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Dubrava AL, Kyaw PSP, Newman J, Pringle J, Westhuyzen J, La Hera Fuentes G, Shakespeare TP, Sakalkale R, Aherne NJ. Androgen Receptor Status in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Does It Correlate with Clinicopathological Characteristics? BREAST CANCER (DOVE MEDICAL PRESS) 2023; 15:359-371. [PMID: 37197610 PMCID: PMC10184857 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s405719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a breast carcinoma subtype that neither expresses estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) nor the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Patients with TNBC have been shown to have poorer outcomes mainly owing to the limited treatment options available. However, some studies have shown TNBC tumors expressing androgen receptors (AR), raising hopes of its prognostic role. Patients and Methods This retrospective study investigated the expression of AR in TNBC and its relationship with known patient demographics, tumor and survival characteristics. From the records of 205 TNBC patients, 36 had available archived tissue samples eligible for AR staining. For statistical purposes, tumors were classified as either "positive" or "negative" for AR expression. The nuclear expression of AR was scored by measuring the percentage of stained tumor cells and its staining intensity. Results AR was expressed by 50% of the tissue samples in our TNBC cohort. The relationship between AR status with age at the time of TNBC diagnosis was statistically significant, with all AR positive TNBC patients being greater than 50 years old (vs 72.2% in AR negative TNBC). Also, the relationship between AR status and type of surgery received was statistically significant. There were no statistically significant associations between AR status with other tumor characteristics including "TNM status", tumor grade or treatments received. There was no statistically significant difference in median survival between AR negative and AR positive TNBC patients (3.5 vs 3.1 years; p = 0.581). The relationship between OS time and AR status (p = 0.581), type of surgery (p = 0.061) and treatments (p = 0.917) were not statistically significant. Conclusion The androgen receptor may be an important prognostic marker in TNBC, with further research warranted. This research may benefit future studies investigating receptor-targeted therapies in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex L Dubrava
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pan Su Pyae Kyaw
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joseph Newman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jarrad Pringle
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin Westhuyzen
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gina La Hera Fuentes
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas P Shakespeare
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Renukadas Sakalkale
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Base Hospital Pathology, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Noel J Aherne
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
- Correspondence: Noel J Aherne, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Centre, Coffs Harbour Hospital, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, 2450, Australia, Tel + 61 2 6656 5125, Fax +61 2 6656 5855, Email
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Kumar Yadav S, Sharma D, Bala Sharma D, Kintu-Luwaga R, Jha CK, Shekhar S. Barriers and challenges in providing standard breast cancer care in low resource settings. Trop Doct 2022; 52:532-537. [PMID: 35762398 DOI: 10.1177/00494755221092899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the barriers to the delivery of internationally accepted breast cancer care in low resource settings (LRS) as compared to well-endowed resource settings (WRS) via an online survey. The survey was completed by 199 surgeons from eleven countries: 51 from WRS and 148 from LRS, based on our definition. The two most common facilities lacking in LRS were sentinel lymph node biopsy and immune-histochemistry (67% and 60% respectively). Only 22% respondents from LRS confirmed that all their eligible patients received hormonal therapy and only 8% radiotherapy as compared to 98% and 75% from WRS. Widespread limitations exist in most LRS, making internationally accepted breast cancer treatment guidelines impossible to follow, and thus resulting in suboptimal cancer care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Saket Shekhar
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, 442340AIIMS, Patna, India
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