16P - The prognostic value of androgen receptor expression in triple-negative breast cancer patients

Background

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a distinct subtype of BC that is characterized by frequent recurrence and metastasis. Patients with TNBC have significantly worse prognosis compared to other subtypes of BC due to lack of well-defined targeted and endocrinal therapy. Androgen receptor (AR) expression is an emerging prognostic marker that has been observed in 10% to 50% of TNBC.The aim was to assess the relation between AR and clinicopathological features. Also, assessing the survival outcome in relation to AR expression in TNBC patients.

Methods

This is a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical retrospective study included 35 patients with non-metastatic TNBC treated at Medical Oncology Department, Maadi Armed Forces Medical complex from January 2015 to June 2019.

Results

The age of patients ranged from 29 to 72 years and the median age was 57 years, most of them were postmenopausal (80%), obese patients represent 65.7 %, while the predominant histologic subtype was IDC (91.4%) with relatively high-grade tumors (G3; 60%), TNBC patients had relatively large tumors T2 (60%) and T3 (31.4%), high Ki-67 ≥20% (74.3%).AR was positive in (13/35; 37%) which was significantly related to tumor grade (P=0.04) and proliferative index Ki-67 (P=0.009).The median DFS in patients with low Ki-67 was 23 months (P=0.01) and for AR-positive patients was 14 months while those with AR-negative was 12 months (P=0.09). The median OS in AR-positive patients was 26 months while, those with AR-negative the median OS was 20 months (P=0.03).

Conclusions

TNBC is aggressive disease with mixed heterogenicity associated with poor prognostic outcome.AR positivity was associated with lower risk of disease recurrence, mortality and improved overall survival.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.