title: High focal adhesion kinase expression in breast carcinoma is associated with lymphovascular invasion and triple-negative phenotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Focal adhesion Kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in tumors and plays a significant role in tumor survival and metastasis. The purpose of the study is to perform correlation of FAK expression with patient prognostic factors using tissue microarrays (TMA) samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed FAK expression by immunohistochemical staining in 196 breast primary tumor samples from stage II-IV patients and in 117 metastatic tissues matched to the primary tumors using TMA that were stained with FAK monoclonal antibody.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High FAK expression in primary tumors was associated with a younger age of patients (p = 0.033), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.001) and with the triple-negative phenotype (p = 0.033). FAK expression in 117 metastatic tissues positively correlated with FAK expression in matched primary tumors by Spearman correlation analysis. In addition, a strong positive correlation was observed between high FAK expression and shorter overall survival and progression free survival in patients with metastatic tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data demonstrate a high potential for FAK as a therapeutic target, especially in triple-negative breast cancer patients with high FAK expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm&Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. Vita.Golubovskaya@roswellpark.org.
authors.forename: Vita M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Golubovskaya
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ylagan
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brese
authors.forename: Wiam
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bshara
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edge
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cance
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases