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Metastasis-related factors expressed in pT1 pN0 breast cancer: assessment of recurrence risk.

Ogura S, Ohdaira T, Hozumi Y, Omoto Y, Nagai H

Department of General Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Previous reports have indicated that small breast cancers without lymph node metastasis present a favorable prognosis. However, 10-20% of patients with T1 N0 invasive ductal carcinoma experience recurrence and have a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to examine whether certain metastasis-related factors are prognostic of cancer recurrence in such patients at risk for relapse. METHODS: Nineteen patients with the carcinoma who had recurrence 1-15 years after margin-free resection were examined. The control group consisted of 20 patients with pT1 pN0 invasive ductal carcinoma who had no recurrence for > or =10 years after radical surgery. The two groups were compared with respect to clinical profiles, conventional neoplastic features, and immunohistochemical expressions of 16 metastasis-related factors. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the two groups in clinical profiles and conventional neoplastic features. However, six factors (MMP-2, MT1-MMP, T1MP-2, VEGF, cMET, and PCNA) were significantly expressed in the recurrence group against the control group. MMP-9 was significantly less expressed in the recurrence group. Of these factors, MMP-2, MT1-MMP, and VEGF showed the highest adjusted odds ratios. CONCLUSION: MMP family and growth factors may be promising predictors of recurrence risk of early stage breast cancer.

Published 4 July 2007 in J Surg Oncol, 96(1): 46-53.
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