Journal article
Androgen Receptor Status in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Does It Correlate with Clinicopathological Characteristics?
Breast cancer targets and therapy, Vol.2023(15), pp.359-371
11/05/2023
PMID: 37197610
Metrics
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Abstract
Purpose: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a breast carcinoma subtype that neither expresses estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) nor the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Patients with TNBC have been shown to have poorer outcomes mainly owing to the limited treatment options available. However, some studies have shown TNBC tumors expressing androgen receptors (AR), raising hopes of its prognostic role.
Patients and Methods: This retrospective study investigated the expression of AR in TNBC and its relationship with known patient demographics, tumor and survival characteristics. From the records of 205 TNBC patients, 36 had available archived tissue samples eligible for AR staining. For statistical purposes, tumors were classified as either “positive” or “negative” for AR expression. The nuclear expression of AR was scored by measuring the percentage of stained tumor cells and its staining intensity.
Results: AR was expressed by 50% of the tissue samples in our TNBC cohort. The relationship between AR status with age at the time of TNBC diagnosis was statistically significant, with all AR positive TNBC patients being greater than 50 years old (vs 72.2% in AR negative TNBC). Also, the relationship between AR status and type of surgery received was statistically significant. There were no statistically significant associations between AR status with other tumor characteristics including “TNM status”, tumor grade or treatments received. There was no statistically significant difference in median survival between AR negative and AR positive TNBC patients (3.5 vs 3.1 years; p = 0.581). The relationship between OS time and AR status (p = 0.581), type of surgery (p = 0.061) and treatments (p = 0.917) were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The androgen receptor may be an important prognostic marker in TNBC, with further research warranted. This research may benefit future studies investigating receptor-targeted therapies in TNBC.
Details
- Title
- Androgen Receptor Status in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Does It Correlate with Clinicopathological Characteristics?
- Creators
- Alex L Dubrava - Mid North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs HarbourPan Su Pyae Kyaw - Mid North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs HarbourJoseph Newman - Mid North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs HarbourJarrad Pringle - Mid North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs HarbourJustin Westhuyzen - Southern Cross UniversityGina La Hera Fuentes - University of New South WalesThomas P Shakespeare - University of New South WalesRenukadas Sakalkale - University of New South WalesNoel J Aherne - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Breast cancer targets and therapy, Vol.2023(15), pp.359-371
- Publisher
- Dove Medical Press Ltd.
- Identifiers
- 991013121011402368
- Copyright
- © 2023 Dubrava et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms. php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Coffs Harbour Campus Administration; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article