Outcome for triple negative breast cancer in a retrospective cohort with an emphasis on response to platinum-based neoadjuvant therapy.

Purpose: The rate of pathological complete response (pCR) for patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is increased when carboplatin is added to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). However, while phase III trial data showing a survival benefit are awaited, carboplatin is not yet standard-of-care for TNBC. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of pCR and the outcome for those treated with carboplatin and to examine the predictors of response to therapy.

Meta-analysis confirms BCL2 is an independent prognostic marker in breast cancer.

Background: A number of protein markers have been investigated as prognostic adjuncts in breast cancer but their translation into clinical practice has been impeded by a lack of appropriate validation. Recently, we showed that BCL2 protein expression had prognostic power independent of current used standards. Here, we present the results of a meta-analysis of the association between BCL2 expression and both disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in female breast cancer.

Bcl-2 is a prognostic marker in breast cancer independently of the Nottingham Prognostic Index.

Purpose: Prognostication of breast cancer using clinicopathologic variables, although useful, remains imperfect. Many reports suggest that gene expression profiling can refine the current approach. Alternatively, it has been shown that panels of proteins assessed by immunohistochemistry might also be useful in this regard.

A recurrent chromosome breakpoint in breast cancer at the NRG1/neuregulin 1/heregulin gene.

Most studies of genomic rearrangements in common cancers have focused on regional gains and losses, but some rearrangements may break within specific genes. We previously reported that five breast cancer cell lines have chromosome translocations that break in the NRG1 gene and that could cause abnormal NRG1 expression. NRG1 encodes the Neuregulins 1 (formerly the Heregulins), ligands for members of the ErbB/epidermal growth factor-receptor family, which includes ErbB2/HER2.