EZH2 Expression Is Associated With High Proliferation Rate and Aggressive Tumor Subgroups in Cutaneous Melanoma and Cancers of the Endometrium, Prostate, and Breast

Abstract

Strong EZH2 expression was associated with increased tumor cell proliferation in all four cancer types. Associations were also found between EZH2 and important clinicopathologic variables. EZH2 expression showed significant prognostic impact in melanoma, prostate, and endometrial carcinoma in univariate survival analyses, and revealed independent prognostic importance in carcinoma of the endometrium and prostate. CONCLUSION Our findings point at EZH2 as a novel and independent prognostic marker in endometrial cancer, and validate previous findings on prostate and breast cancer. Further, EZH2 expression was associated with features of aggressive cutaneous melanoma. The fact that EZH2 might identify increased tumor cell proliferation and aggressive subgroups in several cancers may be of practical interest because the polycomb group proteins have been suggested as candidates for targeted therapy. EZH2 expression should, therefore, be further examined as a possible predictive factor.

Improved survival related to changes in endometrial cancer treatment, a 30-year population based perspective

“…This scoring system was developed in our research laboratory 175 , and has been used for several antibodies and in several tumour types. 187,188 Our scorings were performed blinded for the patients' clinical and outcome data. When evaluating cut points, the frequency distribution for each marker was considered in relation to the size of subgroups and number of events in each category.…”

Relevance of circulating tumor cells, extracellular nucleic acids, and exosomes in breast cancer

“…PcG protein expression is often dysregulated in several types of cancer and strongly correlates with an invasive and/or metastatic phenotype [119,120]. Bmi-1 (PcG protein B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog), was initially identified as an oncogene cooperating with c-myc in the development of murine pre-B-cell lymphomas [121].…”

S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase inhibition by 3-deazaneplanocin A analogues induces anti-cancer effects in breast cancer cell lines and synergy with both histone deacetylase and HER2 inhibition

“…EZH2 is over-expressed in breast cancer compared with normal breast epithelia and expression is associated with invasiveness, increased proliferation, markers of an aggressive phenotype (basal or HER2 positive) and reduced survival outcomes [1,3,6,17,28]. Overexpression of EZH2 in immo rtalized mammary epithelial cell lines promotes anchorage independent growth and cell invasion and EZH2 over-exp ressing cells are tu morigenic when injected into mammary fat pads of nude mice [4,17].…”