Clinical surgery–American
The receptor expression pattern in ductal carcinoma in situ predicts recurrence

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2006.04.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

The treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is based on size and pathologic morphology. We hypothesized that as with invasive breast cancer, receptor expression in DCIS is important for predicting recurrence.

Methods

Retrospective review from 1990 through 2002 identified 94 DCIS patients who had documented estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), p53, Her-2/neu (HER), tumor characteristics, type of surgery, use of radiation or tamoxifen, and site of recurrence.

Results

Median age and tumor size was 57.5 years and 2.0 cm, respectively. Median follow-up was 4 years. Overall recurrence rate was 6%. The ER-positive/PR-negative/HER-positive receptor pattern represented 50% (3 of 6) of total recurrences (P = .01). The length of disease-free-survival in the ER-positive/PR-negative/HER-positive receptor pattern was significantly shorter than in the rest of the patients (P = .0011).

Comments

Receptor expression may be important in DCIS for predicting recurrence. HER positivity, even with ER positivity, is significantly associated with a higher risk of recurrence.

Section snippets

Study design and patients

An Institutional Review Board–approved retrospective study was conducted of all patients diagnosed with DCIS between 1990 and 2002 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Only patients who had complete evaluation of ER, PR, HER, and p53 were included in the study. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify ER, PR, HER, and p53 receptor status.

Data collection

Data collected included demographics, pathology results, treatment, and disease status at last follow-up. The patient’s medical record, the

Study patients

One hundred sixty-nine patients with a diagnosis of DCIS were identified. Thirty-seven patients were excluded because of microinvasive disease. Of the remaining 132 patients, 38 were excluded based on lack of available tissue to perform immunohistochemistry for receptors. Thus, 94 patients were available for data analysis. The median age of the patients was 57.5 years (25th to 75th percentile range = 48 to 66). The median follow-up time was 4 years (25th to 75th percentile range = 2 to 7).

Pathology

The

Comments

DCIS is a unique biologic and clinical entity by virtue of its significant dissimilarities to other epithelial in situ lesions. For example, in situ carcinoma of the esophagus or rectum can be excised with the intent to cure without adjuvant treatment. On the contrary, DCIS always poses a dilemma regarding the optimal therapeutic management because of the possibility to progress or recur as a potentially life-threatening invasive cancer. That is, half of recurrences in those initially

Acknowledgments

Supported by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Clinical Fellowship (J. K. and R. L.) and the Virginia Clinton Kelley/Fashion Footwear Association of New York Breast Cancer Research Fellowship (J. K. and R. L.).

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