Multicentric and multifocal versus unifocal breast cancer: differences in the expression of E-cadherin suggest differences in tumor biology.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of the cell adhesion-related glycoproteins MUC-1, β-catenin and E-cadherin in multicentric/multifocal breast cancer in comparison to unifocal disease in order to identify potential differences in the biology of these tumor types.

METHODS:

A retrospective analysis was performed on the expression of MUC1, β-catenin and E-cadherin by immunohistochemistry on tumor tissues of a series of 112 breast cancer patients (total collective) treated in Munich between 2000 and 2002. By matched-pair analysis, 46 patients were entered into two comparable groups of 23 patients after categorizing them as having multicentric/multifocal or unifocal breast cancer. Matching criteria were tumor size, histology grade and lymph node status; based on these criteria, patients were distributed equally between the two groups (p = 1.000 each). Data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney tests.

RESULTS:

In the matched groups, we found a significantly down-regulated expression of E-cadherin in multicentric/multifocal breast cancer compared to unifocal disease (p = 0.024). The total collective showed even higher significance with a value of p < 0.0001. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the expression of β-catenin between multicentric/multifocal and unifocal tumors (p = 0.636 and p = 0.914, respectively). When comparing the expression of MUC1, E-cadherin and β-catenin within the unifocal group, we found a significant positive correlation between E-cadherin and β-catenin (p = 0.003). In the multicentric/multifocal group we observed, in contrast to the unifocal group, a significant decrease of MUC1 expression with increased grading (p = 0.027).

CONCLUSION:

This study demonstrates that multicentric/multifocal and unifocal breast cancers with identical TNM-staging clearly differ in the expression level of E-cadherin. We suggest that the down-regulation of E-cadherin in multicentric/multifocal breast cancer is causally connected with the worse prognosis of this tumor type.

• Authors: Tobias Weissenbacher, Eva Hirte, Christina Kuhn, Wolfgang Janni, Doris Mayr, Uwe Karsten, Brigitte Rack, Klaus Friese, Udo Jeschke, Sabine Heublein, Darius Dian, Nina Ditsch
• Journal: BMC cancer (BMC Cancer) Vol. 13 Pg. 361 (Jul 26 2013) ISSN: 1471-2407 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23890049 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Cadherins

Topics

• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis)
• Breast Neoplasms (metabolism, mortality, pathology)
• Cadherins (biosynthesis)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prognosis
• Retrospective Studies