title: Overexpression of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) predicts better response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) occurs in approximately 10% to 25% of all patients with breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported to produce a higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in TNBC. If pCR is achieved, patients with TNBC had a similar survival with non-TNBC patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the protein expression of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and clinical outcome in patients with TNBC compared with non-TNBC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 198 locally advanced breast cancer patients who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were studied. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was carried out to detect the protein expression of EGFR in tumor samples. Clinical and pathological parameters, pCR rate and survival data were compared between 40 TNBCs and 158 non-TNBCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 198 cases who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, significant differences exist in surgical therapy (P=0.005) and pCR rate (P=0.012) between patients with TNBCs and non-TNBCs. Overexpression of EGFR was significantly associated with pCR rate in patients with TNBCs (P < 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that patients with TNBCs had worse DFS and OS than those with non-TNBCs (P = 0.001, P < 0.001 respectively). Furthermore, for patients with non-TNBCs, those who achieved pCR had better DFS and OS than those who achieved RD (both P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that patients with TNBCs had increased pCR rates compared with non-TNBC. Overexpression of EGFR predicted better response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with TNBCs.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Yiqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yafen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Jianfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Dengbin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiaosong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiayi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kunwei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wings T Y
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Loo
authors.forename: Louis W C
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors