Purpose The main purpose of this study is to explore the predictive value of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) expression level and PIK3CA mutation for the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancer patients.
Materials and Methods The clinicopathological data of HER2-positive non-specific invasive breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant treatment in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2017 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between HER3 expression level detected by immunohistochemistry and PIK3CA gene mutation detected by amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction and pathological complete response (pCR) was analyzed.
Results Among 51 patients, 29 (56.9%) had positive HER3 expression, 15 (29.4%) had PIK3CA mutation, and 19 (37.3%) had pCR. The expression level of HER3 was correlated with the pCR rate (χ2=7.905, p=0.019). The PIK3CA mutation status was not correlated with the pCR rate (χ2=0.140, p=0.708). The HER3 expression level combined with PIK3CA mutation status affected the pCR rate (p=0.036). Multivariable regression further identified HER3 positivity as an independent negative predictor of pCR (odds ratio, 0.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.50; p=0.008), underscoring its role in therapeutic resistance.
Conclusion HER3 expression may serve as a critical biomarker for guiding therapeutic strategies in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. The combinatorial effect of HER3 overexpression and PIK3CA mutations may exacerbate therapeutic resistance, while dual-targeted strategies against the HER3/phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway could potentially improve clinical outcomes in treatment-resistant populations.
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Purpose This study investigated pathological complete response (pCR) according to androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and estimated the relationship between AR expression and clinicopathological factors.
Materials and Methods We identified 624 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the National Cancer Center in Goyang, Korea from April 2016 to October 2019. We retrospectively collected the clinicopathologic information and AR expression results and analyzed the data according to cancer stage, hormonal receptor (HR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, tumor subtype, and pCR.
Results Among the 624 breast cancer patients, 529 (84.8%) were AR-positive (AR+) patients and 95 (15.2%) were AR-negative (AR–) patients. AR+ patients showed more estrogen receptor (ER) positivity, progesterone receptor (PR) positivity, HER2-positivity, and HR-positive and HER2-negative (HR+/HER2–) subtype. The rate of pCR was 31.4% (196/624). AR– patients had a significantly higher rate of pCR than AR+ patients (AR– 43.2% vs. AR+ 29.3%, p=0.007). The tumor factors associated with pCR were early stage, histologic grade 3, ER-negative, PR-negative, AR-negative, HER2-positive, and high Ki-67 values. In univariable analysis, AR+ significantly decreased the state of pCR (odds ratio, 0.546; 95% confidence interval, 0.349 to 0.853; p=0.008). According to tumor subtype, AR– tumor showed higher pCR rate in HR+/HER2– subtype (AR– 28.6% vs. AR+ 7.3%, p=0.022).
Conclusion AR expression is predominant in the HR+/HER2– subtype. AR– is significantly associated with the pCR rate in breast cancer patients, especially within HR+/HER2– subtype. When determining neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the HR+/HER2– subtype, AR expression can be considered as a pCR predictive marker.
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Purpose PIK3CA, encoding for subunit p110a of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase, is frequently mutated in breast cancer. PIK3CAmutation was predictive for pathological complete response (pCR) in human epidermal growth factor 2 positive breast cancer. This study explores the association of PIK3CA mutation and pCR in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Materials and Methods
A total of 92 patients with TNBC derived from a prospectively randomized phase II trial GeparSixto study (NCT01426880). Exon 9 and exon 20 of PIK3CA mutations were evaluated by using classical Sanger method with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissues.
Results
Seven of 90 tumors (7.8%) were detectable with a PIK3CA H1047R mutation. Overall, PIK3CA H1047R mutation was significantly associated with a lower pCR rate (14.3% vs. 56.6%; odds ratio, 0.128; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.015 to 1.108; p=0.047). In carboplatin- containing treatment patients, H1047R mutation trended to predict a lower pCR rate (20% vs. 62.5%; p=0.146). In a multivariable analysis, H1047R mutation trended to predict a lower pCR rate (hazard ratio, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.01 to 1; p=0.056).
Conclusion
TNBC with a PIK3CA H1047R mutation was less likely to achieve pCR after anthracyclinebased neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Development of H1047R mutant selective inhibitors might be helpful to conquer this subtype of breast cancer.
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