BRCA1 and Ki-67 in breast cancer: A review

Abstract

Breast cancer has become one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among female population both in developing and developed countries. Research also suggests the rising rate of breast cancer every year. Various advancements and research in this field has led to the discovery of both sporadic and genetic susceptibility prevailing in persons who develop this cancer. Even though various immunohistochemical(IHC) markers are being used in the workup of breast cancer, none of them is found to be totally effective in predicting the prognosis of the patient. It is known that BRCA mutations are associated with breast cancers and the protein expression of BRCA1 in breast cancer can be identified by IHC. Hence, the purpose of this review is to highlight the role of BRCA1 and KI-67 as diagnostic and prognostic IHC markers in breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most leading causes of death in female population. BRCA1 and Ki-67 protein expression can be used to assess the grade of tumour and thereby predict the prognosis of the patient. Incorporating these markers along with existing hormone receptor workup can help in better approach in dealing with breast cancer.