[Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on ERCC1 gene expression in breast cancer].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of ERCC1 gene in breast cancer before and after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: The expression of ERCC1 gene was detected by RT-PCR in 40 breast cancer patients and in 14 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Positive expression of ERCC1 gene was detected by RT-PCR in 35.0% of the breast cancer specimens, and ERCC1 expression was not correlated to the patients' age, tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis, pathological type, histological grade, ER, PR or HER-2 (P>0.05). ERCC1 gene expression was significantly higher in neo-adjuvant chemotherapy group than in non-chemotherapy group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of ERCC1 gene does not affect the clinical and pathological features of breast cancer. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy can increase the expression of ERCC1 gene, due attention should be given to with in subsequent chemotherapy.