engleski

Can cancer-associated epigenetic changes be detected from semiquantitative ER/PgR expression in 1180 patients with invasive ductal breast cancers?

Model of cancer-associated epigenetic changes (Kurbel S. Tumour Biol 2013 ; 34:2011-7) proposes that, beside in the ER+PgR- breast cancers, dysfunctional ERs are also present in some ER+PgR+ tumours with weak PgR expression. In 1180 invasive ductal cancers, ER and PgR positivity were semiquantitatively classified in four groups: "0" means no positive cells ; "1+" <10% positive cells ; "2+" 11-30% positive cells ; and "3+" 31-100% positive cells. Among patients older than 54, Luminal A and B1 tumours were frequently ER3+ (p<0.01), while PgR3+ tumours were more common among Luminal A patients younger than 55 (p=0.034), suggesting that in older Luminal A or B1 patients, high ER and low PgR expression is common. Nothing similar was found among Luminal B2 patients. The model predicted share of dysfunctional ERs was 7.32% (for Luminal A), 11.26% (B1), 12.62% (B2&Ki-67<20%) and 14.73% (B2&Ki-67>20%). The predicted values matched well with the found shares of ER3+PgR1+ tumours within these three types (p>0.10). The results support heterogeneity among ER+PgR+ tumours. Future studies of ER+PgR+ phenotype variants are required since hypothetical dysfunctional ERs in some ER+PgR+ breast cancer patients might alter their endocrine treatment outcomes.

estrogen receptor ; progesterone receptor ; breast cancer ; epigenetic

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