ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast is known for its high metastatic potential, but the definition of pure and mixed IMPC remains unclear. This retrospective cohort study aims to investigate the prognostic significance of the micropapillary component ratio and the expression of critical molecules of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad), CD44s, and ß-catenin (ß-cat), in distinguishing between pure and mixed IMPCs. METHODS: We analyzed 100 cases of locally advanced IMPC between 2000 and 2018 and excluded patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Pure IMPC was defined as having a micropapillary component of over 90%. A comprehensive recording of prognostic parameters was conducted. The IMPC areas were analyzed using the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining method on the microarray set for pure and mixed IMPC patients. Pearson's chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards analysis were employed. RESULTS: The comparative survival analysis of the entire group, based on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), revealed no significant difference between the pure and mixed groups (P = 0.480, HR = 1.474 [0.502-4.325] and P = 0.390, HR = 1.587 [0.550-4.640], respectively). However, in the pure IMPC group, certain factors were found to be associated with a higher risk of short survival. These factors included skin involvement (P = 0.050), pT3&4 category (P = 0.006), a ratio of intraductal component (> 5%) (P = 0.032), and high-level expression of N-cad (P = 0.020). Notably, none of the risk factors identified for short OS in pure IMPC cases were observed as significant risks in mixed cases and vice versa. Furthermore, N-cad was identified as a poor prognostic marker for OS in pure IMPCs (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The selection of a 90% ratio for classifying pure IMPCs revealed significant differences in certain molecular and prognostic parameters between pure and mixed groups. Notably, the involvement of N-cadherin in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process provided crucial insights for predicting OS and DFS while also distinguishing between the two groups. These findings strongly support the notion that the pure IMPC subgroup represents a distinct entity characterized by unique molecular characteristics and behavioral patterns.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hormone receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) discordance with prognosis, before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Histopathological data of 142 breast cancer patients attending a single center between 2001 and 2018 and were operated after NAC were evaluated retrospectively. Results: The median (range) age of patients was 58 (32-69) years. In patients who underwent Tru-cut biopsy before NAC, 77 patients were ER+, 30 were ER (-), 73 were PR (+), 33 were PR-, 14 were HER-2 (+), and 94 patients were HER-2 (-). In terms of ER change, five patients were found to have changed status and 85 had no receptor change. The mean overall survival of patients with receptor changes was 31 months against 60 months in patients with no receptor changes, which was not significant (p = 0.351). In sub-group analysis of patients undergoing receptor change, the ER (+) â (-) group had significantly shorter survival (p = 0.003). For PR change, mean survival was 38 months in seven patients with a receptor change and 59 months in 87 patients without a receptor change, which was not significant (p = 0.603). Sub-group analysis of PR status change showed that survival was significantly shorter in the PR (+) â (-) group (p = 0.012). Conclusion: These results suggest there is a need for reassessment of HR and HER-2 status in surgical samples from patients following NAC, and that NAC-induced changes in the HR state may be used as a prognostic factor.
