Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of the Ki67 labeling index and p53 status as prognostic and predictive indicators of operable estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. Among 697 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer who underwent curative surgery between 2002 and 2013, 308 patients with ER-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer were assessed. The results of the multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that a high Ki67 labeling index was significantly associated with a short recurrence-free interval (RFI) (P=0.004) and was marginally associated with a worse overall survival (P= 0.074). A positive p53 status was not associated with worse outcomes. To validate the cut-off values of the Ki67 labeling index for identifying patients who may benefit from additional chemotherapy, prognostic factors were investigated in breast cancer patients treated postoperatively with endocrine therapy alone. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that a Ki67 labeling index cut-off of 20.0% was optimal for predicting recurrence among patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year RFIs for patients with Ki67 <20 and ≥20% were 97.2 and 86.6%, respectively (P= 0.0244). A high Ki67 labeling index (≥20%) was significantly associated with large tumors (P<0.01), lymph node metastasis (P=0.0236) and positive p53 status (P<0.001). The univariate analysis demonstrated that Ki67 labeling index ≥20%, lymph node metastasis and progesterone receptor negativity were significant worse prognostic factors for RFI (P=0.0333, 0.0116 and 0.0573, respectively). The Ki67 labeling index was found to be a useful prognostic factor in patients with ER-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer and the cut-off values of the Ki67 labeling index for making a decision regarding adjuvant treatment were validated. IntroductionFor the majority of patients with early breast cancer, adjuvant systemic therapy is recommended following primary surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and to increase the likelihood of a cure. Approximately 70% of breast cancers express estrogen receptor (ER), and ER status is a powerful predictor of response to therapies that inhibit estrogen synthesis or block the action of its receptor (1). Endocrine therapies are established in the adjuvant setting (2-4). It is important to distinguish patients with ER-positive tumors at high risk for recurrence who require additional chemotherapy, from those for whom adjuvant endocrine therapy alone may suffice, as the economic burden and toxicities of chemotherapy must be minimized (5). Multi-gene assays are strong candidate tools for predicting the risk of recurrence in ER-positive patients (6). However, classification using multi-gene expression analyses is not appropriate for everyday practice. According to the St. Gallen Consensus Conference held in 2013, the intrinsic subtype affects the indication for adjuvant chemotherapy and surrogat...

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Abstract.Aromatase inhibitors have played a central role in endocrine therapy for the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal patients. However, prognostic factors for recurrence following such treatment have not been identified. The current study aimed to validate the prognostic value of endocrine-related progesterone receptor (PgR) status combined with body mass index (BMI). Among 659 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer who underwent curative surgery between 2002 and 2012, 184 postmenopausal patients with ER-positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer who were treated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy were assessed. The patients were assigned to groups based on BMI, according to the WHO cut-off value: ≥25 kg/m 2 (high, H) or <25 kg/m 2 (low, L). Positive nodal status, negative PgR status, BMI-H and a high Ki-67 labeling index (≥20%) were found to be significantly associated with a short recurrence-free interval (RFI) upon univariate analysis (P=0.048, 0.007, 0.027, and 0.012, respectively). The patients were further grouped based on their combined PgR/BMI status. The RFI was significantly shorter in the PgR-and/or BMI-H group compared with that of the PgR+/BMI-L group (P=0.012). Multivariate analysis revealed PgR-tumors and/or BMI-H and positive nodal status to be independent prognostic factors (P=0.012 and 0.020, respectively). The present findings indicate that PgR/BMI status may serve as a practical tool in the management of ER+ and HER2-breast cancer in patients treated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitors. IntroductionAromatase inhibitors have been widely administered as adjuvant treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The results of recent clinical trials have demonstrated that third-generation aromatase inhibitors, including anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane, are more effective than tamoxifen in treating early stage or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women (1). Thus, aromatase inhibitors are now considered to be the gold standard of endocrine therapy for such patients in adjuvant and metastatic settings (2,3). Characterization of the risk of recurrence for patients who receive aromatase inhibitors is important for selecting appropriate treatment. However, factors that can predict the outcomes of aromatase inhibitor treatment remain unknown.A number of studies have investigated tumor biomarkers that indicated differential benefit from aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen in patients with early breast cancer (4-6). Such biomarkers included the conventional factors, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) and Ki-67, and did not identify patients who derived a differential relative benefit from aromatase inhibitors over tamoxifen. Expression of the PgR gene is thought to largely depend on an intact ER signaling pathway, and the expression of PgR is associated with endocrine responsiv...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the significance of lung biopsy for the modification of the treatment strategy in breast cancer patients who develop lung nodules during follow-up after breast surgery. Of 53 consecutive patients who underwent lung biopsies in two institutions (Hiroshima University Hospital and Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan) between 1997 and 2014, 45 underwent lung surgery and 8 underwent percutaneous or transbronchial tumor biopsy for lung nodules developing after curative surgery for breast cancer. The indications for lung biopsy included lung nodules for which a definitive diagnosis was difficult to achieve, and those for which the treatment strategy depended on the pathological diagnosis. The lung nodules were pathologically diagnosed as primary breast cancer metastases to the lungs in 25 (47%), primary malignant lung tumors in 21 (40%) and benign disease in 7 (13%) patients. Among the 25 metastatic patients confirmed by lung biopsy, phenotype discordance was observed in 6 patients (24%). A total of 3 patients with lung metastasis proven to have estrogen or progesterone receptor upregulation by lung biopsy received endocrine therapy. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with metastatic breast cancer confirmed by lung biopsy were significantly younger and had more locally advanced primary cancers diagnosed via clinical and pathological assessment compared with patients with other diseases. Therefore, mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection were performed more frequently in the metastasis group compared with the others group. Multivariate analysis revealed that mastectomy (P<0.001) and axillary dissection (P<0.001) were independent factors predicting that the lung nodules would be metastases from breast cancer. Lung biopsy in breast cancer patients who developed lung nodules during the follow-up period after breast cancer surgery was crucial for making a definitive diagnosis and modifying the treatment strategy, which may improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

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