Molecular markers in breast cancer: can we use c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2 and bax gene expression as prognostic factors?

We examined the prognostic value of c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2 and bax overexpression in breast cancer. Immunostaining for c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2 and bax gene expression was performed on 121 paraffin-embedded specimens of Stage I, II and III breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated in Hippokration Hospital, Athens Medical School, between 1986 and 1992. The primary tumor from 27 (24.1%), 69 (59%), 18 (15%) and 63 (53.4%) patients stained positively for c-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2 and bax gene expression, respectively. Significant correlations were found between bax overexpression and age (P=0.04), tumor size (P=0.02) and disease stage (P=0.001), while no other significant associations were found between other molecular markers and clinical or histological parameters. None of the individual molecular markers examined proved to be independent prognostic factor for patients with breast carcinoma. C-erbB-2, p53, bcl-2 and bax genes have limited prognostic value. An approach that combines several molecular markers with established clinicopathological criteria may help physicians make more accurate predictions of prognosis in patients with breast cancer.     

Molecular biomarkers for breast cancer prognosis: coexpression of c-erbB-2 and p53

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic significance of molecular biomarkers, particularly c-erbB-2 and p53, through study of prospective clinical data and archival breast cancer tissues for women accrued to the Alabama Breast Cancer Project. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Defining molecular abnormalities in breast cancer is an important strategy for early detection, assessment of prognosis, and treatment selection. Evidence is strong that selective biomarkers, including c-erbB-2 and p53, have prognostic significance in breast cancer. Few studies have analyzed the prognostic significance of coexpression of biomarkers. METHODS: Study patients were those accrued to the Alabama Breast Cancer Project (1975-1978) who had archival breast cancer tissues available for analysis. Criteria for entrance into the Alabama Breast Cancer Project were T1-3 breast cancer with M0 status. Age, nodal status, and histologic grade were also documented. Patients were randomized to radical versus modified radical mastectomy, and node-positive patients were also randomized to adjuvant chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil [CMF]) versus melphalan. Archival breast cancer tissues were studied for c-erbB-2, TGF-alpha, p53, cathepsin D, bcl-2, and estrogen and progesterone receptor expression using immunohistochemistry. Survival curves were developed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis was performed using the log-rank test, multivariate analysis using a rank regression model. RESULTS: Three hundred eleven patients were accrued to the Alabama Breast Cancer Project, and paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues for 90 patients were available for immunohistochemical analysis of molecular biomarkers. Univariate analysis showed nodal status, c-erbB-2 expression, and p53 expression to have prognostic significance. Coexpression of c-erbB-2 and p53 was also found to have prognostic significance by the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis showed T stage, nodal status, c-erbB-2 expression, and p53 expression to have independent prognostic significance. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that c-erbB-2 and p53 expression in breast cancer have prognostic significance. After median follow-up of 16 years, coexpression of c-erbB-2 and p53 may have more prognostic significance than traditional prognostic factors such as T stage and nodal status. Prospective study of large numbers of patients with breast cancer is encouraged to validate these findings.     

Can expression of apoptosis genes, bcl-2 and bax, predict survival and responsiveness to chemotherapy in node-negative breast cancer patients?

BACKGROUND: Although the status of the axillary lymph nodes is widely accepted to be associated with prognosis in breast cancer patients, there is a need for biomarkers to be analyzed as indicators of responsiveness to treatment. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the expression of apoptosis genes, bcl-2 and bax, predicts survival and responsiveness to chemotherapy in node-negative breast cancer patients. METHODS: One hundred thirty premenopausal women with primary breast carcinoma were studied for the expression of bcl-2 and bax genes. The relationship between the expression of bcl-2 and bax proteins and a series of markers of known prognostic value [such as tumor size, nuclear grade, receptors of the steroid hormones estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR)].The association of these proteins with survival and responsiveness to chemotherapy was also examined. RESULTS: Sixty (46%) and sixty-four (49%) breast cancer cases were found positive for bcl-2 and bax, respectively, as indicated by immunohistochemistry. A statistically significant association was found between expression of bcl-2 and tumor size (P = 0.001), low grade (grade I) (P = 0.002), positivity of ER (P = 0.001), positivity of PR (P = 0.03), and superior disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.04), and superior overall survival (OS) (P = 0.03). In contrast, no similar associations were observed for the bax gene. Overall, there was a trend toward an association between adjuvant chemotherapy and DFS (P = 0.08) and OS (P = 0.07). This trend became statistically significant when the patients were analyzed by individual gene expression. In bax-positive patients, chemotherapy improves 6-year DFS (P = 0.01) and OS (P = 0.03) while similar effects were not observed in the other subgroups of patients. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that bcl-2 expression is associated with a number of favorable prognostic factors and better clinical outcome, while bax expression seems to have positive predictive value for responsiveness to chemotherapy in lymph node-negative breast cancer patients.     

Window of opportunity treatment in breast cancer

Window of opportunity therapies, which involve short‐term administration of systemic therapy between cancer diagnosis and surgery, have raised significant interest in recent years as a mean of assessing the sensitivity of a patient's cancer to therapy prior to surgery. There is now compelling evidence that in patients with early stage hormone‐receptor positive breast cancer, a 2‐week preoperative treatment with standard hormone therapies in a preoperative window period provides important prognostic information, which in turn helps to aid decision‐making regarding treatment options. Changes in short‐term biomarker endpoints such as cell proliferation measured by Ki‐67 can act as surrogate markers of long‐term outcomes. Paired tissues obtained pre‐ and post‐investigational treatment, without having to subject the patient to additional biopsies, can then be used to conduct translational research to investigate predictive biomarkers and pharmacodynamics. In this review, we will examine the utility and challenges of window of opportunities therapies in breast cancer in the current literature, and the current Australian and international trial landscape in this clinical space.     

Angiogenesis, p53, bcl-2 and Ki-67 in the progression of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Within the past 5 years, research has increasingly addressed molecular alterations in prostate cancer (CaP). Mutations of tumor suppressor gene p53 have been found in a variety of cancers, including urologic neoplasms. Several studies have been conducted on CaP specimens, citing frequencies of p53 alterations in localized cancers ranging from 4 to 60% and with more advanced hormone refractory disease, as high as 94%. The majority of studies have revealed a low percentage of p53 abnormalities in early-stage (clinically organ-confined) CaP. The overwhelming bulk of evidence suggests that the frequency of p53 abnormalities does increase with disease progression and is highest in tissues from patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. More recently, our group and others have found that focal p53 expression in the primary tumor by immunohistochemistry is predictive of cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy. bcl-2 is an oncogene critically involved in the apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Overexpression of bcl-2 protein by immunohistochemistry has been commonly detected in advanced hormone refractory CaP. Our group recently has also shown that bcl-2 protein expression in primary CaP is a predictor of cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Furthermore, the combination of p53 and bcl-2 protein expression were both independent predictors of recurrence after surgery. Most recently, we have shown that even though p53 and bcl-2 are predictive biomarkers when sampling the radical prostatectomy specimen, they are not useful to predict postoperative recurrence when sampling the pretreatment needle biopsy. Ki-67 is an antigen of cellular proliferation. Immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67 in archival material can be performed using the MIB-1 antibody. Unlike our results with p53 and bcl-2, Ki-67 protein expression by immunohistochemistry using MIB-1 was not an independent prognostic marker for cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy although it may have clinical utility in subsets of patients. Assessment of MIB-1 staining in CaP needle biopsy samples is underway. Tumor neovascularity, or angiogenesis, is necessary for cancers to grow and metastasize. Angiogenesis in CaP as a prognostic marker has received recent attention. Most studies have used factor VIII immunohistochemical staining and increased angiogenesis has been suggested as a staging and prognostic marker. Our group has recently conducted a large study of radical prostatectomy patients and used CD34 antigen immunohistochemistry to assess neovascularity. We did not find that this biomarker assessment was an independent prognostic marker of cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Further work is being conducted in needle biopsy samples. More research is needed to assess new biomarkers and, most importantly, to standardize the methodology for sampling and assaying biomarkers in heterogeneous and multifocal prostate cancer.     

Chemoprevention for high-risk women: tamoxifen and beyond

The demonstration by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP) that 5 years of tamoxifen therapy is associated with an approximate 50% reduction in breast cancer incidence in high-risk women was a milestone in breast cancer prevention. Because tamoxifen is associated with increased risk of side-effects such as hot flashes, menstrual abnormalities, uterine cancer, and thromboembolic phenomena, its use will not be advisable or acceptable for all high-risk women. Women over 50 years of age appear to be at highest risk for serious adverse events, such as uterine cancer and thromboembolic phenomena. Individuals in whom tamoxifen-associated breast cancer risk reduction appears to outweigh risk of serious side-effects include women with prior in situ or estrogen receptor (ER)-positive invasive cancer, atypical hyperplasia, and/or women ages 35-49 with a calculated Gail 5-year risk of > or =1.7%, hysterectomized women aged 50 and older with a 5-year Gail risk of > or =2.5%, and nonhysterectomized women aged 50 and older with a 5-year Gail risk of >5.0%. It is not yet clear whether tamoxifen can reduce breast cancer incidence in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, although preliminary evidence favors benefit for at least those with a BRCA2 mutation. Raloxifene is a selective ER modulator with less uterine estrogen agonist activity than tamoxifen, and it is hoped that it will result in fewer uterine cancers but will be equally efficacious in reducing the risk of breast cancer. The NSABP is currently conducting a randomized study of tamoxifen versus raloxifene in high-risk postmenopausal women. Approximately one third of invasive cancers are ER negative. Tamoxifen does not reduce the incidence of ER-negative cancers, nor does it appear to be effective in preventing the appearance of one third of ER-positive cancers. Priorities in prevention research are to develop (a) biomarkers to refine short-term risk assessments based on epidemiologic models, (b) biomarkers predictive of response to specific classes of preventive agents, (c) drugs with fewer side-effects and/or effective in ER-negative or ER-positive tamoxifen-resistant precancerous disease, and (d) efficient clinical trial models to assess new agent efficacy. Breast intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN) may be sampled by minimally invasive techniques and is an attractive short-term risk biomarker. Molecular abnormalities observed in IEN may be used to select potential agents for testing/therapy, and modulation of these abnormalities may be used in phase I trials to select appropriate doses and in phase II trials to assess response. Breast density volume and certain serum markers such as insulin-like growth factor-1 are also being studied as potential risk and response biomarkers. Reversal or prevention of advanced IEN as well as modulation of other risk biomarkers in randomized phase II and phase III trials is being evaluated as a means of more efficiently evaluating prevention drugs in the future. A number of agents are being developed that target molecular abnormalities in IEN, have fewer or different side effects than tamoxifen, and may be effective in ER-negative or tamoxifen-resistant disease.     

Molecular biology of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia

High-grade PIN is the most likely precursor of prostatic adenocarcinoma, according to virtually all available evidence to date. The clinical importance of recognizing PIN is based on its strong association with prostatic carcinoma. PIN has a high predictive value as a marker for adenocarcinoma. Its identification in biopsy specimens of the prostate warrants further search for concurrent invasive carcinoma. PIN is associated with progressive abnormalities of phenotype and genotype intermediate between normal prostatic epithelium and cancer, indicating impairment of cell differentiation and regulatory control with advancing stages of prostatic carcinogenesis. There is progressive gain or loss of a wide variety of biomarkers, including morphometric markers, differentiation markers, stromal markers, growth factors and associated receptors, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and chromosomes. Abnormalities in expression of most biomarkers are amplified in the progression from high-grade PIN to localized cancer, metastatic cancer, and hormone-refractory cancer. Oncogenesis of prostatic carcinoma probably occurs through the selection of several genetic changes, each modifying the expression or function of genes controlling cell growth and differentiation. Further studies are needed to evaluate the function and prognostic value of oncogene expression in the normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic prostate. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Biomarkers Predictive of Short-Interval Breast Cancer Development in High-Risk Women

Abstract: Biomarkers highly predictive of short-term risk of breast cancer are needed to identify women most likely to benefit from prophylactic measures or chemopreventive agents. We have utilized random fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of breast ductal tissue because FNA is minimally traumatic, allowing aspiration to easily be repeated at follow-up intervals of months to years. We performed breast FNA on 213 women at high risk and 30 women at low risk for breast cancer. High-risk women were those with a first-degree relative with breast cancer, prior breast biopsy indicating atypical hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ, a history of prior breast cancer, or some multiple of these factors. Aspirates were analyzed for cytologic changes and biomarker abnormalities of DNA aneu-ploidy and overexpression of estrogen receptor (ER), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53 , and HER-2Ineu.
Cytologic evidence of hyperplasia with or without atypia as well as individual or multiple biomarker abnormalities were more frequent in the high-risk than the low-risk group. At a median follow-up of 32 months, five women have been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (2) or invasive cancer (3). By multivariate analysis, development of cancer, detection of cancer, or both was primarily predicted by atypical hyperplasia and secondarily by Gail risk at 10 years, menopausal status, and p53 overexpression. The combination of atypical hyperplasia and multiple biomarker abnormalities (restricted to the three-marker set of ploidy, p53 , and EGFR) was observed in four of the five cases of cancer. Cytology and biomarker expression in cells obtained from random FNA sampling of breast tissue are being explored as risk predictors as well as surrogate response biomarkers for phase II cancer chemoprevention trials.     

Practical Molecular Pathologic Diagnosis of Infiltrating Gliomas

Recent advances in molecular diagnostics have led to better understanding of glioma tumorigenesis and biology. Numerous glioma biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value have been identified. Although some of these markers are already part of the routine clinical management of glioma patients, data regarding others are limited and difficult to apply routinely. In addition, multiple methods for molecular subclassification have been proposed either together with or as an alternative to the current morphologic classification and grading scheme. This article reviews the literature regarding glioma biomarkers and offers a few practical suggestions.     

Prognostic significance of p53, bcl-2, and Bax expression in early breast cancer

BACKGROUND: The use of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast carcinoma is controversial, with most advocating its use in high-risk patients as defined by specific clinicopathologic parameters. Both bcl-2 and p53, which play a role in determining tumor growth by their effects on apoptosis and cell proliferation respectively, may serve to delineate this subset more accurately. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of bcl-2, Bax, and mutant p53 in stage I breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 75 patients with stage Ic breast carcinoma diagnosed from 1989 to 1992 were identified retrospectively and clinicopathologic parameters such as age, tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status, disease-free survival and overall survival obtained. Paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tissues were immunostained with bcl-2, Bax and p53 monoclonal antibodies using a standard avidin biotin peroxidase reaction. Stained slides were evaluated by two independent pathologists for staining intensity and percentage of cells staining positively. Cox regression was used for multivariate survival analysis using the clinicopathologic parameters and molecular markers. Chi-square tests were used for frequency tables. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 58 years (range 29 to 79 years) with a median followup of 80 months from time of diagnosis. The most common histopathology was infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Neither bcl-2 nor Bax expression was associated statistically with disease-free or overall survival. Expression of mutant p53 was associated with a significant decrease in both 5-year disease-free survival (70% versus 98%, p 相似文献   

IGF and Insulin Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Major molecular abnormalities in breast cancer include the deregulation of several components of the IGF system. It is well recognized that the epithelial breast cancer cells commonly overexpress the IGF-I receptor while IGF-II is expressed by the tumor stroma. In view to the fact that the IGF-IR has mitogenic, pro-invasive and anti-apoptotic effects and mediates resistance to a variety of anti-cancer therapies, breast cancer is expected to be a candidate to therapeutic approaches aimed to inhibit the IGF-IR. However, there is increasing awareness that IGF system in cancer undergoes signal diversification by various mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is the aberrant expression of insulin receptor (IR) isoform A (IR-A), which is a high affinity receptor for both insulin and IGF-II, in breast cancer cells. Moreover, overexpression of both IGF-IR and IR-A in breast cancer cells, leads to overexpression of hybrid IR/IGF-IR receptors (HRs) as well. Upon binding to IGF-II, both IR-A and HRs may activate unique signaling patterns, which predominantly mediate proliferative effects. A better understanding of IGF system signal diversification in breast cancer has important implications for cancer prevention measures, which should include control of insulin resistance and associated hyperinsulinemia. Moreover, in addition to the IGF-IR, both IR-A and HRs should be also considered as molecular targets for anti-cancer therapies. Grant support: This work was partially supported by grants from the AIRC (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro) and PRIN-MIUR 2005 (Ministero Italiano Università e Ricerca) to A.B.     

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??Progress in breast cancer individualized management through multidisciplinary monitoring SHEN Kun-wei, LI Hong-wei. Breast Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025,China
Corresponding author: SHEN Kun-wei, E-mail: kwshen@medmail.com.cn
Abstract Multiple disciplines are involved in the management of breast cancer in many aspects??including prevention, screening and early diagnosis, local and systemic therapies. Recently, multidisciplinary management,including multidisciplinary clinic and multidisciplinary conference, has become the standard care of breast cancer. In the era of evidence-based medicine, biomarkers such as estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2 status together with traditional clinicopathologic factors are used to further divide breast cancers into different molecular sub-groups. Individualized approach is the best optimized choice for breast cancer management. Clinicians are using genomic techniques to further investigate prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers aiming to obstain efficacy benefit with reduced toxicity.     

乳腺癌p53，ki-67和bcl-2的表达与新辅助化疗的关系

目的 研究乳腺癌p53,ki-67和bcl-2基因蛋白表达与新辅助化疗临床效果的关系,以寻找指导治疗、判断预后的生物学指标.方法 采用免疫组化SABC法测定118例可手术的乳腺癌标本的p53,ki-67和bcl-2的蛋白表达,并分析其与新辅助化疗疗效的关系.结果 术前辅助化疗有效率为68.6%.p5 3表达阳性,化疗效果差（P＜0.05）;而ki-67阳性表达者有效率明显高于ki-67不表达者（P＜0.05）;bcl-2表达与疗效无明显关系.p53蛋白阳性表达者bcl-2表达下降.p53与ki-67蛋白表达有明显关系.结论 p53和ki-67蛋白表达可作为指导新辅助化疗及预后判断的分子生物学指标.     

Prognostic and Predictive Markers for Treatment Decisions in Early Breast Cancer

Breast cancer clinically represents a heterogeneous disease. Over the last decades, the integration of prognostic and predictive markers in treatment decisions has led to a more individualized and optimized therapy. While prognosis describes the risk of disease recurrence and disease-related death after diagnosis without the influence of therapy, prediction illustrates the probability of efficacy or response of a specific therapeutic measure. The substantial decline in breast cancer mortality seen over the last 20 years is primarily due to the delivery of adjuvant systemic therapy. It is important that clinical decisions are made to minimize overtreatment, under-treatment, and incorrect treatment. Improved understanding of breast cancer biology together with the utilization of classical biomarkers and the identification of new markers or profiles is increasingly defining who should receive cancer therapy and what therapy offers the best efficacy. The molecular targets as the prerequisite for successful concepts of specific therapies like anti-estrogens, antibodies, or small molecules, have therefore high clinical value in regards to prognosis as well as prediction.     

Molecular prognostic factors in bladder cancer

Summary In this paper the predictive value of molecular prognostic parameters for bladder cancer is discussed. DNA ploidy has additional prognostic value for grade 2 tumors, irrespective of stage, with aneuploid tumors having a poor prognosis. Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can be used as a prognostic factor for the group of superficial tumors. Both abnormal E-cadherin and retinoblastoma (RB) expression have additional prognostic value for invasive tumors. The exact predictive value for the superficial tumors needs further study. The results with respect to p53 are conflicting and its exact role especially in the progression of pT1g3 tumors has to be clarified. In view of the discordance concerning its prognostic value, c-erbB-2 overexpression also needs further study. It appears that at this moment only a few molecular markers seem to have potential prognostic value, but their precise clinical relevance has to be studied more extensively. In particular the value of progression markers in the superficial TCC needs more attention.     

Recent approaches to identifying biomarkers for high-risk stage II colon cancer

The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer remains controversial. The accurate assessment of the risk factors associated with recurrence in patients with stage II disease is the key to identifying the patients that are most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Recent guidelines advocate that adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk stage II colon cancer should take into account factors such as the T stage, number of lymph nodes examined, tumor differentiation, and tumor perforation. In addition to these clinicopathological factors, there has also been intense interest in the identification of new prognostic or predictive biomarkers that can improve outcomes through better patient classification and selection for adjuvant chemotherapy. Recent advances in the field of molecular genetics have led to the identification of specific biomarkers involved in colorectal cancer progression, whereas gene expression microarray technology has led to the identification of molecular profiles able to predict recurrence or benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. However, none of these has yet been validated in large prospective clinical trials. In this article, we review the current status of prognostic and predictive biomarkers for stage II colon cancer and provide an update on the most recent developments.     

A comparison of prognostic tumor markers obtained on image-guided breast biopsies and final surgical specimens

BACKGROUND: This study was initiated to determine whether tumor markers obtained on image-guided breast biopsy specimens provide accurate prognostic information for women with invasive breast cancer. METHODS: Prognostic tumor markers on preoperative image-guided biopsy and final surgical specimens were compared in 44 patients with invasive breast cancer. RESULTS: Progesterone receptor (PR) discordance was 18%. In 87% of PR discordant cases, the image-guided biopsy was positive and the final specimen was negative (P = 0.03). Tumor grade was discordant in 36% of patients Discordance for estrogen receptor (ER) = 2%; MIB-1 = 18%; Her2/neu = 9%; EGFR = 10%; p53 = 9%; and bcl-2 = 0%. The discordance for these markers was random and did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Image-guided core needle biopsies provide reliable information for the majority of prognostic tumor makers. A positive progesterone receptor is significantly more likely to be determined by core biopsy rather than the final surgical specimen. Tumor grade should be based upon the final surgical specimen whenever possible.     

Designing clinical trials for kidney cancer based on newly developed prognostic and predictive tools

Several advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular aberrations in renal cell carcinoma that have led to the identification of novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers. At the same time, several novel agents targeting these molecular aberrations have shown promising efficacy in the therapy of advanced renal cancer. As these agents enter more advancedstage clinical trials, efforts must be made to integrate exploration of these novel prognostic and predictive markers into clinical trial design. These elements then can be combined with more traditional prognostic features to form more robust prognostic models. Finally, predictive markers and prognostic models should be validated prospectively, either as part of clinical trials designed specifically for that purpose or as part of large phase-3 trials. Once validated, these features can be used to best inform prognosis and guide therapy based on individual patient characteristics.