INSM1 is a novel prognostic neuroendocrine marker for luminal B breast cancer.

Insulinoma associated protein 1 (INSM1) is a relatively new marker of neuroendocrine differentiation. It has been shown to have a high sensitivity for neuroendocrine tumours arising from different organs. This study evaluated INSM1 as a marker for neuroendocrine differentiation in infiltrating breast cancers (IBC).

Combined SOX10 GATA3 is most sensitive in detecting primary and metastatic breast cancers: a comparative study of breast markers in multiple tumors.

Purpose: For invasive breast cancer (IBC), high SOX10 expression was reported particularly in TNBC. This raised the possibility that SOX10 may complement other breast markers for determining cancers of breast origin.

Methods: Here, we compared the expression of SOX10 with other breast markers (GATA3, mammaglobin and GCDFP15) and their combined expression in a large cohort of IBC together with nodal metastases.

The Clinical Significance of Neuroendocrine Features in Invasive Breast Carcinomas.

The latest World Health Organization (WHO) classification categorized invasive breast carcinomas (IBCs) with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiations into neuroendocrine neoplasms (including well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor [NET] and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma [NEC]) and IBC no special type with NE features (IBC-NST-NE). However, little is documented of the clinical significance of this classification; also the precise thresholds and choices of NE markers were variable. In the current study, a large cohort of patients with IBC with NE differentiation were morphologically classified based on the WHO criteria and the clinical relevance of expression of different NE markers (synaptophysin [SYN], chromogranin [CG], and CD56) was evaluated.

Sry-related high-mobility-group/HMG box 10 (SOX10) as a sensitive marker for triple-negative breast cancer.

Aims: Confirmation of a breast origin for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is sometimes problematic. The traditional breast markers GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA3), mammaglobin (MGB) and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP15) have shown limitations in identifying TNBC. Here, we aimed to examine the diagnostic potential of the newly proposed TNBC marker, Sry-related high-mobility-group/HMG box 10 (SOX10).

Improved Prognostication for the Updated AJCC Breast Cancer Pathological Prognostic Staging Varied in Higher-Stage Groups.

Background: In addition to TNM-based anatomical staging (AS), a novel pathological prognostic staging (PPS) has been proposed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). PPS demonstrated better prognostication, but its superiority in breast cancer subtypes and related to staging discrepancies between AS and PPS are not clear.

Methods: A cohort of 1729 patients with breast cancer was staged into AS and PPS according to the latest AJCC staging.

Co-expression of HLA-I loci improved prognostication in HER2+ breast cancers.

The underlying basis for cancer immune evasion is important for effective immunotherapy and prognosis in breast cancers. Human leucocyte antigens (HLA)-I comprising three classical antigens (HLA-A, -B and -C) is mandatory for anti-tumor immunity. Its loss occurred frequently in many cancers resulting in effective immune evasion.

Predicting Outcome in Mammary Phyllodes Tumors: Relevance of Clinicopathological Features.

Background: Phyllodes tumors (PTs) of the breast are uncommon fibroepithelial neoplasms. Most behave in a benign fashion but they also have the potential to recur locally or to metastasize.

Methods: In the current study involving 290 PTs (181 benign, 76 borderline, and 33 malignant) from three hospitals over an 11-year period, we assessed the relationship between histologic parameters (including histologic features affecting grade and surgical margin status), postoperative adjuvant treatment, and local recurrences and distant metastases.

The Clinical Value of PELP1 for Breast Cancer: A Comparison with Multiple Cancers and Analysis in Breast Cancer Subtypes.

Purpose: Proline, glutamic acid, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), a novel nuclear receptor (NR) co-regulator, is highly expressed in breast cancer. We investigated its expression in breast cancer subtypes, in comparison with other breast markers as well as cancers from different sites. Its prognostic relevance with different subtypes and other NR expression was also examined in breast cancers.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Is Associated with Aggressive Behavior in Nonluminal Breast Cancers.

Background: β-amyloid precursor protein (APP), a potential target for Alzheimer's disease treatment, has recently been shown to take part in carcinogenesis. Increased APP promotes migration, survival, and proliferation in breast cancer cell lines. We examined the clinical value of APP in breast cancers.

CD147 expression is associated with poor overall survival in chemotherapy treated triple-negative breast cancer.

Aims: In breast cancer models, the functional roles of CD147 in proliferation, invasion and treatment resistance have been widely reported. However, there are only a few studies examining the clinicopathological correlation and prognostic relevance of CD147 in breast cancer, especially in relation to breast cancer molecular subtypes.

Methods: In this study, we analysed CD147 expression in a large cohort of breast cancers, correlating with clinicopathological features and the expression of a comprehensive panel of biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC subsets.

Association of clinicopathological features and prognosis of TERT alterations in phyllodes tumor of breast.

Phyllodes tumor (PT) of the breast is a rare but clinically important fibroepithelial tumor with potential risks of recurrence and metastasis. Recent studies identified recurrent TERT promoter mutations in PTs. However, the clinical significance of this alteration has not been fully examined.

GATA-3 is superior to GCDFP-15 and mammaglobin to identify primary and metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Despite numerous studies on the utility of GATA-3 as breast cancer marker, its comparison with other breast markers, its concordance between primary and metastatic tumors and its expression in primary cancers from sites with frequent breast metastases remains unclear.

Methods: To address these questions, totally 993 invasive breast cancers (IBC), 254 paired nodal metastases, 23 distant metastases, and 208 lung carcinomas were included. GATA-3 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and compared to other breast markers [gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15) and mammaglobin (MGB)].

Robust and accurate digital measurement for HER2 amplification in HER2 equivocal breast cancer diagnosis.

Currently, there are no recommended alternative assays for HER2 cases deemed equivocal by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization. Digital PCR (ddPCR), a highly accurate method to determine DNA copy number, could be a robust alternative for clinical HER2 diagnostics. HER2 and CEP17 copy numbers were quantified using two ddPCR platforms (QX200 and RainDrop) in 102 samples of invasive breast cancers.

Distinct Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Associations and Their Prognostic Relevance in HER2 Positive and Negative Breast Cancers.

Background: The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is associated with favorable prognosis. Recent evidence suggested that not only their density, but also the spatial organization as tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), play a key role in determining patient survival.

Materials And Methods: In a cohort of 248 breast cancers, the clinicopathologic association and prognostic role of TLS was examined.

Expression and Clinical Significance of Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (HVEM) in Breast Cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint blockades are currently actively investigated in invasive breast cancers. Given the complexity of immune regulation, multiple inhibitory molecules within the immune checkpoint framework would be involved in tumor immune escape. Evaluation of the components within the framework is a prerequisite for not only identification of additional treatment targets and optimization of immunotherapeutic strategies but also understanding the prognostic value of these molecules.

PD-L1 expression and tumor infiltrating PD-1+ lymphocytes associated with outcome in HER2+ breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Clinical trials showing programmed death (PD)-1-PD-ligand 1 (L1) axis as a promising therapeutic target in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancers have made the pathway a focus of recent attention. However, the data regarding PD-L1/PD-1 in breast cancer are inconsistent. Given the heterogeneity of breast cancers, the clinical relevance of PD-L1 and PD-1 tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) may vary according to subtypes of breast cancer.

Hyaluronan synthase 2 is an adverse prognostic marker in androgen receptor-negative breast cancer.

Aims: The important role of hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), an isozyme responsible for hyaluronan synthesis, in cancer has been increasingly recognised. However, only a few studies with inconsistent results have been reported in breast cancers. With a large cohort, we aim to determine the clinical significance of HAS2 in breast cancers.

Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are a heterogeneous group of breast tumours that are often associated with adverse pathological characteristics, poorer clinical outcomes and lack of targeted therapeutic options. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which plays a crucial role in tumour development and progression, is characterised by a transition from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype and loss of proteins involved in maintaining cell junctions. We aimed to correlate protein expression of E-cadherin, Snail2 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) with clinicopathological parameters and survivals of a series of patients with TNBC.