title: Evaluation of current prognostic and predictive markers in breast cancer: a validation study of tissue microarrays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tissue microarrays (TMAs) are an attractive alternative to analysis of whole sections (WS). For breast carcinomas, the recent recommendations for cut-offs (i.e. Ki67, H-score) have necessitated the re-evaluation of TMAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  TMA results of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing for Estrogen receptors (ER), Progesterone receptors (PgR), Ki67 and HER2 were compared against the results of WS for 88 breast carcinomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found excellent agreement between the two methods for ER and PgR IHC evaluation, using the H-score (Kappa coefficient 0.972 and 0.9, respectively). There was also excellent correlation for HER2 IHC (Kappa coefficient 1) and amplification (Kappa coefficient 0.933). Furthermore, scoring of Ki67 was highly-correlated between TMAs and WS (Kappa coefficient 0.954). The latter excellent correlation has not, to our knowledge, been previously reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For breast cancer, TMAs are an efficient and reliable alternative to the use of WS, using the currently recommended markers, evaluation protocols and cut-off values.
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Ioannina, Medical School, University Campus, PO BOX 1186, 451 10, Ioannina, Greece. abatista@cc.uoi.gr
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Batistatou
authors: Despina
authors: D
authors: Televantou
authors: Mattheos
authors: M
authors: Bobos
authors: Anastasia G
authors: AG
authors: Eleftheraki
authors: Evangelos
authors: E
authors: Kouvaras
authors: Sofia
authors: S
authors: Chrisafi
authors: George K
authors: GK
authors: Koukoulis
authors: Vassiliki
authors: V
authors: Malamou-Mitsi
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Fountzilas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
keywords: Breast cancer; ER; HER2; Ki67; PgR; TMA