title: An evaluation of focal adhesion kinase in breast cancer by tissue microarrays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many studies have shown that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a positive regulator of tumor progression and invasion. However, there is still very limited information about the role of FAK in breast cancer. Tissue microarrays (TMA) can analyze thousands of tissue samples in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the origin block. This study was designed with the application of TMA to analyze the FAK status in breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Archival tissue specimens from 98 patients with primary invasive breast cancer were selected and FAK expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining with TMA. The data of primary tumor staging, age, estrogen receptor status, lymph node status, histological grading and TNM staging were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were four patients (4.0%) with grade 1 expression in FAK, 41 patients (41.8%) with grade 2 expression in FAK and 53 patients (54.2%) with grade 3 expression in FAK. There was no significant relationship between FAK expression and age, estrogen receptor status, histological grading, primary tumor staging, lymph node status and TNM stage. By multivariate analysis, the TNM stage was found to be significantly related to the overall five-year survival rate (p<0.00001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunohistochemical staining with TMA is a convenient and feasible method. Unfortunately, our preliminary results fail to show meaningful prognostic value of FAK in breast cancer. A larger prospective study is warranted for further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital 123, Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. smsheen@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shyr-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sheen-Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi-Chia
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ching-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Shun-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Shih-Chung
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chao-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Rei-Ping
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hock-Liew
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Sheung-Fat
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Yi-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jiun-Lung
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Eng-Yen
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kung-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases