Affiliation:
1. Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
2. Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Abstract
Context:
Breast cancer is currently treated according to the subtype determined by the expression of three immunohistochemical markers, namely, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor 2 neu receptor. If all three markers are negative, the subtype is triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC). This subtype is a molecularly heterogeneous group expressing different genetic signatures. The present retrospective observational study has used immunohistochemistry as a practical method to document different subtypes of TNBC.
Materials and Methods:
One hundred cases of TNBC were studied at a tertiary cancer care center, using a panel of five markers – androgen receptor, cytokeratin 5/6, epithelial cadherin, epidermal growth factor receptor, and vimentin.
Statistical Analysis:
Monte Carlo significance test for Chi-square was used for statistical analysis.
Results:
One hundred patients of TNBCs were subtyped into five groups – luminal androgen receptor, basal-like one, basal-like two, mesenchymal stem-like, and unclassified. These subgroups did not differ significantly in clinicopathological characteristics except tumor size.
Conclusion:
TNBC is a molecularly diverse group showing many subtypes. Clinical follow-up of all these cases may reveal differences in the prognosis and survival among the subgroups.