The prognostic role of a phospho-Stathmin 1 signature in breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract

Background: High expression of Stathmin 1 (STMN1) protein is related to a poor prognosis in various tumors, including breast cancer. In our previous study, a phospho-STMN1 signature was conducted to predict outcomes in adjuvantly treated breast cancer patients. This study aimed to explore the relationship of STMN1 expression with our phospho-STMN1 signature and the prognosis of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).Methods: A retrospective analysis of 116 patients who received NACT in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between December 2008 and March 2016 was conducted. Patients were followed up through telephone once a year until 2022. The levels of STMN1, Ser16, Ser25, Ser38, and Ser63 phosphorylation and GRP78 expression in pre-NACT biopsy specimens from the patients were detected by immunohistochemistry. The recurrence risk score for each patient was calculated using the p-STMN1/ GRP78 model. Clinical and pathological parameters, pathological complete response and objective response rates, and survival data were analyzed. Results:In patients with NACT-treated breast cancer, high levels of STMN1, Ser25 phosphorylation, Ser38 phosphorylation, and GRP78 were related to worse disease-free survival (DFS), as was a high p-STMN1/GRP78 model risk score. In contrast, high Ser16 and Ser63 phosphorylation levels were related