Prediction of outcome of early ER+ breast cancer is improved using a biomarker panel, which includes Ki-67 and p53

Background:

The aim of this study is to determine whether immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of Ki67 and p53 improves prognostication of oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer after breast-conserving therapy (BCT). In all, 498 patients with invasive breast cancer from a randomised trial of BCT with or without tumour bed radiation boost were assessed using IHC.

Methods:

The ER+ tumours were classified as ‘luminal A’ (LA): ER+ and/or PR+, Ki-67 low, p53−, HER2− or ‘luminal B’ (LB): ER+ and/or PR+and/or Ki-67 high and/or p53+ and/or HER2+. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards methodology were used to ascertain relationships to ispilateral breast tumour recurrence (IBTR), locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS).

Results:

In all, 73 patients previously LA were re-classified as LB: a greater than four-fold increase (4.6–19.3%) compared with ER, PR, HER2 alone. In multivariate analysis, the LB signature independently predicted LRR (hazard ratio (HR) 3.612, 95% CI 1.555–8.340, P=0.003), DMFS (HR 3.023, 95% CI 1.501–6.087, P=0.002) and BCSS (HR 3.617, 95% CI 1.629–8.031, P=0.002) but not IBTR.

Conclusion:

The prognostic evaluation of ER+ breast cancer is improved using a marker panel, which includes Ki-67 and p53. This may help better define a group of poor prognosis ER+ patients with a greater probability of failure with endocrine therapy.

ATM induction insufficiency in a radiosensitive breast-cancer patient

The ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) gene (ATM) is a dominant breast cancer gene with tumour suppressor activity. ATM also regulates cellular sensitivity to ionising radiation (IR) presumably through its role as a facilitator of DNA repair. In normal cells and tissues the ATM protein is rapidly induced by IR to threshold/maximum levels. The kinase function of the ATM protein is also rapidly activated in response to IR. The fact that women carriers of ATM mutations can have an increased risk of developing breast cancer and that many sporadic breast tumours have reduced levels of the ATM protein broadens the scope of ATM's tumour suppressor within the breast. This report describes the downregulation of ATM protein levels in a radiosensitive breast cancer patient. Postinduction ATM levels were up to tenfold lower in the patient's fresh tissues compared to normal controls. These results might indicate a much broader role for ATM anomalies in breast cancer aetiology.

Probability of axillary node involvement in patients with tubular carcinoma of the breast

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of axillary metastasis in women with tubular carcinoma (TC) of the breast.

METHODS

Women who underwent axillary dissection for TC in the Western Sydney area (1984--1995) were identified retrospectively through a search of computerized records. A centralized pathology review was performed and tumours were classified as pure tubular (22) or mixed tubular (nine), on the basis of the invasive component containing 90 per cent or more, or 75--90 per cent tubule formation respectively. A Medline search of the literature was undertaken to compile a collective series (20 studies with a total of 680 patients) to address the frequency of nodal involvement in TC. A quantitative meta-analysis was used to combine the results of these studies.

RESULTS

The overall frequency of nodal metastasis was five of 31 (16 per cent); one of 22 pure tubular and four of nine mixed tumours (P = 0.019). None of the tumours with a diameter of 10 mm or less (n = 16) had nodal metastasis compared with five of 15 larger tumours (P = 0.018). The meta-analysis of 680 women showed an overall frequency of nodal metastasis in TC of 13.8 (95 per cent confidence interval 9.3-18.3) per cent. The frequency of nodal involvement was 6.6 (1.7--11.4) per cent in pure TC (n = 244) and 25.0 (12.5--37.6) per cent in mixed TC (n = 149).

CONCLUSION

A case may be made for observing the clinically negative axilla in women with a small TC (10 mm or less in diameter).