Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Korea.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine whether the expression of DNA topoisomerase II and P-glycoprotein are of prognostic value.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the expression of DNA topoisomerase II and P-glycoprotein immunohistochemically in a retrospective study of samples from 44 patients with breast cancer. Thirty two among 44 patients (72.7%) received chemotherapeutic treatments (CMF or FAC protocol) and/or tamoxifen postoperatively.
RESULTS: P-glycoprotein was detected in the 27 samples of 44 patients (61.3%). The expression of P-glycoprotein was increased in the patients older than 50 years, with distant metastases, and with death on follow-up. DNA topoisomerase II was detected in the 34 samples of 44 patients (77.2%).
The expression of topoisomerase II was increased in the patients younger than 50 years, with recurrent tumor, with distant metastases, and with death on follow-up. The expression of P-glycoprotein and topoisomerase II was not correlated with other clinico-pathological factors including the size of primary tumor, involvement of lymph node, histologic grade, and clinical stage. The correlation between expression of P-glycoprotein and topoisomerase II was not significant.
CONCLUSION: The immunohistochemical evaluation of P-glycoprotein and topoisomerase II before treatment in breast cancer has little clinical prognostic value.
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