Mammographic density and epithelial histopathologic markers
Verheus M et al. - In a trial to explore the association of mammographic density with hormonal and proliferation markers in benign tissue from tumor blocks of pre-and postmenopausal breast cancer cases, this study detected little evidence for an association between mammographic density and expression of steroid receptors and proliferation markers in breast tissue, but it illustrated the problems of locating tumor blocks and benign breast tissue samples for epidemiologic research. Methods- Breast cancer cases were recruited from a case-control study on breast density.
- Mammographic density was assessed on digitized prediagnostic mammograms using a computer-assisted method.
- For 279 participants of the original study, tumor blocks were obtained and tissue microarrays (TMA) were prepared, but benign tissue cores were only available for 159 women.
- TMAs were immunostained for estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERSZ), progesterone receptor (PR), HER2/neu, Ki-67, and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA).
- General linear models were applied to compute breast density according to marker expression.
Results- A substantial proportion of the samples were in the low or no staining categories.
- None of the results was statistically significant, but women with PR and ERSZ staining had 3.4% and 2.4% higher percent density.
- The respective values for Caucasians were 5.7% and 11.6% but less in Japanese women (3.5% and -1.1%).
- Percent density was 3.4% higher in women with any Ki-67 staining and 2.2% in those with positive PCNA staining.
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