title: Fascin-1 as a novel diagnostic marker of triple-negative breast cancer.
abstract: In some cases of breast cancer, diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) requires further fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for determining human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. However, few cases undergo FISH in China, leading to difficulty regarding subsequent treatment decisions. Here, we used immunohistochemical analysis to explore expression of fascin-1, an actin-bundling protein, as a diagnostic marker of TNBC. A total of 457 cases of breast cancer were divided into four molecular subtypes, including 82 cases (17.9%) of TNBC, 81 (17.7%) of HER2-enriched, 185 (40.5%) of luminal A, and 109 (23.9%) of luminal B. Positive fascin-1 expression was seen in 144 cases (31.5%), including 77 (16.8%) strong positive cases. Rates of positive and strong positive expression of fascin-1 were significantly higher in cases of TNBC than in the other molecular subtypes. In all cases of breast cancer, the sensitivities and specificities of positive and strong positive fascin-1 expression for predicting TNBC were 87.8% and 80.8%, and 78.0% and 96.5%, respectively. In cases of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, the sensitivities and specificities of positive and strong positive fascin-1 expression for predicting TNBC were 87.8% and 61.7%, and 78.0% and 92.6%, respectively. In 24 cases with estrogen receptor (ER)-, PR-, and HER2 2 +  equivocal status who underwent FISH, the sensitivity and specificity of strong positive fascin-1 expression for predicting TNBC were 71.4% and 90.0%. These results suggest that strong positive fascin-1 expression can be used as a diagnostic marker of TNBC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Chao-Qun
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Biotechnology, College of Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Teng
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ni
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomedicine, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Gui-Nv
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Control and Prevention of Endemic & Parasitic Diseases, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Fei
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C502658:FSCN1 protein, human; D008840:Microfilament Proteins
keywords: Breast cancer; fascin-1; immunohistochemistry; triple-negative breast cancer