title: Prognostic implication of serum hepatocyte growth factor in stage II/III breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In stage II/III breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a standard treatment. Although several biomarkers are used to predict prognosis in breast cancer, there is no reliable predictive biomarker for NAC success. Recently, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and cMet signaling pathway demonstrated to be involved in breast cancer tumor progression, and its potential as a biomarker is under active investigation. In this study, we assessed the potential of serum HGF as a prognostic biomarker for NAC efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Venous blood samples were drawn from patients diagnosed with stage II/III breast cancer and treated with NAC in Seoul National University Hospital from August 2004 to November 2009. Serum HGF level was determined using an ELISA system. We reviewed the medical records of the patients and investigated the association of HGF level with patients' clinicopathologic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 121 female patients (median age = 45 years old) were included. Median level of HGF was 934 pg/ml (lower quartile: 772, upper quartile: 1145 pg/ml). Patients with higher HGF level than median value were significantly more likely to have clinically detectable regional node metastasis (p = 0.017, Fisher's exact test). Patients with complete and partial response according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th Edition criteria tended to have higher HGF level (p = 0.105 by t test). Patients with an HGF level higher than the upper quartile value had longer relapse-free survival than the other patients (106 vs. 85 months, p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High serum HGF levels in breast cancer patients are associated with clinically detectable regional node metastasis and, paradoxically, with longer relapse-free survival in stage II/III breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeonghwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Youk
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Yaewon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea. ktyongmd@gmail.com.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea. ktyongmd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tae-Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Ahrum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Seon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Seongcheol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Hun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Bhumsuk
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keam
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Sae-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Do-Youn
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Han Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Wonshik
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: In Ae
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-You
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea.|Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Korea. moisa@snu.ac.kr.|Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehakro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea. moisa@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seock-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: C066855:HGF protein, human; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: Breast cancer; Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF); Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC); Prognosis