Etiologic differences between subtypes of breast cancer defined by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status are not well understood. The authors evaluated associations of hormone-related factors with breast cancer subtypes in a population-based case-control study involving 1,409 ER-positive (ER+)/PR-positive (PR+) cases, 712 ER-negative (ER-)/PR-negative (PR-) cases, 301 ER+/PR- cases, 254 ER-/PR+ cases, and 3,474 controls aged 20-70 years in Shanghai, China (phase I, 1996-1998; phase II, 2002-2005). Polytomous logistic regression and Wald tests for heterogeneity across subtypes were conducted. Breast cancer risks associated with age at menarche, age at menopause, breastfeeding, age at first livebirth, waist-to-hip ratio, and oral contraceptive use did not differ by hormone receptor status. Among postmenopausal women, higher parity (≥2 children vs. 1) was associated with reduced risk (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52, 0.91) and higher body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) with increased risk (highest quartile: OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.65, 3.47) of the ER+/PR+ subtype but was unrelated to the ER-/PR- subtype (for parity, P(heterogeneity) = 0.02; for BMI, P(heterogeneity) < 0.01). Hormone replacement therapy (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.40, 3.62) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.51) appeared to be preferentially associated with the ER+/PR- subtype. These findings indicate that BMI, parity, hormone replacement therapy, and alcohol consumption may play different roles in subtypes of breast cancer. More research is needed to better understand the etiology of 2 relatively rare subtypes, ER+/PR- tumors and ER-/PR+ tumors.

Background: In rats, esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) without concomitant chemical carcinogen treatment leads to gastroesophageal reflux disease, multilayered epithelium (MLE, a presumed precursor in intestinal metaplasia), columnar-lined esophagus, dysplasia, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Previously we have shown that columnar-lined esophagus in EGDA rats resembled human Barrett's esophagus (BE) in its morphology, mucin features and expression of differentiation markers (Lab. Invest. 2004;84:753-765). The purpose of this study was to compare the phenotype of rat MLE with human MLE, in order to gain insight into the nature of MLE and its potential role in the development of BE.

BackgroundMolecular classification of breast cancer is an important prognostic factor. The distribution of molecular subtypes of breast cancer and their prognostic value has not been well documented in Asians.MethodsA total of 2,791 breast cancer patients recruited for a population-based cohort study were evaluated for molecular subtypes of breast cancer by immunohistochemical assays. Data on clinicopathological characteristics were confirmed by centralized pathology review. The average follow-up of the patients was 53.4 months. Overall and disease-free survival by molecular subtypes of breast cancer were evaluated.ResultsThe prevalence of the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and triple-negative subtypes were 48.6%, 16.7%, 13.7%, and 12.9%, respectively. The luminal A subtype was more likely to be diagnosed in older women (P = 0.03) and had a stronger correlation with favorable clinicopathological factors (smaller tumor size, lower histologic grade, and earlier TNM stage) than the triple-negative or HER2 subtypes. Women with triple-negative breast cancer had a higher frequency of family history of breast cancer than women with other subtypes (P = 0.048). The 5-year overall/disease-free survival percentages for the luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple-negative subtypes were 92.9%/88.6%, 88.6%/85.1%, 83.2%/79.1%, and 80.7%/76.0%, respectively. A similar pattern was observed in multivariate analyses. Immunotherapy was associated with improved overall and disease-free survival for luminal A breast cancer, but reduced disease-free survival (HR = 2.21, 95% CI, 1.09-4.48) for the HER2 subtype of breast cancer.ConclusionsThe triple-negative and HER2 subtypes were associated with poorer outcomes compared with the luminal A subtype among these Chinese women. The HER2 subtype was more prevalent in this Chinese population compared with Western populations, suggesting the importance of standardized HER2 detection and anti-HER2 therapy to potentially benefit a high proportion of breast cancer patients in China.

In rats, esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) without concomitant chemical carcinogen treatment can lead to columnar-lined esophagus (CLE) including metaplasia, dysplasia, and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). This study describes the morphology and phenotypic features of CLE and EAC in the rat model and compares them with the corresponding lesions in human Barrett's esophagus (BE). Swiss roll preparations of esophagi of EGDA rats and biopsies from human BE containing specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM) and EAC were examined. The esophagi of EGDA rats showed esophagitis, CLE, islands of multilayered epithelium (MLE), dysplasia and EAC. The CLE had features of specialized intestinal metaplasia. MLE frequently occurred at the neo-squamocolumnar junction and occasionally in the mid-esophagus in isolated foci. Scattered mucinous cells in esophageal squamous epithelium were also found. The CLE and MLE in EGDA rats resembled the lesions described in human BE in morphology, mucin features and expression of differentiation markers (CK7, CK20, Das-1, villin, and pS2/TFF1). Invasive EAC in EGDA rat is of well-differentiated mucinous type, which is in contrast to the variably differentiated glandular type of adenocarcinoma in human BE. p53, c-myc, and cyclooxygenase 2 are expressed in both the rat and human SIM and EAC. These studies indicate that, not withstanding small differences, SIM and EAC induced in EGDA rats are similar to the corresponding lesions in human BE. EGDA rats may serve as a useful model to study the pathogenesis, molecular biology, and chemopreventive interventions of human BE and EAC.

Background The effects of diet on breast cancer are controversial and whether the effects vary with hormone receptor status has not been well investigated. This study evaluated the associations of dietary factors with risk for breast cancer overall and by hormone receptor status of tumors among Chinese women. Methods The Shanghai Breast Cancer Study, a large, population-based, case-control study, enrolled 3,443 cases and 3,474 controls in 1996–1998 (phase I) and 2002–2004 (phase II); 2,676 cases had ER and PR data. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated, quantitative, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were derived from multivariate, polychotomous, unconditional logistic regression models. Results Total vegetable intake was inversely related to breast cancer risk, with an adjusted OR for the highest quintile of 0.80 (95% CI = 0.67–0.95; P trend=0.02). Reduced risk was also related to high intake of allium vegetables (P trend = 0.01) and fresh legumes (P trend = 0.0008). High intake of citrus fruits and rosaceae fruits were inversely associated with breast cancer risk (P trend = 0.003 and P trend = 0.004, respectively), although no consistent association was seen for total fruit intake. Elevated risk was observed for all types of meat and fish intake (all P trend <0.05), while intakes of eggs and milk were associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (both P trend <0.05). There was little evidence that associations with dietary intakes varied across the four tumor subtypes or between ER+/PR+ and ER−/PR− tumors (P for heterogeneity >0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that high intake of total vegetables, certain fruits, milk, and eggs may reduce the risk of breast cancer, while high consumption of animal-source foods may increase risk. The dietary associations did not appear to vary by ER/PR status.

Purpose To evaluate suggested metastasis-related microRNAs (miRNAs) for their association with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods In a cohort of 456 TNBC cases, we systematically evaluated 57 previously-reported metastasis-related microRNAs in tumor tissue using the NanoString nCounter assay. Cox regression was applied to evaluate miRNA expression in association with DFS and OS. In vitro assays using the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 were also conducted to validate epidemiological study findings. Results During a median follow-up of 5.3 years, 112 deaths and 97 recurrences were documented. High levels of miR-374b-5p, miR-218-5p, or miR-126-3p, or low levels of miR-27b-3p were independently associated with a favorable TNBC outcome (P<0.01 for all). A composite score based on the levels of these 4 microRNAs was associated with DFS, with hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 0.70 (0.43–1.15), 0.51 (0.29–0.90), and 0.18 (0.09–0.37) for the second, third and fourth compared to the lowest quartile. Incorporating the miRNA score with known TNBC predictors, i.e., age at diagnosis, tumor stage and basal-like subtype, increased the C-index for predicting DFS from 0.68 to 0.74. Additionally, miR-126-3p was correlated with basal-like breast cancer, and miR-374b-5p modified the therapeutic effects of 5-Fluorouracil and Cyclophosphamide treatments in basal-like breast cancer patients. Restoring miR-126-3p, miR-218-5p, or miR-374b-5p, or inhibiting miR-27b-3p in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced cell proliferation. miR-374b-5p suppressed cell invasion and miR-218-5p inhibited colonization. Conclusion This study provides strong evidence that the levels of miR-374b-5p, miR-27b-3p, miR-126-3p, and miR-218-5p in tumor tissues predict TNBC outcomes.

Background To evaluate the influence of body mass index (BMI), weight change on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) prognosis in a population-based prospective cohort study. Material and Methods The current analysis included 518 participants diagnosed with TNBC in Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study. Weight at 1-year prior to cancer diagnosis, at diagnosis and at 6-, 18- and 36-month after cancer diagnosis and height at 6-month after cancer diagnosis were assessed. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated in relation to BMI and weight change using Cox proportional hazard models. Results Mean weight change from pre-diagnosis to 18-month and 36-month post-diagnosis was 1.5 kg (SD: 4.6) and 1.5 kg (SD: 4.8), respectively. Obesity at 1-year pre-diagnosis was associated with higher risk of total mortality and recurrence/disease-specific mortality, with HRs of 1.79 (95% CI 1.06-3.03) and 1.83 (95% CI 1.05-3.21), respectively. Compared with stable weight, weight loss ≥ 5% at 18- or 36-month post-diagnosis was associated with higher risk of total mortality and recurrence/disease-specific mortality. Respective HRs were 2.08 (95% CI 1.25-3.46) and 1.42 (95% CI 0.77-2.63) for OS, and 2.50 (95% CI 1.45-4.30) and 2.17 (95% CI 1.14-4.12) for DFS. Weight gain ≥ 5% at 18- or 36-month post-diagnosis was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death. Conclusions The results suggested stable weight was associated with a favorable prognosis of TNBC. Emphasis on maintaining stable weight after cancer diagnosis for TNBC patients should be considered.

Background: Tissue microarray (TMA) holds promise as a high-throughput method for the analysis of biomarkers in tissue specimens. The validity and reliability of this method, however, may vary for different biomarkers in different tissue specimens. Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the validity and reliability of using TMA to assess biomarkers in colorectal adenomas. Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients with colorectal adenomas were recruited in this study. Two TMA blocks were constructed using four punches from each adenoma (one periphery, one deep, and two middle zones). The immunostaining of five markers (Ki-67, cyclin D1, Bcatenin, cyclooxygenase-2, and epidermal growth factor receptor) was analyzed, and the concordance between data obtained from TMAs and standard whole-tissue sections