Expression of androgen receptors in primary breast cancer

Background

The objective of the study was to evaluate the prognostic effect of androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancers.

Methods

We investigated immunohistochemical AR expression from paraffin blocks of one hundred patients between 2007 and 2011, and analyzed demographics and outcomes using univariet analyses. Tumors with ≥10% nuclear-stained cells were considered positive for AR.

Results

AR was expressed in 62% of patients. AR was significantly related to older age at diagnosis, smaller tumor size, histological type, higher positivity of hormone receptors and the administration of systemic treatment. In estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors, AR was distinctively associated with histological type and progesterone receptors unexpression. With a mean follow-up of 35.72 months, AR expression was a significant prognostic factor for DFS and OS in all patients. The 3-year DFS and OS of patients with AR-positive tumor were 87.1% and 90.73%, respectively. The 3-year DFS and OS of those with AR-negative tumor were 66.32% and 84.21%, respectively. AR expression was positively associated with survival outcomes in all patients.

Conclusions

AR is significantly associated with favorable features in breast cancers and related to better outcomes in ER-positive not in ER-negative tumors. These results suggest that AR could be an additional marker for endocrine responsiveness in ER-positive tumors and a candidate for therapeutic targeting of ER-negative tumors.

Clinical trial identification

PIOLET STUDY

Legal entity responsible for the study

Tanta University

Funding

Tanta Facultiy of Medicine

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.