Comparison of prognostic gene expression signatures for breast cancer
2008

Comparing Gene Signatures for Breast Cancer Prognosis

Sample size: 198 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Haibe-Kains Benjamin, Desmedt Christine, Piette Fanny, Buyse Marc, Cardoso Fatima, van't Veer Laura, Piccart Martine, Bontempi Gianluca, Sotiriou Christos

Primary Institution: Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles

Hypothesis

How do different gene expression signatures compare in predicting distant metastasis free survival in breast cancer patients?

Conclusion

The three gene expression signatures showed similar prognostic performance, indicating their clinical relevance despite differences in development.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study used an independent validation series of untreated breast cancer patients.
  • Agreement in prediction was observed for 135 of 198 patients (68%) across the three signatures.
  • The three signatures added significant prognostic information beyond classical parameters.

Takeaway

Scientists looked at three different tests to see how well they predict if breast cancer will come back, and they found that all three tests worked about the same.

Methodology

The study compared three gene expression signatures using data from an independent validation series of untreated breast cancer patients.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the use of different microarray platforms and algorithms.

Limitations

The study's findings may not apply to all breast cancer patients due to the specific population studied.

Participant Demographics

Patients were younger than 61 years, had node-negative, T1–T2 tumors, and did not receive adjuvant treatment.

Statistical Information

P-Value

2.1 × 10-4

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 1.35–3.34

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2164-9-394

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