title: Hormonal Receptor, Human Epidermal Growth Factor and Its Association with Breast Cancer Tumor Characteristics in Albania.
abstract: This retrospective study was designed to analyze expression patterns of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu in Albanian patients with breast carcinoma to identify their relationships with tumor size, histological grade (HG), lymph node metastasis and relapse.
  
  
  
  Patients with either biopsy or metastatic relapse were identified. Demographics, tumor characteristics, ER, PR, and HER2/neu status were retrospectively obtained from the medical records of patients treated with breast cancer during 2006-2011. Hormonal receptors and HER2/neu were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Association of ER, PR and HER2/neu with clinicopathological and molecular characteristics were studied using Fisher's test. P value ≤0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  
  There were 110 patients included in the study. Mean patient age was 51.08±10.75 years. The overall immunoexpression of ER, PR and HER2/neu were found positive in 76 (69%), 73 (67%), and 16 (41%) patients, respectively. ER- was associated with higher histological grade (24% vs. 9.2%) and PR+ with tumor size (T2, 78.3 vs. 64.3) (p=0.02 and 0.05, respectively). ER and PR expression were significantly decreased in HER2/neu positive cases while HER2/neu levels correlated with tumor size (p=0.03) and nodal metastasis (p=0.03). No association was detected between ER, PR, HER2/neu and relapse.
  
  
  
  A combination of ER, PR and HER2/neu and prognostic factors could be of clinical value by defining subgroups in Albanian breast cancer patients that might benefit from more aggressive treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Elbasan, Elbasan, Albania.
authors.forename: Edlira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pajenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tirana, Tirana. Albania.
authors.forename: Tefta
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rexha
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynaecology, Mother Tereza Oncology Hospital, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Silva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Çeliku
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Nuclear Medicine, Acad Isak S. Tadzer Faculty of Medicine, UKIM, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ugrinska
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Gazmend
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bejtja
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
keywords: ER; HER2/neu; PR; breast cancer; relapse