PURPOSE: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM) recently received increased attention not only as a prognostic factor in breast cancer but also as a potential target for immunotherapy. We examined Ep-CAM expression in 402 consecutive node-negative breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up not treated in the adjuvant setting. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Ep-CAM expression was evaluated by immunostaining. Its prognostic effect was estimated relative to overexpression/amplification of HER-2, histologic grade, tumor size, age, and hormone receptor expression. RESULTS: Ep-CAM status was positive in 106 (26.4%) patients. In multivariate analysis, Ep-CAM status was associated with disease-free survival independent of age, pT stage, histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), as well as HER2 status (P = 0.028; hazard ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.44). Recently, so-called triple-negative (HER-2, ER, and PR) breast cancer has received increased attention. We noticed a similar association of Ep-CAM with disease-free survival in the triple-negative group as for the entire cohort. CONCLUSION: In this study of untreated breast cancer patients, Ep-CAM overexpression was associated with poor survival in the entire cohort and in the subgroup of triple-negative breast cancer. This suggests that Ep-CAM may be a well-suited target for specific therapies particularly in HER-2-, ER-, and PR-negative tumors.
PURPOSE:Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM) recently received increased attention not only as a prognostic factor in breast cancer but also as a potential target for immunotherapy. We examined Ep-CAM expression in 402 consecutive node-negative breast cancerpatients with long-term follow-up not treated in the adjuvant setting. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:Ep-CAM expression was evaluated by immunostaining. Its prognostic effect was estimated relative to overexpression/amplification of HER-2, histologic grade, tumor size, age, and hormone receptor expression. RESULTS:Ep-CAM status was positive in 106 (26.4%) patients. In multivariate analysis, Ep-CAM status was associated with disease-free survival independent of age, pT stage, histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), as well as HER2 status (P = 0.028; hazard ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.44). Recently, so-called triple-negative (HER-2, ER, and PR) breast cancer has received increased attention. We noticed a similar association of Ep-CAM with disease-free survival in the triple-negative group as for the entire cohort. CONCLUSION: In this study of untreated breast cancerpatients, Ep-CAM overexpression was associated with poor survival in the entire cohort and in the subgroup of triple-negative breast cancer. This suggests that Ep-CAM may be a well-suited target for specific therapies particularly in HER-2-, ER-, and PR-negative tumors.
Authors: Narendra V Sankpal; Michael W Willman; Timothy P Fleming; John D Mayfield; William E Gillanders Journal: Cancer Res Date: 2009-01-13 Impact factor: 12.701
Authors: Cristina Cadenas; Dennis Franckenstein; Marcus Schmidt; Mathias Gehrmann; Matthias Hermes; Bettina Geppert; Wiebke Schormann; Lindsey J Maccoux; Markus Schug; Anika Schumann; Christian Wilhelm; Evgenia Freis; Katja Ickstadt; Jörg Rahnenführer; Jörg I Baumbach; Albert Sickmann; Jan G Hengstler Journal: Breast Cancer Res Date: 2010-06-28 Impact factor: 6.466
Authors: Marco Johannes Battista; Cristina Cotarelo; Sina Jakobi; Joscha Steetskamp; Georgios Makris; Isabel Sicking; Veronika Weyer; Marcus Schmidt Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol Date: 2014-04-13 Impact factor: 4.553