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A Next-generation Tissue Microarray (ngTMA) Protocol for Biomarker Studies
Published on: September 23, 2014
Identification of different subtypes of breast cancer using tissue microarray
M A Munirah1, M A Siti-Aishah, M Z Reena
1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. saishah@ppukm.ukm.my
Summary
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) effectively classifies breast cancer molecular subtypes, revealing associations with race, tumor characteristics, and histological grade. Luminal A is common, linked to favorable prognostic factors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Breast cancer classification is crucial for treatment.
- Molecular subtypes (luminal A, B, HER2+/ER-, basal-like, normal-like) can be identified via gene expression or immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To classify breast cancer into molecular subtypes using IHC.
- To correlate these subtypes with clinicopathological factors.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical staining of 217 primary breast carcinomas for ER, PR, HER2, CK5/6, EGFR, CK8/18, p53, and Ki67.
- Tissue microarray technique was employed for analysis.
Main Results:
- Luminal A was the most frequent subtype, associated with low histological grade and p53 negativity.
- Luminal B subtype showed smaller tumor size and more positive lymph nodes.
- All subtypes demonstrated significant associations with Malay ethnicity, histological grade, tumor size, lymph node status, and most IHC markers (excluding EGFR and Ki67).
Conclusions:
- IHC is a viable method for identifying breast cancer molecular subtypes.
- Subtype identification is significantly associated with race, tumor characteristics, and histological grade.
