Clinical and histological prognostic factors in axillary node-negative breast cancer: Univariate and multivariate analysis with relation to 5 year recurrence

Abstract

In the recent years several studies have shown that about 30% of cases with axillary node-nagative breast cancer suffer relapse of the disease. Our attempt was made to evaluate the most significant prognostic factors to predict this high risk group which may be benefited from adjuvant treatment. For this purpose, we selected 9 patients out of 80 cases of node-negative breast cancer who had been followed up at least for 5 years and had the recurrence of the disease. For comparison, 16 patients from the same group who did not have relapse were selected on a random basis. Histology, receptor status, AgNOR, DNA flow cytometry and various immunohistochemical parameters were compared between the groups with recurrence and that without recurrence. On univariate analysis, tumor size, immunohistochemical expressions of PCNA, MIB-1, c- erbB-2 and S-phase fraction were significantly different between the above two groups. By multivariate analysis, immunohistochemical c-erbB-2 expression (more than 50% of cancer cells) was an independent parameter. As a summary from our studies, c-erbB-2 immunohistochemical staining on paraffin sections might be the best independent prognostic factor in axillary node-negative breast cancers. © 1995, The Japanese Breast Cancer Society. All rights reserved.