Tumour Aromatase Expression, a Prognostic for Local Control in Young Breast Cancer Patients after Breast-Conserving Treatment?

Introduction: To determine whether the levels of expression of 17 candidate genes were associated with locoregional control after breast conserving treatments of early-stage breast cancers in young, premenopausal women.Methods: Gene expression was measured using RT-PCR in the breast tumors of a series of 53 young (≤40 years), premenopausal patients. All treatments consisted in primary breast conserving surgery followed by whole-breast radiotherapy (+/- regional lymph nodes) with or without systemic treatments (chemotherapy +/- hormone-therapy). The median follow-up was 10 years.Results: The 10-year locoregional recurrence rate was 70% (95% CI 57%-87%). In univariate analysis, no clinical/pathological prognostic factors were found to be significantly associated with a decreased loco-regional control. Expression of three genes was found to be significantly associated with an increased loco-regional recurrence rate: low estrogen receptor beta, low aromatase, high GATA3. Two others were associated with only a trend (p Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 6035.