The expression of the extracellular matrix-related genes, such as fibronectin, laminin and tenascin C, and apoptosis-related genes, such as bax, bcl2 and survivin, was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by immunohistochemistry in normal breast tissue and benign and malignant breast tumors and then correlated to several clinical parameters: estrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki67, ErbB2, tumor size, lymph node status and grading. Seventy-three breast tissue samples were examined. After RNA extraction, an RT-PCR was performed to detect fibronectin, laminin, tenascin C, bax, bcl2 and survivin gene expression. Thirty-two samples were evaluated also by immunohistochemistry at the protein level to detect fibronectin, laminin, tenascin C, bax and survivin. We found a significant correlation (P=0.025) between fibronectin gene expression and lymph node status, and a significant negative correlation (P=0.049) between laminin gene expression and Ki67. In addition, we found a statistically significant increase in survivin transcription in malign tumors compared to fibroadenomas (P=0.024). The negative correlation between laminin transcription and Ki67 could suggest that laminin impacts negatively on tumor proliferation, and the positive correlation between fibronectin and lymph node status may lead to consider fibronectin as predictive of long distance metastasis.