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Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Optimization of a Multiplex RNA-based Expression Assay Using Breast Cancer Archival Material
Published on: August 1, 2018
Quantitative expression of estrogen receptor on relapse biopsy for ER-positive breast cancer: prognostic impact
Maria Vittoria Dieci1, Federico Piacentini2, Massimo Dominici2
1Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy Division of Medical Oncology 2, Venetian Oncology Institution IRCCS, Padova, Italy mariavittoria.dieci@unipd.it.
Background:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of quantitative estrogen receptor (ER) expression at relapse for ER-positive breast cancer with ER-positive recurrence.
Patients And Methods:
A total of 81 patients with ER-positive primary breast cancer and ER-positive paired recurrence were included. ER expression was evaluated as the percentage of tumor cells staining for ER under immunohistochemistry. Samples were defined as ER-high (ER>50%) or ER-low (ER≥10% and ≤50%).
Results:
Quantitative ER expression on relapse biopsy was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in multivariate analysis, both as a continuous (hazard ratio=0.8; 95% confidence interval=0.7-0.92, p=0.001) and as a categorical (ER-high vs. ER-low; hazard ratio=0.26; 95% confidence interval=0.11-0.59, p=0.001) variable. Patients whose status changed from ER-high (primary BC) to ER-low (relapse) had the poorest outcome, with a 10-year overall survival rate of 14%.
Conclusion:
Even in the case of maintenance of ER-positivity on primary and relapse of breast cancer, recurrence biopsy provides prognostic information.
