ERα Status of Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow of Breast Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Tanja Fehm, Natalia Krawczyk, Erich-Franz Solomayer, Graziella Becker-Pergola, Silke Dürr-Störzer, Hans Neubauer, Harald Seeger, Annette Staebler, Diethelm Wallwiener, Sven Becker
Primary Institution: University of Tuebingen
Hypothesis
Does the ERα status of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow correspond to the ERα status of the primary breast cancer tumor?
Conclusion
The ERα status of primary tumors and disseminated tumor cells showed low concordance, with most DTCs being ERα negative despite the presence of ERα-positive primary tumors.
Supporting Evidence
- 42% of breast cancer patients had detectable disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow.
- Only 12% of patients with ERα-positive primary tumors had ERα-positive DTCs.
- The concordance rate of ERα status between primary tumors and DTCs was only 28%.
- Most DTCs were found to be ERα negative despite the presence of an ERα-positive primary tumor.
Takeaway
This study looked at breast cancer patients and found that the tumor cells in their bone marrow often had a different status than the main tumor, which could explain why some treatments don't work.
Methodology
Bone marrow aspirates from 254 patients were analyzed for cytokeratin-positive and ERα-positive cells using double immunofluorescence staining.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the selection of patients and the methods used for detecting DTCs.
Limitations
The study may not account for all factors influencing ERα status and does not explore the clinical implications of the findings in detail.
Participant Demographics
The study included 254 primary breast cancer patients, with 82% having ERα-positive primary tumors.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website