Correlation of Baseline BCL-2 mRNA Expression and Clinical Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Background: Impairment of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer. Tumor resistance to apoptosis usually caused by deregulation of the expression of BCL-2 family protein or mutation of the tumor suppressor gene p53. Over expression of Bcl-2 is commonly found in various types of cancer including breast cancer. Studies mentioned that analysis of Bcl-2 might predict response to selected endocrine and chemotherapies. Purpose: Evaluation of correlation of BCL-2 mRNA expression and clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Method: longitudinal study, 30 subjects of breast cancer tissue samples prechemotherapy using cyclophosphamide-adriamycin-5FU regiment. Detection of mRNA expression of BCL-2 using qRT-PCR techniques.  Evaluation of clinical response to chemotherapy is using RECIST criteria. Results: Mean value of BCL-2 mRNA expression in breast cancer patients was 9.917± 2.568.  Mean value of BCL-2 mRNA expression of responsive group was 9.887± 2.731. Mean value of BCL-2 mRNA expression of nonresponsive group was 10.017±2.122. Mean value of responsive group were lower than nonresponsive group, but there was no significant correlation between baseline mRNA expression of BCL-2 with clinical response to chemotherapy, value of r=0.378, p=0.223 (p>0.05) . Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between baseline expression of mRNA BCL-2 with clinical response to chemotherapy.