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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Optimization of a Multiplex RNA-based Expression Assay Using Breast Cancer Archival Material
Published on: August 1, 2018
Nestin is expressed in basal-like and triple negative breast cancers
1Molecular Pathology Laboratory, The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Aims:
To analyse the distribution of nestin expression in different breast tumours and to determine the prognostic impact of nestin expression.
Methods:
Nestin expression was immunohistochemically analysed in a cohort of 245 invasive breast cancer patients treated with therapeutic surgery followed by anthracycline-based chemotherapy using a semi-quantitative scoring system.
Results:
Nestin was exclusively expressed in grade III breast carcinoma and preferentially expressed in basal-like and triple negative cancers. Nestin-positive tumours displayed high proliferation rates and p53 nuclear expression. Lymph-node positive patients with nestin-positive cancers had a shorter breast cancer specific survival; however nestin was not an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
Nestin expression is preferentially found in basal-like and triple negative breast carcinomas. Further studies are warranted to define the biological role played by nestin in these subgroups of breast cancers.
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