title: p53 accumulation is a strong predictor of recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors.
abstract: Aromatase inhibitors have played a central role in endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. However, factors predictive of the efficacy of aromatase inhibitors, and prognostic factors, both for early and late recurrence in women treated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitors have not been identified. Whole genome analysis identified that a TP53 gene mutation exists in ER-positive breast cancers, although the frequency of TP53 gene mutation in luminal tumors is lower compared with basal-like or human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancers. We examined expression of p53, as well as ER, progesterone receptor, HER2 and Ki-67 using immunohistochemistry in postmenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patients who were treated with aromatase inhibitors as adjuvant endocrine therapy. There were 53 (21%) tumors that contained 10% or more p53-positive cells. High p53 expression was positively correlated with tumor grade, HER2 score and Ki-67 expression. Significant association was observed between disease-free survival and high p53 expression in multivariate analysis (P < 0.0001). Compared with women without recurrence, women with early recurrence had significantly higher p53 expression (P < 0.0001), as did women with late recurrence (P = 0.037). The present study demonstrates that p53 accumulation is a strong predictor of both early and late recurrence in ER-positive breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors as adjuvant endocrine therapy. TP53 gene alteration might be a key biological characteristic of ER-positive breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Mitsuchika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Kiichiroh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Shusheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Kanako C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: Emi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takakuwa
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017698:Postmenopause; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C495901:TP53 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: Aromatase inhibitor; breast cancer; endocrine therapy; p53; prognosis