Phosphorylated mTOR expression correlates with poor outcome in early-stage triple negative breast carcinomas.
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important role in cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism. Some studies have associated phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) expression with worse outcome in breast cancers. However, the significance of p-mTOR expression specifically in triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) is unknown. In this study, p-mTOR expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 172 TNBCs and the result was correlated with clinicopathologic variables and disease outcome. The majority of tumors (72.1%) were p-mTOR positive; p-mTOR expression did not correlate with age, tumor size, grade, lymph node status, or tumor stage. In patients at stage 1 and 2 disease, those with p-mTOR expression had significantly worse overall as well as recurrence-free survival compared to those without p-mTOR expression. p-mTOR expression appears to be an adverse prognostic indicator in early-stage TNBCs. The assessment of p-mTOR expression in these tumors may also help to stratify patients for future target therapy studies.
Department of Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linko, Taiwan.
Shir-Hwa
SH
Ueng
Shin-Cheh
SC
Chen
Yu-Sun
YS
Chang
Swei
S
Hsueh
Yung-Chang
YC
Lin
Hui-Ping
HP
Chien
Yun-Feng
YF
Lo
Shih-Che
SC
Shen
Chuen
C
Hsueh
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human