| 1. |
- Forsare, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of estrogen receptor status from primary tumors to metastasis and serially collected circulating tumor cells
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 21:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The estrogen receptor (ER) can change expression between primary tumor (PT) and distant metastasis (DM) in breast cancer. A tissue biopsy reflects a momentary state at one location, whereas circulating tumor cells (CTCs) reflect real-time tumor progression. We evaluated ER-status during tumor progression from PT to DM and CTCs, and related the ER-status of CTCs to prognosis. Methods: In a study of metastatic breast cancer, blood was collected at different timepoints. After CellSearch® enrichment, CTCs were captured on DropMount slides and evaluated for ER expression at baseline (BL) and after 1 and 3 months of therapy. Comparison of the ER-status of PT, DM, and CTCs at different timepoints was performed using the McNemar test. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Evidence of a shift from ER positivity to negativity between PT and DM was demonstrated (p = 0.019). We found strong evidence of similar shifts from PT to CTCs at different timepoints (p <0.0001). ER-positive CTCs at 1 and 3 months were related to better prognosis. Conclusions: A shift in ER-status from PT to DM/CTCs was demonstrated. ER-positive CTCs during systemic therapy might reflect the retention of a favorable phenotype that still responds to therapy.
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| 2. |
- Forsare, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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The Prognostic Role of Intratumoral Stromal Content in Lobular Breast Cancer
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 14:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have shown that high intratumoral stromal content is associated with a worse prognosis in breast cancer, especially in the triple-negative subtype. However, contradictory results have been reported for estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, indicating that the prognostic role of intratumoral stromal content may be subtype-dependent. In this study, we investigated the importance of intratumoral stromal content for breast cancer-specific mortality (BCM) in a well-defined subgroup (n = 182) of ER+/human-epidermal growth-factor-receptor-2 negative (HER2−) invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC). The intratumoral stromal content was assessed on hematoxylin–eosin-stained whole sections and graded into high stroma (>50%) or low stroma (≤50%). A total of 82 (45%) patients had high-stroma tumors, and 100 (55%) had low-stroma tumors. High-stroma tumors were associated with a lower Nottingham histological grade, low Ki67, and a luminal A-like subtype. After a 10-year follow-up, the patients with high-stroma tumors had a lower BCM (HR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21–0.89, p = 0.023) in univariable analysis. Essentially the same effect was found in both the multivariable analysis (10-year follow-up) and univariable analysis (25-year follow-up), but these findings were not strictly significant. In ER+/HER2− ILC, high intratumoral stromal content is an easily assessable histological indicator of a good prognosis.
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| 3. |
- Jørgensen, Charlotte Levin Tykjær, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related markers and phenotypes during breast cancer progression
- 2020
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Ingår i: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0167-6806 .- 1573-7217. ; 181:2, s. 369-381
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The study aimed to investigate expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and phenotypes during breast cancer progression and to relate this to patient outcome. Methods: Protein expression patterns of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, twist, and vimentin were examined by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from primary tumors (PTs) (n = 419), synchronous lymph node metastases (LNMs) (n = 131) and recurrences (n = 34) from patients included in an observational prospective primary breast cancer study. Markers were evaluated individually and combined as defined EMT phenotypes (epithelial, mesenchymal, partial EMT, and negative). EMT profiles were compared between matched tumor progression stages, and related to clinicopathological data and distant recurrence-free interval (DRFi). Results: N-cadherin-positivity, vimentin-positivity, mesenchymal and partial EMT phenotypes were associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics such as triple-negative subtype. Single EMT markers and phenotype discordance rates between paired tumor samples were observed in the range of 2–35%. Non-epithelial phenotypes were more frequently identified in recurrences compared to PTs, however, no skewness of expression or phenotype was detected between PTs and matched LNMs or between PTs and matched recurrences (Exact McNemar test). Interestingly, patients with a twist positive PT had shorter DRFi, compared to patients with a twist negative PT (hazard ratio (HR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–5.1, P = 0.02). Essentially, the same effect was seen in multivariable analysis (HR 2.5, 95% CI 0.97–6.6, P = 0.06). Conclusion: The epithelial phenotype was indicated to be lost between PTs and recurrences as a reflection of tumor progression. Twist status of the PT was related to long-term prognosis warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.
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| 4. |
- Jørgensen, Charlotte Levin Tykjær, et al.
(författare)
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Pam50 intrinsic subtype profiles in primary and metastatic breast cancer show a significant shift toward more aggressive subtypes with prognostic implications
- 2021
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 13:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: PAM50 breast cancer intrinsic subtyping adds prognostic information in early breast cancer; however, the role in metastatic disease is unclear. We aimed to identify PAM50 subtypes in primary tumors (PTs) and metastases to outline subtype changes and their prognostic role. Methods: RNA was isolated from PTs, lymph node metastases (LNMs), and distant metastases (DMs) in metastatic breast cancer patients (n = 140) included in a prospective study (NCT01322893). Gene expression analyses were performed using the Breast Cancer 360 (BC360) assay from Nano-String. The subtype shifts were evaluated using McNemar and symmetry tests, and clinical outcomes were evaluated with log-rank tests and Cox regression. Results: The PAM50 subtype changed in 25/59 of paired samples between PTs and LNMs (Psymmetry = 0.002), in 31/61 between PTs and DMs (Psymmetry < 0.001), and in 16/38 between LNMs and DMs (Psymmetry = 0.004). Shifts toward subtypes with worse outcomes were the most common. Patients with shifts from the luminal PT to non-luminal DM subtypes had worse progression-free survival compared to patients with a stable subtype (hazard ratio (HR): 2.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–4.68, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Strong evidence of PAM50 subtype shifts toward unfavorable subtypes were seen between PTs and metastatic samples. For patients with a shift in subtype from luminal PT to non-luminal DM, a worse prognosis was noted.
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| 5. |
- Larsson, Anna Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Serial evaluation of serum thymidine kinase activity is prognostic in women with newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rapid development of new therapies in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), entails a need for improved prognostic and monitoring tools. Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is involved in DNA synthesis and its activity correlates to outcome in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum TK1 activity (sTK1) levels in MBC patients as a tool for prognostication and treatment monitoring. 142 women with MBC scheduled for 1st line systemic treatment were included in a prospective observational study. sTK1 was measured at baseline (BL) and at 1, 3 and 6 months and correlations to progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) evaluated. High sTK1 levels (above median) correlated to worse PFS and OS at BL, also after adjusting for other prognostic factors. sTK1 levels were significantly associated with PFS and OS measured from follow-up time points during therapy. Changes from 3 to 6 months during therapy significantly correlated to PFS and OS, whereas early changes did not. We could demonstrate sTK1 level as an independent prognostic factor in patients with newly diagnosed MBC. Changes in sTK1 levels from 3 to 6 months correlated to PFS and OS. Future studies of sTK1 are warranted to further define its clinical utility.
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| 6. |
- Lundgren, Christine, et al.
(författare)
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PAM50 subtyping and ROR score add long-term prognostic information in premenopausal breast cancer patients
- 2022
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Ingår i: Npj Breast Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2374-4677. ; 8:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PAM50 intrinsic subtyping and risk of recurrence (ROR) score are approved for risk profiling in postmenopausal women. We aimed to examine their long-term prognostic value in terms of breast cancer-free interval (BCFi) and overall survival (OS) (n = 437) in premenopausal women randomised to 2 years of tamoxifen versus no systemic treatment irrespective of hormone-receptor status. Intrinsic subtyping added independent prognostic information in patients with oestrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor 2-negative tumours for BCFi and OS after maximum follow-up (overall P-value 0.02 and 0.006, respectively) and those with high versus low ROR had worse prognosis (maximum follow-up: hazard ratio (HR)(BCFi): 1.70, P 0.04). The prognostic information by ROR was similar regarding OS and in multivariable analysis. These results support that PAM50 subtyping and ROR score provide long-term prognostic information in premenopausal women. Moreover, tamoxifen reduced the incidence of breast cancer events only in patients with Luminal A(PAM50) tumours (0-10 years: HRBCFi(Luminal A): 0.41, HRBCFi(Luminal B): 1.19, P-interaction = 0.02).
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| 7. |
- Lundgren, Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Tamoxifen-predictive value of gene expression signatures in premenopausal breast cancer : data from the randomized SBII:2 trial
- 2023
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Ingår i: Breast Cancer Research. - : BMC. - 1465-5411 .- 1465-542X. ; 25:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Gene expression (GEX) signatures in breast cancer provide prognostic information, but little is known about their predictive value for tamoxifen treatment. We examined the tamoxifen-predictive value and prognostic effects of different GEX signatures in premenopausal women with early breast cancer. Methods: RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from premenopausal women randomized between two years of tamoxifen treatment and no systemic treatment was extracted and successfully subjected to GEX profiling (n = 437, NanoString Breast Cancer 360™ panel). The median follow-up periods for a recurrence-free interval (RFi) and overall survival (OS) were 28 and 33 years, respectively. Associations between GEX signatures and tamoxifen effect were assessed in patients with estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+ /HER2−) tumors using Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox regression. The prognostic effects of GEX signatures were studied in the entire cohort. False discovery rate adjustments (q-values) were applied to account for multiple hypothesis testing. Results: In patients with ER+/HER2− tumors, FOXA1 expression below the median was associated with an improved effect of tamoxifen after 10 years with regard to RFi (hazard ratio [HR] FOXA1(high) = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.61–1.76, HR FOXA1(low) = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.14–0.67, q interaction = 0.0013), and a resembling trend was observed for AR (HR AR(high) = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.60–2.20, HR AR(low) = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24–0.75, q interaction = 0.87). Similar patterns were observed for OS. Tamoxifen was in the same subgroup most beneficial for RFi in patients with low ESR1 expression (HRRFi ESR1(high) = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.43–1.35, HRRFi, ESR1(low) = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.29–1.06, q interaction = 0.37). Irrespective of molecular subtype, higher levels of ESR1, Mast cells, and PGR on a continuous scale were correlated with improved 10 years RFi (HR ESR1 = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.69–0.92, q = 0.005; HRMast cells = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.65–0.85, q < 0.0001; and HR PGR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.68–0.89, q = 0.002). For BC proliferation and Hypoxia, higher scores associated with worse outcomes (HRBCproliferation = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.33–1.79, q < 0.0001; HRHypoxia = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.20–1.58, q < 0.0001). The results were similar for OS. Conclusions: Expression of FOXA1 is a promising predictive biomarker for tamoxifen effect in ER+/HER2− premenopausal breast cancer. In addition, each of the signatures BC proliferation, Hypoxia, Mast cells, and the GEX of AR, ESR1, and PGR had prognostic value, also after adjusting for established prognostic factors. Trial registration This trial was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN database the 6th of December 2019, trial ID: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ISRCTN12474687 .
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| 8. |
- Lundgren, Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes as a prognostic and tamoxifen predictive marker in premenopausal breast cancer : data from a randomised trial with long-term follow-up
- 2020
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Ingår i: Breast Cancer Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-5411 .- 1465-542X. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are of important prognostic and predictive value in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but their clinical relevance in oestrogen receptor-positive/HER2-negative (ER+/HER2−) remains unknown. The primary study aim was to analyse the prognostic effect of TILs on the BC-free interval (BCFi) in premenopausal patients stratified by BC subtypes. The secondary aim was to investigate if TILs are predictive of tamoxifen (TAM) benefit. Methods: Archival tissues from primary breast tumours were collected from patients from the SBII:2pre trial, in which 564 premenopausal women were randomised to 2 years of adjuvant TAM or no systemic treatment, regardless of hormone receptor status. TILs were scored on whole tissue sections from 447 patients with available ER status. Tumours were divided into ER+/HER2−, HER2+ and TNBC subtypes by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation. The prognostic value of TILs was analysed in systemically untreated patients (n = 221); the predictive information was investigated in the ER+ subgroup (n = 321) by cumulative incidence curves and Cox regression analyses. The median follow-up was 28 years. Results: High (≥ 50%) infiltration of TILs was a favourable prognostic factor in terms of BCFi (univariable analysis: hazard ratioBCFi (HRBCFi) 0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22–0.71; P = 0.002). Similar effects were observed across all BC subtypes. The effect of adjuvant TAM was stronger in patients with ER+ tumours and TILs < 50% (HRBCFi 0.63; 95% CI 0.47–0.84; P = 0.002) than in patients with high immune infiltration (≥ 50%) (HRBCFi 0.84; 95% CI (0.24–2.86); P = 0.77). However, evidence for differential effects of TAM in categories of TILs, i.e. interaction, was weak. Conclusions: We demonstrate a long-term favourable prognostic value of high infiltration of TILs in a cohort of premenopausal BC patients and the positive prognostic effect was extended to the ER+/HER2− subgroup. A beneficial effect of TAM in ER+ patients was observed in patients with tumours of low TIL infiltration, but evidence for a treatment predictive effect was weak. Trial registration: This trial is registered in the ISRCTN database, trial ID: ISRCTN12474687.
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| 9. |
- Narbe, Ulrik, et al.
(författare)
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The distribution of circulating tumor cells is different in metastatic lobular compared to ductal carcinoma of the breast –long term prognostic significant
- 2020
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Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4409. ; 9:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) has distinguishing features when compared to invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type (NST). In this study, we explored the distributional and prognostic characteristics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic ILC and NST. Materials and methods: Patients were included in an observational trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01322893) with ILC (n = 28) and NST (n = 111). CTC count (number/7.5 mL blood) was evaluated with serial sampling (CellSearch). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The CTC counts were higher in ILC (median 70) than in NST cases (median 2) at baseline (p < 0.001). The evidence for ≥5 CTCs as a prognostic factor for PFS in ILC was weak, but stronger with higher cut-offs (CTC ≥ 20: hazard ratio (HR) 3.0, p = 0.01) (CTC ≥ 80: HR 3.6, p = 0.004). In NST, however, the prognostic effect of CTCs ≥5 was strong. Decline in CTC count from baseline to three months was associated with improved prognosis in ILC and NST. Conclusions: The number of CTCs is higher in ILC than in NST, implying that a higher CTC cut-off could be considered for ILC when applying the CellSearch technique.
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