Triple-negative (ER, PgR, HER-2/neu) breast cancer in Indian women

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression by Immunohistochemistry as a Possible Indicator of Prognosis in Invasive Breast Carcinoma of No Special Type

Context

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting vascular network, is essential for tumor growth and spread. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic growth factor.

Aims

To assess the expression of VEGF in invasive carcinoma of no special type and its correlation with all the known prognostic factors of breast carcinoma.

Settings and Design

Descriptive.

Materials and Methods

Mastectomy specimens were studied noting the clinical details. The formalin-fixed tissues were subjected to routine processing and hematoxylin and eosin sections and studied extensively for all the histological prognostic factors. Representative sections from each case with the tumor were subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining with VEGF, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) antibodies.

Statistical Analysis Used

Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, contingency table analysis using SPSS for Windows.

Results

One hundred and twelve cases of invasive carcinoma of special type were studied to evaluate various clinicopathological parameters. The association of VEGF with clinicopathological parameters and all the known prognostic factors was studied to note its significance. VEGF overexpression was observed in 69% of the cases. It was noted that larger tumor size, higher histological grade, lymphovascular invasion, nodal involvement, tumor necrosis, high microvessel density, ER negativity, PR negativity, and HER2/neu positivity had a significant statistical association with VEGF overexpression.

Conclusions

We conclude that incorporating VEGF as a biomarker along with the known factors into a prognostic index will not only help predict clinical outcome more accurately, but also determines the patient who can be benefited with combinational therapy including anti-VEGF factors.

Oncogenic and Tumor Suppressive Components of the Cell Cycle in Breast Cancer Progression and Prognosis

Cancer, a disease of inappropriate cell proliferation, is strongly interconnected with the cell cycle. All cancers consist of an abnormal accumulation of neoplastic cells, which are propagated toward uncontrolled cell division and proliferation in response to mitogenic signals. Mitogenic stimuli include genetic and epigenetic changes in cell cycle regulatory genes and other genes which regulate the cell cycle. This suggests that multiple, distinct pathways of genetic alterations lead to cancer development. Products of both oncogenes (including cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKs) and cyclins) and tumor suppressor genes (including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors) regulate cell cycle machinery and promote or suppress cell cycle progression, respectively. The identification of cyclins and CDKs help to explain and understand the molecular mechanisms of cell cycle machinery. During breast cancer tumorigenesis, cyclins A, B, C, D1, and E; cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKs); and CDK-inhibitor proteins p16, p21, p27, and p53 are known to play significant roles in cell cycle control and are tightly regulated in normal breast epithelial cells. Following mitogenic stimuli, these components are deregulated, which promotes neoplastic transformation of breast epithelial cells. Multiple studies implicate the roles of both types of components-oncogenic CDKs and cyclins, along with tumor-suppressing cyclin-dependent inhibitors-in breast cancer initiation and progression. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed that there is a prognostic significance for screening for these described components, regarding patient outcomes and their responses to therapy. The aim of this review article is to summarize the roles of oncogenic and tumor-suppressive components of the cell cycle in breast cancer progression and prognosis.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Profile, from Gene to microRNA, in Relation to Ethnicity

Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. It is classified into four major molecular subtypes. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), a subgroup of breast cancer, are defined by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the lack of HER-2 expression; this subgroup accounts for ~15% of all breast cancers and exhibits the most aggressive metastatic behavior. Currently, very limited targeted therapies exist for the treatment of patients with TNBCs. On the other hand, it is important to highlight that knowledge of the molecular biology of breast cancer has recently changed the decision-making process regarding the course of cancer therapies. Thus, a number of new techniques, such as gene profiling and sequencing, proteomics, and microRNA analysis have been used to explore human breast carcinogenesis and metastasis including TNBC, which consequently could lead to new therapies. Nevertheless, based on evidence thus far, genomics profiles (gene and miRNA) can differ from one geographic location to another as well as in different ethnic groups. This review provides a comprehensive and updated information on the genomics profile alterations associated with TNBC pathogenesis associated with different ethnic backgrounds.

Biomarkers in triple negative breast cancer: A review

Breast cancer is an intrinsically heterogeneous disease. In the world about 1 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually and more than 170000 are triple-negative. Characteristic feature of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is that it lacks expression of oestrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/neu receptors. They comprise 15%-20% of all breast cancers. We did a systematic review of PubMed and conference databases to identify studies published on biomarkers in TNBC. We included studies with biomarkers including: Epidermal growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor, c-Myc, C-kit and basal cytokeratins, Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, p53, tyrosinase kinases, m-TOR, heat and shock proteins and TOP-2A in TNBC. We also looked for studies published on synthetic lethality and inhibition of angiogenesis, growth, and survival pathways. TNBC is a complex disease subtype with many subclasses. Majority TNBC have a basal-like molecular phenotype by gene expression profiling. Their clinical and pathologic features overlap with hereditary BRCA1 related breast cancers. Management of these tumours is a challenge to the clinician because of its aggressive behaviour, poor outcome, and absence of targeted therapies. As the complexity of this disease is being simplified over time new targets are also being discovered for the treatment of this disease. There are many biomarkers in TNBC being used in clinical practice. Biomarkers may be useful as prognostic or predictive indicators as well as suggest possible targets for novel therapies. Many targeted agents are being studied for treatment of TNBC.

Triple negative breast cancer: an Indian perspective

Introduction

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the world. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a recently identified biological variant with aggressive tumor behavior and poor prognosis. Data of hormonal status from the Indian population is scarce due to financial constraints in performing immunohistochemistry evaluation. The present study aims to prospectively analyze receptor status of all breast cancer patients and identify TNBC and compare their clinical profile and short term survival with other non-TNBC group.

Materials and methods

All cytologically and histopathologically confirmed cases of carcinoma breast were prospectively enrolled. In a longitudinal study at tertiary care hospital in central India based on the hormonal status, they were further divided into TNBC and other groups. Comparison of risk factors, clinical profile and short-term survival was carried out.

Results

A total 85 patients were enrolled and of them 37 (43.7%) were TNBC. On comparing risk factors ie, age, age at menarche, total reproductive age, age at first child birth, and menopausal status – no statistical significance was observed between the TNBC and non-TNBC groups. But on comparison of clinical profile TNBC tumors were significantly large with majority of patients presenting as locally advanced breast cancer (83%). No statistical difference was observed in axillary lymph node status between two groups. TNBC tumors were histologically more aggressive (grade 3) compared to other groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in short term overall survival but all three deaths were observed in the TNBC group only and two local recurrences after surgery were observed in the TNBC group.

Conclusion

TNBC forms a large proportion of carcinoma breast patients in a central Indian scenario and needs more research to identify appropriate treatment planning considering aggressive histology and advanced presentation.

Reduction of breast cancer relapses with perioperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: new findings and a review

To explain a bimodal pattern of hazard of relapse among early stage breast cancer patients identified in multiple databases, we proposed that late relapses result from steady stochastic progressions from single dormant malignant cells to avascular micrometastases and then on to growing deposits. However in order to explain early relapses, we had to postulate that something happens at about the time of surgery to provoke sudden exits from dormant phases to active growth and then to detection. Most relapses in breast cancer are in the early category. Recent data from Forget et al. suggest an unexpected mechanism. They retrospectively studied results from 327 consecutive breast cancer patients comparing various perioperative analgesics and anesthetics in one Belgian hospital and one surgeon. Patients were treated with mastectomy and conventional adjuvant therapy. Relapse hazard updated Sept 2011 are presented. A common Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) analgesic used in surgery produced far superior disease-free survival in the first 5 years after surgery. The expected prominent early relapse events in months 9-18 are reduced 5-fold. If this observation holds up to further scrutiny, it could mean that the simple use of this safe, inexpensive and effective anti-inflammatory agent at surgery might eliminate early relapses. Transient systemic inflammation accompanying surgery could facilitate angiogenesis of dormant micrometastases, proliferation of dormant single cells, and seeding of circulating cancer stem cells (perhaps in part released from bone marrow) resulting in early relapse and could have been effectively blocked by the perioperative anti-inflammatory agent.

Triple negative breast cancer - our experience and review

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) constitutes 10-25% of patients with breast cancer. TNBC is an aggressive phenotype affecting younger age groups and has poor prognosis. We retrospectively analysed 50 triple negative breast cancer patients attending our outpatient department among 270 breast cancer patients. The incidence of TNBC was 18.5%, and most of them were premenopausal 56% (28/50) with mean age was 46.66 ± 13.87 (Range 28-72 years). Most of them had Invasive ductal cancer 94% (47/50) and were high grade (Grade 3-96%)(48/50). Five patients presented with metastatic disease (2 patients only Skeletal, 1 patient with Skeletal and Lung, 1 patient with Lung and 1 patient with Liver) and 7 patients developed recurrence (all 7 had chest wall recurrence, 3 had supraclavicular lymph node recurrence, 2 had skeletal metastases and 1 had developed brain metastases) during follow up. The mean disease free survival was 15 months (Range 3-58 months) and overall survival was 20.14 months (Range 5-70 months). Fifty six percent (28/50) of patients were premenopausal and mean age of presentation was 46.66 ± 13.87 years (Range 28-72 years). Ten percent (5/50) presented with metastatic disease and 15% (7/45) developed metastases during follow up. Five patients (10%) died during follow up. Hence, Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive, with rapid progression leading to mortality in younger patients.