Outcomes by Ethnicity: Sentinel Lymph Node Status in Women with Breast Cancer
Abstract
Breast cancer incidence and outcomes (disease-free survival and overall survival) vary widely in women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Clinical research indicates that many possible factors, including ethnicity and tumor biology, affect outcomes in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Regional lymph node status (presence of metastasis in regional lymph nodes and number of affected nodes) is the best prognostic indicator for women with breast cancer. It is not known if ethnicity affects lymph node status or if the value of promising prognostic indicators under study, such as low molecular weight Cyclin E, is independent of ethnicity. In this study we show that the LMW isoforms of cyclin E are more highly expressed in African American and Hispanic patients compared to White patients. Furthermore, Hispanic patients with a positive sentinel lymph node have a worse prognosis than other subgroups. LMW cyclin E is also associated with the aggressive, triple negative form of breast cancer that also results in decreased survival. Therefore, LMW cyclin E is associated with different subgroups of breast cancer patients that have poor survival, and could provide a future therapeutic target for a subset of breast cancer patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA495304
Entities
People
- Mary Hassett
Organizations
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center