Are synchronous and metachronous bilateral breast cancers different? An immunohistochemical analysis focused on cell cycle regulation.

INTRODUCTION: The biology and pathomechanisms of bilateral breast cancers is not fully understood. We compared the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of primary tumors in patients with synchronous (sBBC) and metachronous bilateral breast cancers (mBBC), with special focus on cell cycle regulation and its correlation with markers determining intrinsic phenotype. METHODS: Immunohistochemical expression of p16Ink4A, p21(WAF1/CIP1), p27Kip1, p53, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin D1, cyclin D3 and cyclin E was assessed in tissue microarrays containing primary breast tumor cores from 113 mBBC and 61 sBBC. Expression of these markers was correlated with tumor grade and expression of estrogen receptor (ER), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Ki-67. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, mBBC demonstrated higher expression of p16Ink4A (both cytoplasmic: p=0.002 and nuclear: p=0.014), cyclin A (p=0.024) and B (cytoplasmic; p=0.015). In multivariate analysis mBBC were associated with lower expression of p21: p=0.038 and higher cytoplasmic expression of cyclin B: p=0.019. Lower ER expression for all BBCs and mBBC, respectively, was associated with stronger p16 expression (cytoplasmic: both p<0.000001 and nuclear: p<0.000001, p=0.00002), p53: p<0.000001, p=0.000001, cyclin A: p=0.00002, p=0.00045, cyclin B (cytoplasmic: p=0.00037, 0.00015 and nuclear: both p=0.0004) and cyclin E: p=000003, p<0.000001, and weaker expression of p27: p=0.00003, p=0.0001 and cyclin D1: both p<0.000001; for sBBC some of these correlations were absent. Higher p27 score correlated with lower HER2 expression in sBBC: p=0.018, whereas higher HER2 expression was associated with higher p53: 0.024 and cyclin E: p=0.048 expression in all BBC and higher nuclear expression of cyclin B in sBBC: p=0.027. Higher Ki-67 expression was correlated with higher expression of p16 (cytoplasmic: p=0.000015, p=0.086, p=0.0002 and nuclear: p=0.000009, p=0.016, p=0.00003) in all subsets [all BBC, sBBC (non-significant for cytoplasmic score), mBBC, respectively], p21 (all BBC: p=0.05) and sBBC: p=0.017), p53 (all BBC: p=0.0003 and mBBC: p=0.0002), cyclin A: all p<0.000001, cyclin B (cytoplasmic: p<0.000001, p=0.004, p<0.000001, respectively and nuclear: p=0.0002, p=0.047, p=0.0026, respectively), cyclin D3 (all BBC: p=0.005 and mBBC: p=0.02) and cyclin E (all BBC: p<0.000001 and mBBC: p=0.000002), and lower expression of cyclin D1 (all BBC: p=0.046 and mBBC: p=0.035) and p27 (sBBC: p=0.048). CONCLUSION: Compared to sBBC, mBBC are characterized by lower expression of p21 and higher cytoplasmic expression of cyclin B, suggesting its more aggressive behavior. Correlations between cell-cycle regulation proteins and markers of breast cancer phenotype parallel those reported for unilateral breast cancer.

Immunohistochemical Predictors of Bone Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients.

Bones are the most common metastatic site of relapse in breast cancer patients and the prediction of bone metastases (BM) risk might prompt developing preventive and therapeutic strategies. The aim of the study was to correlate immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of selected proteins in primary breast cancer with the occurrence of BM. We analyzed expression of proteins potentially associated with BM in primary tumors of 184 patients with metastatic breast cancer (113 with- and 71 without BM). Expression of estrogen receptor (ER) in primary tumor was more common in patients with- compared to those without BM (74 vs. 45 % respectively, p = 0.0001), whereas in this subset less common was expression of parathyroid hormone related protein receptor type 1 (16 vs. 34 %, respectively, p = 0.007) and cytoplasmic expression of osteopontin (OPNcyt; 1.9 vs. 14 %, respectively, p = 0.002). The relationship between expression of ER and OPNcyt and the occurrence of BM was confirmed in the multivariate analysis. The ER-positive/OPNcyt negative phenotype was significantly more common in patients with- compared to those without BM (75 and 25 %, p < 0.0001, respectively; HR 1.79, p = 0.013). Luminal A (43 vs. 23 % respectively, p = 0.009) and luminal B/HER2-positive (16 vs. 4.9 % respectively, p = 0.032) subtypes were more common in patients with- compared to those without BM, whereas triple negative breast cancer subtype was less common (16 vs. 38 %, p = 0.002).

Are bilateral breast cancers and breast cancers coexisting with ovarian cancer different from solitary tumors? A pair-matched immunohistochemical analysis aimed at intrinsic tumor phenotype.

Patients with bilateral breast cancer (BBC) and breast-ovarian cancer syndrome (BOCS) constitute populations potentially enriched for molecular defects involved in the pathomechanisms of these malignancies. The aim of our study was to compare tumor morphology and expression of estrogen and progesterone receptor, HER2, Ki67, cytokeratin 5/6, E-cadherin, vimentin and epidermal growth factor receptor in tissue microarrays from 199 tumors from BBC or BOCS patients and 199 age-matched solitary tumors. Compared to controls, BBC and BOCS considered jointly had lower incidence of DCIS, lower expression of PgR and HER2, and higher expression of Ki67 and vimentin. BOCS tumors were of higher grade, had lower expression of ER and PgR and higher expression of Ki67, CK5/6, vimentin and EGFR. BBC had less DCIS component, lower HER2 expression and higher Ki67 expression. Metachronous BBC (mBBC) had lower expression of ER, PgR and HER2, and higher expression of Ki67 and vimentin. Synchronous BBC (sBBC) had less DCIS component, higher expression of ER, and lower expression of CK5/6, EGFR and E-cadherin. BBC and breast cancers in BOCS differ in many aspects from solitary tumors. BBC are a heterogeneous group of tumors, differing between sBBC and mBBC. mBBC phenotype shares many features with BOCS tumors.

Are synchronous and metachronous bilateral breast cancers different? An immunohistochemical analysis aimed at intrinsic tumor phenotype.

UNLABELLED: The biology and pathomechanism of bilateral breast cancers is not fully understood. We compared the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of primary tumors in patients with synchronous bilateral breast cancers and metachronous bilateral breast cancers, with special focus on intrinsic tumor phenotype. METHODS: Tumor morphology and expression of 8 immunohistochemical markers were assessed in tissue microarrays containing primary breast tumor cores from 113 metachronous bilateral breast cancers and 61 synchronous bilateral breast cancers. Analyzed markers included hormone receptors (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor), HER2, Ki67, cytokeratin 5/6, E-cadherin, vimentin and epidermal growth factor receptor. Cutoff levels are provided in the table. RESULTS: Metachronous bilateral breast cancers tumors had lower estrogen receptor expression (p=0.047) and higher expression of cytokeratin 5/6 (p=0.017) and of vimentin (p=0.008); in multivariate analysis only vimentin retained the significance (p=0.01). Ten (13%) and 11 (26%) of metachronous bilateral breast cancers and synchronous bilateral breast cancers had luminal A phenotype, 39 (50%) and 15 (36%) were luminal B HER2-negative, 13 (17%) and 12 (28%) - luminal B HER2-positive, 3 (4%) and 2 (5%) - HER2-positive (not luminal), and 12 (16%) and 2 (5%) had triple negative phenotype (p=0.07). CONCLUSION: Metachronous bilateral breast cancers, compared to synchronous bilateral breast cancers, are characterized by more aggressive phenotype, expressed by lower expression of estrogen receptor and stronger expression of cytokeratin 5/6 and vimentin; this does not, however, translate into differences in the distribution of intrinsic tumor phenotypes.

Immunohistochemical prediction of brain metastases in patients with advanced breast cancer: the role of Rad51.

BACKGROUND: There are no clinically useful biomarkers predictive of brain metastases (BM) in breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the correlation between expression of selected proteins in the primary tumor and the risk of BM in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). METHODS: The study included 198 MBC patients (96 with and 102 without BM). Using tissue microarrays derived from the primary tumor, we assessed by immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, CK5/6, EGFR, HER3, CXCR4, Rad51, E-cadherin, and claudin 3 and 4. RESULTS: Ki-67 ≥14% (hazard ratio [HR] 2.76; P < 0.001), cytoplasmic expression of Rad51 (HR 1.87; P = 0.014) and ER-negativity (HR 1.72; P = 0.029) were associated with increased risk of BM in the multivariate analysis. A three-biomarker profile including ER, Ki-67 and Rad51 vs. other subtypes combined yielded an HR of 4.43 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ER-negativity, cytoplasmic expression of Rad51 and high Ki-67 are associated with increased risk of BM.

Are bilateral breast cancers different from breast cancers coexisting with ovarian cancer? An immunohistochemical analysis aimed at intrinsic tumor phenotype.

RATIONALE: Bilateral breast cancers (BBC) and breast cancers coexisting with ovarian cancer (BOCS) are associated with genetic predisposition more frequently than sporadic cases. We compared the phenotypes of these tumors to better understand their pathomechanisms and aid the guiding of their clinical management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor morphology and expression of ER, PgR, HER2, Ki67, CK5/6, E-cadherin, vimentin and EGFR were assessed in a tissue microarray containing cores from 174 BBC, 23 BOCS and 2 BBC + BOCS. RESULTS: BOCS tumors were characterized by higher incidence of EGFR expression, HER2 negativity and lower incidence of intraductal component. HER2-positive phenotypes were marginally more frequent in the BBC group and triple negative tumors - in BOCS. CONCLUSION: Breast cancers from BOCS patients are characterized by more aggressive phenotype, most probably related to their more frequent association with BRCA1 mutation.

Analysis of PTEN, estrogen receptor α and progesterone receptor expression in endometrial hyperplasia using tissue microarray.

We compared the immunohistochemical expression of PTEN, estrogen receptor α (ER-α) and progesterone receptor (PR) in a series of endometrial hyperplasia (EH) and in disordered proliferative endometrium (DPE) by tissue microarray (TMA). The material consisted of 141 endometrial curretings including 98 cases (study group) diagnosed as EH [59-simple (SH), 20-complex (CH), 19 atypical (AEH)] and 43 cases (control group) with DPE due to anovulation. The mean PTEN expression index decreased in order DPE-EH-AEH groups (p < 0.05). The mean value of the ER-α index increased in order DPE-SH-CH and decreased in AEH group, whereas the PR expression index decreased in order DPE-EH-AEH (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05, respectively). These results show that steroid hormone receptor status influences the architectural changes of endometriumrather than cytological ones. On the other hand, decreased PTEN expression correlates more closely with the cytological atypia in endometrial cells. In our opinion ER-α and PR may be useful markers predicting therapy response in EH. PTEN presents as a strong prognosticator which may help in determining the risk of progression in advanced stages of EH, especially those with atypical cytological features.