Tenascin staining positivity and the survival of patients with invasive breast carcinoma.

Tenascin immunohistochemical staining was investigated in 82 patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma followed for at least 5 years after surgery; the staining was analyzed in relation to clinicopathological factors. An intense tenascin staining pattern was noted in 59 patients (72%), but no definite correlation was found between tenascin positivity and clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, or estrogen receptor status. However, tenascin-positive patients had a significantly better prognosis than tenascin-negative patients. Tenascin staining may therefore be a useful marker for predicting the survival of breast cancer patients.