Joint detection of multiple immunohistochemical indices and clinical significance in breast cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) expressions in Ethiopian female breast cancer and their association with histopathologic features

BACKGROUND

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) play important role in breast tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, patient survival and drug resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protein expression status of EGFR and VEGF-A, as well as their association with hormone receptor status and histopathological characteristics in the invasive type of female breast cancer among Ethiopians.

METHOD

The primary breast tumor tissues were obtained from 85 Ethiopian invasive breast cancer cases that underwent modified radical mastectomy (MRM) from June 2014 to June 2015. Their FFPE blocks were analyzed for EGFR and VEGF protein expressions using immunohistochemical techniques. The expressions were also correlated with histopathologic features.

RESULT

Epidermal growth factor receptor over-expression was observed in 22% of the tumor samples. VEGF-A expression was negative in 13.41%, low in 63.41%, moderate in 20.73%, and high in 2.44%. EGFR expression, but not VEGF-A, showed a significant inverse correlation with both estrogen receptor (ER) (P = 0.01) and progesterone receptor (PR) statuses (P = 0.04). EGFR and VEGF expressions did not show significant association with tumor size, grade, lymph node status or age at diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression was most likely associated with ER and PR negative tumors. Assessments of multiple molecular markers aid to understand the biological behavior of the disease in Ethiopian population. It might also help to predict which group of patients might get more benefit from the selected treatment strategies and which are not.

Correlation of Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization for HER-2 Assessment in Breast Cancer Patients: Single Centre Experience

BACKGROUND:

Accurate assessment of HER-2 is imperative in selecting patients for targeted therapy. Most commonly used test methods for HER-2 are immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). We evaluated the concordance between FISH and IHC for HER-2 in breast cancer samples using Food and Drug Administration approved tests.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Archived paraffin tissue blocks from 73 breast cancer patients were used. HER-2 immunostaining was performed using Ventana anti–HER-2 monoclonal antibody. The FISH assay was performed using PathVysion™ HER-2 DNA Probe Kit.

RESULTS:

Of the 73 cases 68.5% were IHC 0/1+, 15.07% were IHC 2+ and 16.44% were IHC 3+. Successful hybridisation was achieved in 72 cases. HER-2 FISH amplification was determined in 16.67% cases. Ten IHC 3+ and two IHC 2+ cases were FISH positive. Two of the IHC 3+ cases were FISH negative. Concordance rate was 100%, 18.18% and 83.33% for IHC 0/1+, 2+ and 3+ group, respectively. Total concordance was 84.72%, kappa 0.598 (p < 0.0001). The sensitivity of IHC in detecting IHC 2+ and IHC 3+ cases was 16.7% and 83.3%, and the specificity was 85% and 96.67%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

The consistency between the methods was highest for IHC negative and lowest for IHC equivocal cases. The immunohistochemistry showed high sensitivity for IHC 2+/3+ cases and high specificity for IHC 3+ cases. Our results support the view that false-positive rather than false-negative IHC results are a problem with HER-2/IHC testing, and that IHC should be used as an initial screening test, but IHC 2+/ 3+ results should be confirmed by FISH.

Is There any Concordance between of IHC with FISH in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients?

Background: In developed or developing countries, the most common cancer in women is breast cancer with a pick in 40-50 years in Asia. Herein, we compared the association between IHC with FISH in HER2-positive breast cancer patients and affection of trastuzumab on disease free survival and overall survival (OS). Subjects and Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of hormone receptors and HER2 was performed in 133 patients with breast cancer between 2003 and 2014. Patients were selected for Herceptin adjuvant treatment, according to IHC 3+ or FISH+. The specimens for pathology reports were fixed at 10% neutral-buffered formalin (pH=7.4) for 24 hours, then sliced into 4 μm sections. Results: The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 46.39 years (range, 24-78 years), 100% female. Concordance rates between IHC and FISH were 31.1% for IHC 2+ and 84.1% for IHC 3+ (p<0.001). The 87 patients had age ≤50 years and 46 patients had >50 years. Of the 133 patients, 30 patients (22.6%) had metastasis and 72 (54.1%) had right involvement. Ninety three (69.9%) patients had lymph node invasion. 48 patients (36.1%) were treated with trastuzumab and 85 (63.9%) were treated without trsastuzumab. The 10-year survival rate was 70% and the mean survival was 49 months. Conclusion: We recommend clinicians that FISH analysis is as a predictor in breast cancer patients with IHC score 2+. In contrast, FISH analysis of IHC 3+ samples was no useful. Trastuzumab therapy is effective and tolerated for breast cancer with IHC 3+ and probably IHC 2+/FISH+.

TP53 mutations detected in circulating tumor cells present in the blood of metastatic triple negative breast cancer patients

Introduction

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells shed from either primary tumors or its metastases that circulate in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic cancers. The molecular characterization of the CTCs is critical to identifying the key drivers of cancer metastasis and devising therapeutic approaches. However, the molecular characterization of CTCs is difficult to achieve because their isolation is a major technological challenge.

Methods

CTCs from two triple negative breast cancer patients were enriched using CellSearch and single cells selected by DEPArray™. A TP53 R110 fs*13 mutation identified by next generation sequencing in the breast and chest skin biopsies of both patients was studied in single CTCs.

Results

From 6 single CTC isolated from one patient, 1 CTC had TP53 R110 delC, 1 CTC showed the TP53 R110 delG mutation, and the remaining 4 single CTCs showed the wild type p53 sequence; a pool of 14 CTCs isolated from the same patient also showed TP53 R110 delC mutation. In the tumor breast tissue of this patient, only the TP53 R110 delG mutation was detected. In the second patient a TP53 R110 delC mutation was detected in the chest wall skin biopsy; from the peripheral blood of this patient, 5 single CTC and 6 clusters of 2 to 6 CTCs were isolated; 3 of the 5 single CTCs showed the TP53 R110 delC mutation and 2 CTCs showed the wild type TP53 allele; from the clusters, 5 showed the TP53 R110 delC mutation, and 1 cluster the wild type TP53 allele. Single white blood cells isolated as controls from both patients only showed the wild type TP53 allele.

Conclusions

We are able to isolate uncontaminated CTCs and achieve single cell molecular analysis. Our studies showed the presence of different CTC sub-clones in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Some CTCs had the same TP53 mutation as their matching tumor samples although others showed either a different TP53 mutation or the wild type allele. Our results indicate that CTCs could represent a non-invasive source of cancer cells from which to determine genetic markers of the disease progression and potential therapeutic targets.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-014-0445-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.