Mammaglobin is associated with low-grade, steroid receptor-positive breast tumors from postmenopausal patients, and has independent prognostic value for relapse-free survival time.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The tumor mRNA expression levels of mammaglobin, a novel breast-specific and breast cancer-associated marker, were correlated with disease outcome in 280 patients with primary breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Mammaglobin expression levels were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in frozen tumor tissue from breast cancer patients with a median age of 60 years (range, 30 to 88 years) and a median follow-up of 85 months (range, 2 to 169 months).

RESULTS:

High expression levels were associated with low-grade tumors (P =.018), with positive estrogen and progesterone receptor status (P <.001), and postmenopausal status (P =.010). In the analysis of all patients, low tumor mammaglobin expression levels predicted an early relapse both in Cox univariate (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.79; P =.002) and multivariate regression analyses corrected for the traditional prognostic factors (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.88; P =.012). The association of mammaglobin expression with the rate of relapse was particularly favorable in patients who received adjuvant tamoxifen treatment (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.71; P =.004).

CONCLUSION:

These results demonstrate that the assessment of the tumor mRNA expression level of the breast-specific protein mammaglobin could be useful to stratify patients for individual adjuvant treatment strategies.

• Authors: Paul N Span, Esmé Waanders, Peggy Manders, Joop J T M Heuvel, John A Foekens, Mark A Watson, Louk V A M Beex, Fred C G J Sweep
• Journal: Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (J Clin Oncol) Vol. 22 Issue 4 Pg. 691-8 (Feb 15 2004) ISSN: 0732-183X [Print] United States
• PMID: 14966093 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Mammaglobin A
• Neoplasm Proteins
• RNA, Messenger
• RNA, Neoplasm
• SCGB2A2 protein, human
• Uteroglobin

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Biomarkers, Tumor (genetics, metabolism)
• Breast Neoplasms (metabolism, mortality, pathology)
• Disease-Free Survival
• Female
• Humans
• Mammaglobin A
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Neoplasm Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Netherlands (epidemiology)
• Postmenopause
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• RNA, Neoplasm (metabolism)
• Regression Analysis
• Uteroglobin (genetics, metabolism)