Relationship of P-cadherin expression to basal phenotype of breast carcinoma

P-cadherin (P-CD) is a molecule expressed mainly by basal cells involved in cell adhesion. We evaluated expression of P-CD in operable breast carcinomas and its relationship with immunohistochemical markers of the basal-like phenotype and with clinical outcome.

Expression of P-CD was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 194 tissue specimens of invasive operable ductal breast cancer.

112 cases (57.7%) were identified as being P-CD-positive. P-CD-positive tumors usually lacked steroid receptors (p = 0.042), expressed basal type cytokeratins (p = 0.001), and were positive for cyclin E (p = 0.039). In a univariate analysis of cancer-specific survival with a median follow-up period of 58 months, P-CD expression was not associated with prognosis (5-year survival rate for positive vs. negative patients 67.0 vs. 77.0%, log rank p = 0.121).

P-CD may be regarded as an additional immunohistochemical marker of basal-like breast carcinomas. However, P-CD expression is not an adverse prognostic factor.