CT Antigens in ER-Negative Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Yao-Tseng, Ross Dara S., Chiu Rita, Zhou Xi K., Chen Yunn-Yi, Lee Peishan, Hoda Syed A., Simpson Andrew J., Old Lloyd J., Caballero Otavia, Neville A. Munro
Primary Institution: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Hypothesis
Are cancer/testis antigens expressed more frequently in hormone-receptor negative and high-grade breast cancers?
Conclusion
CT antigens are more frequently expressed in hormone receptor-negative and high-grade breast cancer, suggesting potential for CT-based immunotherapy.
Supporting Evidence
- CT antigens were expressed in 12-24% of ER-negative cancers compared to 2-6% of ER-positive cancers.
- 27% of ER-negative, CT-positive tumors expressed three or more CT antigens.
- More frequent CT expression was found in tumors with higher nuclear grade and larger size.
Takeaway
Some proteins that usually only show up in testicles are also found in certain types of breast cancer, especially the ones that are harder to treat.
Methodology
A comprehensive immunohistochemical study was performed to investigate the protein expression of eight CT genes in 454 invasive ductal carcinomas.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the selection of cases primarily enriched for ER-negative tumors.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on ER-negative breast cancers, which may not represent the general breast cancer population.
Participant Demographics
Included 454 breast cancer cases, with a focus on ER-negative and triple-negative subtypes.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001 to 0.003
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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