marker, has been associated with decreased survival in several human cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we evaluated the ability of GMP to predict clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a series of locally advanced breast cancers (n=112).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Presence of GMP (21% of the cases) was significantly associated with high-grade tumours and TP53 mutations in addition to the basal-like and HER2 subtypes of breast cancer as defined by gene expression data. GMP was correlated to a gene expression signature for tumour hypoxia response. The GMP pattern was also significantly associated with lack of treatment response and progressive disease (P=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that GMP might be able to predict the lack of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer. Whether GMP may be an independent predictor compared with other factors including TP53 mutation status and tumour grade needs confirmation in larger studies.
authors.affiliation: The Gade Institute, Section for Pathology, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen N-5021, Norway. lars.akslen@gades.uib.no
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Akslen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Straume
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sørlie
authors.forename: J-T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aas
authors.forename: A-L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Børresen-Dale
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lønning
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor