The association between biological subtype and locoregional recurrence in newly diagnosed breast cancer

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Nov;124(1):187-94. doi: 10.1007/s10549-010-1135-1. Epub 2010 Sep 3.

Abstract

We investigated the association between the risk of locoregional recurrence (LRR) and biological subtypes defined by hormonal receptors (HR) and HER-2 status in women with invasive breast cancer (BC). A total of 618 newly diagnosed BC patients were identified from a cancer registry within a single institution with standardized methods of tumor assessment for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER-2. Patients were stratified based on surgical treatment, breast-conserving therapy (BCT) versus modified radical mastectomy (MRM), as well as biological subtypes: HR+/HER-2- (ER-positive or PR-positive, HER-2-negative), HR+/HER-2+ (ER-positive or PR-positive, HER-2-positive), HR-/HER-2+ (ER-negative and PR-negative, HER-2-positive) and TN (ER-negative, PR-negative and HER-2-negative). The association between clinicopathological factors, biological subtype and LRR was evaluated with univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. With a median follow-up of 4.8 years, the rate of LRR was 7.5%. On multivariate analysis, TN, tumor size ≥2 cm and lymph node (LN) positivity were associated with increased risk of LRR (P = 0.023, P = 0.048, and P = 0.0034, respectively). In BCT group, HR-/HER-2+ and LN positivity were associated with increased risk of LRR (HR 11.13; 95% CI 2.78-44.53; P = 0.0007 and HR 5.40; 95% CI 1.67-17.43; P = 0.0048, respectively). In MRM group, TN subtype and LN positivity were associated with increased risk of LRR (HR 4.72; 95% CI 1.53-14.52; P = 0.0069 and HR 3.23; 95% CI 1.44-7.29; P = 0.0047, respectively). Compared to HR+/HER-2-, HR-/HER-2+ treated by BCT and TN treated by MRM showed a significant decrease of 5-year LRR free survival (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.002, respectively). Tumor profiling using ER, PR, and HER-2 biomarkers is a promising tool to identify patients at high risk of LRR based on surgical treatment. Our findings suggest a different follow-up and locoregional treatment for patients with HR-/HER-2+ and TN subtypes.

MeSH terms

  • Alberta
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Mastectomy
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / analysis
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
  • Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
  • Registries
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2