E-cadherin and fibronectin expressions have no prognostic role in stage II ductal breast cancer.

Background: The aim of the study was to describe the expressions of E-cadherin (EC) and fibronectin (FN) and their prognostic value in radically-treated ductal breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-eight patients, aged 26-86 (median, 57) with stage II G2 or G3 tumors, were subjected to a retrospective analysis.

Results: No significant associations were observed between the levels of the proteins studied and patient or cancer features, with the exception of relationships between FN expression and the histological grade of the tumor or hormonal status of the subjects. None of the markers showed a correlation with survival in multivariate analysis. Consequently, the experiment revealed no prognostic value of EC or FN expression in a homogenous patient group with stage II G2 or G3 ductal breast carcinoma.

Conclusion: Further studies, on other uniform populations, with tumor features different from those described here, are necessary in order to reveal the prognostic significance of the molecules discussed.