Abstract PD01-06: Activation of the Insulin-Like Growth Factor Pathway Distinguishes African American from European American Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Gene Expression Profiling

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by high histologic grade, high rates of distant recurrence and a poor overall prognosis. Treatment options are limited due to the lack of specific targets such as hormone receptors or HER2 which drive other breast cancer subtypes. Epidemiological studies show a markedly higher prevalence of TNBC in young women of African ancestry. In this study we sought to identify transcriptional modules that are differentially regulated between African American (AA) and European American (EA) women. Methods: A hospital-based cohort of 130 breast cancer patients diagnosed between 1985 and 2007 was selected by an institutional pathology database (CoPath) search for invasive, triple-negative breast cancer and enriched for patients of African American ethnicity. Racial distribution 47% AA, 33% EA, 8% Hispanic and 12% other or unknown. Clinical data was extracted from the Yale and Bridgeport Hospitals Tumor Registry following IRB approval. Invasive disease was identified on HE70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD01-06.