Expression of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) in Breast Cancer

Background Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a promising protein for breast cancer patients. It has not only been detected in prostate cancer but is also expressed by tumor cells and the endothelial cells of tumor vessels in breast cancer patients. PSMA plays a role in tumor progression and tumor angiogenesis. For this reason, a number of diagnostic and therapeutic methods to target PSMA have been developed. Method This paper provides a general structured overview of PSMA and its oncogenic potential, with a special focus on its role in breast cancer. This narrative review is based on a selective literature search carried out in PubMed and the library of Freiburg University Clinical Center. The following key words were used for the search: “PSMA”, “PSMA and breast cancer”, “PSMA PET/CT”, “PSMA tumor progression”. Relevant articles were explicitly read through, processed, and summarized. Conclusion PSMA could be a new diagnostic and therapeutic alternative, particularly for triple-negative breast cancer. It appears to be a potential predictive and prognostic marker. Key words: PSMA, breast cancer, radioligand therapy, immunohistochemistry, PET/CT

Abbreviations

CT

computed tomography

ER

estrogen receptor

FOLH1

folate hydrolase 1

FDG

fluorodeoxyglucose

GCPI

glutamate carboxypeptidase II

HR

hormone receptor

HUVEC

human umbilical vein endothelial cell

n. s.

not significant

PET

positron emission tomography

PR

progesterone receptor

PSMA

prostate specific membrane antigen

TNBC

triple-negative breast cancer

SUV

standardized uptake value

VEGF

vascular endothelial growth factor