Using Fine Needle Aspiration to Monitor Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Ball H M-L, Hupp T R, Ziyaie D, Purdie C A, Kernohan N M, Thompson A M
Primary Institution: Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK
Hypothesis
Can fine needle aspiration (FNA) accurately assess p53 protein expression in breast cancer compared to resected tissue?
Conclusion
FNA provides sufficient protein for Western blotting studies and can be used to monitor p53 activity in breast cancer during treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- FNA was shown to provide adequate protein for up to 5 Western blot studies.
- p53 expression and phosphorylation did not differ significantly pre- and post-operatively.
- The study confirmed that cancer cells accounted for the protein expression detected on Western blots.
Takeaway
Doctors can use a small needle to take samples from breast cancer patients to check how well the cancer is responding to treatment.
Methodology
The study compared paired samples of breast cancer FNAs with tissue samples from surgical resection using Western blotting.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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