Prognostic value of cell cycle regulator molecules in surgically resected stage I and II breast cancer.

Success in breast cancer treatment depends greatly upon early detection, and in the employment of prognostic markers able to anticipate the evolution of the disease, allowing a more rational management of the patient. A fundamental cause of cancer is the alteration of the genetic material, which may modify the expression of proteins that play key roles in cell cycle progression. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of cyclins D1, E, and B1 and of the CDKIs p16 and p21 in a population of uniformly treated patients with stage I or II breast tumors (n=56) compared with patients with benign breast pathology (n=23).

Plasma MMP-9 (92 kDa-MMP) activity is useful in the follow-up and in the assessment of prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Previously we determined that plasma MMP-9 activity was significantly elevated in breast cancer patients compared to benign mammary pathologies and healthy controls. Now we analyzed its potential usefulness in the follow-up and in the prognosis of these patients. MMP-9 activity was measured by gelatin quantitative zymography in the euglobulin plasma fraction of 46 breast cancer patients in a 38-month follow-up study.