Abstract
Introduction
Globally, breast cancer is a leading cause of female cancer-related mortality and most predominant in the premenopausal stage. Expression of hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, HER2/neu, appears to be different in the premenopausal group. However, there are limited data on hormone receptor expressions among women in Uganda. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the expression of estrogen, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in women with breast cancer.
Methods
This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional laboratory-based study conducted in the Department of Pathology, Makerere University. Paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were retrieved from the archive and stained with H&E for histological confirmation and establishment of histological grade and type. Immunohistochemistry staining using a mouse-derived monoclonal antibody for hormonal receptors and HER2/neu expression was also done. Data were analyzed using STATA version 13.
Results
A total of 103 patients’ tissue blocks were analyzed. The mean ± SD age of the cases was 49 ± 15 years. The majority, 55/103 (53.4%), had intermediate cancer grade and 39/103 (37.9%) had triple-negative breast cancer. The majority, 55/103 (53.4%), were positive for ER hormone expression, 48/103 (46.6%) showed positive PR hormone expression, and only 19/103 (18.5%) were HER2/neu positive. Age of the cases showed statistical significance with hormonal receptor expressions and triple-negative breast cancer (P < .05), with high-grade cancers being more common among premenopausal women.
Conclusion
The study found that the mean age of breast cancer was 49 years, invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) was the commonest histological type, and the majority were of intermediate cancer grade. In total, 53.4% of patients were ER positive, 46.6% were PR positive, 18.5% were HER2/neu positive, and 37.9% were triple negative. Age was the only factor significantly associated with hormonal receptors and triple-negative breast cancers.
Partial agonistic effect of cetuximab on epidermal growth factor receptor and Src kinase activation in triple‑negative breast cancer cell lines