Molecular Pathways of Breast Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis: Exploratory Immunohistochemical Analysis from the Sclero-Breast Study

Abstract

Several authors reported an increased risk of cancer in SSc patients, including breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying this association have not yet been clarified. SSc and BC share several molecular pathways, which seem to play a common etiopathogenetic role. The previously published Sclero-Breast study demonstrated the development of BC with a good prognosis among these patients, which could be explained by an autoimmune background as a possible mechanism for limiting tumor extension. Here, we report the results of an IHC analysis of molecular pathways known to be common drivers for both diseases, with the aim to better define the mechanisms underlying a good prognosis of BC in patients affected by SSc. The analysis demonstrated higher TILs rates in all BC subgroups, with a high rate of PD-L1 expression especially in TNBC and HER2-positive BC, suggesting a less aggressive behavior in these patients compared to the general population. These results support a possible de-escalation strategy of cancer therapies in these fragile patients. These data could represent a starting point for future prospective studies based on the clinical application of these biomarkers with a larger sample size to promote a personalized and targeted oncological treatment for this specific subset of patients.