ABSTRACT
Predictive biomarkers such as oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein have become a staple in breast cancer reports in the country as they increasingly play an important role in the treatment and prognosis of women with breast cancers. This study reviews the practice of histopathology reporting of these biomarkers in a Malaysian tertiary hospital setting. Retrospective data on demographic, pathological and biomarker profi les of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma who had undergone mastectomy or lumpectomy with axillary node clearance from 2005 to 2006 were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, Penang Hospital and analysed. The prevalence of ER positivity (55.8%), PR positivity (52.5%), c-erbB-2 oncoprotein overexpression (24%) and triple negativity (ER negative, PR negative, c-erbB-2 negative) (15%) by immunohistochemistry were comparable with other studies. Notably, c-erbB-2 overexpression was equivocal (2+) in 15% of cases. Since about a quarter of equivocal (2+) cases usually show amplifi cation by FISH, a small but certain percentage of patients would miss the benefi t of anti-cerbB- 2 antibody therapy if FISH is not performed. New ASCO/CAP guidelines on the quantitation of ER and PR will probably increase the prevalence of ER/PR positivity, invariably leading to signifi cant ramifi cations on the management of patients as more patients would be deemed eligible for endocrine therapy, as well as categorisation of triple negative breast cancers.
ABSTRACT
Transaminase enzymes, alanine (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), have been reported to be raised and implicated to have prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ki67, a marker of cellular proliferative activity, has also been noted to be increased in HCC. A study was conducted at the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur to determine the possible association of proliferative activity, as determined by Ki67, with the transaminase enzymes. 31 cases of histologically diagnosed HCC who underwent tumour resection were retrieved from departmental archives. The patients' ages ranged between 40 to 79 years with a mean of 58.3 years. There was a male preponderance with M:F = 2.9:1. Ethnic Chinese formed 83.9% of the cases. 4 microm sections, cut from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumour tissue block of each case, were immunohistochemically stained with Ki67 (DAKO monoclonal MIB-1) using the commercial DakoCytomation EnVision+System-HRP kit. The latest ALT and AST levels, assayed within 7 days prior to tumour resection, were retrieved from the patients' case records. 24 (77.4%) HCC demonstrated elevation of either ALT and/or AST. 27 (87.1%) HCC were immunopositive for Ki67. Ki67 immunoexpression was significantly correlated with raised transaminases (p<0.05). Hypothetically, the mechanism by which this phenomenon may occur may simply be release of transaminases due to destruction of hepatocytes by the cancer. Thus rising levels of the transaminases could signal a more rapid growth of the tumour and these routinely performed tests can be of prognostic value in management of HCC patients.