Authors: Jung Eun Choi Su Hwan Kang Soo Jung Lee Young Kyung Bae
Publish Date: 2014/09/02
Volume: 35, Issue: 12, Pages: 12255-12263
Abstract
B cell lymphoma/leukemia2 Bcl2 expression has generally been associated with estrogen receptor positivity and favorable prognosis in breast cancer We examined immunohistochemical expression of Bcl2 in 492 triplenegative breast cancers TNBCs using tissue microarrays and investigated its correlation with clinicopathologic features and clinical outcome A total of 47 95 TNBCs showed Bcl2 expression Bcl2 expression was not associated with any of the clinicopathologic parameters and did not affect patient survival in TNBCs Bcl2positive vs Bcl2negative TNBCs overall survival OS P = 0258 diseasefree survival DFS P = 0436 When TNBCs were divided into basal cytokeratin 5/6 CK5/6+ and/or epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR+ and nonbasal CK5/6− and EGFR− subgroups Bcl2 expression showed a significant association with worse OS P = 0002 and DFS P = 0002 in the nonbasal subgroup Among patients treated with an anthracycline Bcl2 expression also showed an association with decreased survival OS P = 0004 DFS P = 0003 in the nonbasal subgroup In multivariate analyses Bcl2 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS P = 0003 and DFS P = 0002 in this subgroup of TNBCs Our results suggest that positive expression of Bcl2 predicts no benefit from adjuvant anthracyclinebased chemotherapy in nonbasal TNBC patients In conclusion Bcl2 status showed both prognostic and predictive values in nonbasal TNBCs therefore assessment of Bcl2 status and basal phenotype can provide information on prognostic and therapeutic classifications of TNBCs
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