Selective Genomic Copy Number Imbalances and Probability of Recurrence in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
2011

Copy Number Based Prognostic Model for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Sample size: 971 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Patricia A. Thompson, Abenaa M. Brewster, Kim-Anh Do, Veerabhadran Baladandayuthapani, Bradley M. Broom, Mary E. Edgerton, Karin M. Hahn, James L. Murray, Aysegul Sahin, Spyros Tsavachidis, Yuker Wang, Li Zhang, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Gordon B. Mills, Melissa L. Bondy

Primary Institution: MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas

Hypothesis

Some chromosomal changes in breast cancer may influence metastatic potential independent of expression subtypes.

Conclusion

The study identifies a set of 19 copy number imbalances that can significantly improve the prediction of recurrence risk in early-stage breast cancer.

Supporting Evidence

  • The 19-CNI model significantly outperformed clinical models in predicting recurrence.
  • Specific CNIs were identified that correlate with higher recurrence risk.
  • The model showed improved prognostication for ER–, HER2+, and luminal B tumors.
  • Patients with high-risk CNI signatures had a significantly higher probability of recurrence.

Takeaway

Researchers found specific changes in the DNA of breast cancer tumors that can help predict if a patient is likely to have a recurrence of cancer.

Methodology

High-density molecular inversion probe arrays were used to determine copy number gains and losses in breast tumors, and a boosting strategy was applied to fit hazards models for recurrence.

Limitations

The study may be limited by the use of older samples and the approximation of tumor subtypes based on tumor markers.

Participant Demographics

{"age":{"mean":54.4,"standard_deviation":12.6},"race":{"White":715,"Black":125,"Hispanic":123,"Other":8}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI for C-Index ± 0.02

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0023543

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