Homogeneous datasets of triple negative breast cancers enable the identification of novel prognostic and predictive signatures.

Background: Current prognostic gene signatures for breast cancer mainly reflect proliferation status and have limited value in triple-negative (TNBC) cancers. The identification of prognostic signatures from TNBC cohorts was limited in the past due to small sample sizes.

Methodology/principal Findings: We assembled all currently publically available TNBC gene expression datasets generated on Affymetrix gene chips.

A clinically relevant gene signature in triple negative and basal-like breast cancer.

Introduction: Current prognostic gene expression profiles for breast cancer mainly reflect proliferation status and are most useful in ER-positive cancers. Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are clinically heterogeneous and prognostic markers and biology-based therapies are needed to better treat this disease.

Methods: We assembled Affymetrix gene expression data for 579 TNBC and performed unsupervised analysis to define metagenes that distinguish molecular subsets within TNBC.

SATB1 gene expression and breast cancer prognosis.

Recently it has been shown that the genome organizer SATB1 plays an important role in breast cancer progression and predicts a poor prognosis. However its prognostic value compared to markers as the estrogen receptor is currently unclear. The expression levels of SATB1 mRNA from Affymetrix microarray in a cohort of 2058 breast cancer samples and its prognostic impact were analyzed.

Prognostic impact of thymidine phosphorylase expression in breast cancer--comparison of microarray and immunohistochemical data.

Contrary findings exist according to the prognostic and predictive impact of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) expression in breast cancer. Goal of our study was to investigate TP expression on the mRNA level by microarray analysis in a large cohort of 1781 breast cancers and to analyse its prognostic impact. Furthermore we compared mRNA expression and immunohistochemical data to explain discrepancies between different studies.

Clinical relevance of the putative stem cell marker p63 in breast cancer.

P63 is a member of the p53 family. This protein is crucial for the maintenance of a stem cell population in the human epithelium and necessary for the normal development of all epithelial tissues including mammary glands. In normal breast tissue, the p63 seems to be a specific myoepithelial cell marker.