[Prognostic role of apoptosis-related gene Fas-1377 and -670 polymorphisms in breast cancer].

Objective: To investigate the correlations between Fas-1377 and -670 polymorphisms and survival in Chinese women with breast cancer.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect the polymorphism of Fas gene in 310 breast cancer patients with a long-term follow-up (median 10.5 years, range 0.2 - 16.1 years). Survival curves were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: The polymorphism of neither Fas-1377 nor Fas-670 was significantly correlated with the overall survival in this series of 310 cases (P > 0.05). However, among 146 patients without lymph node metastasis, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was significantly lower in the patients with Fas-1377 AA genotype than that in the patients with Fas-1377 GA or GG genotype (OS: 66.7% vs. 95.4%, P = 0.03). Among 117 patients with lymph node metastasis, both the Fas-1377 and Fas-670 polymorphisms were not significantly correlated with OS (P = 0.42).

Conclusion: Among breast cancer patients without lymph node metastasis, patients with Fas-1377 AA genotype may have a worse survival, while patients with Fas-1377 GA or GG genotype may not be so.