Role of topoisomerase II alpha gene status on selection of anthracycline therapy in triple negative breast cancer

Abstract EN

Triple negative breast carcinoma [TNC], is peculiar to have hormone receptors negative [ER and PR] and lose HER2 receptor reactivity by immunostaining.

Generally, TNC tumors carry a bad prognosis.

Little is to be perceived about TOP2A gene amplification in triple negative breast cancer.

This information may be of importance for the expectation of the influence of therapy.

Thus the objective of this study is to evaluate topoisomerase II alpha gene status in triple negative breast cancer.

A cross sectional study was done, from July 2014 to February 2015 in Oncology hospital of Baghdad Medical Complex.

Only 28 patients with triple negative breast cancer were included [ER-, PR-, her2/neu-] other molecular types of breast cancer were excluded.

All 28 cases were successfully hybridized using dual-color chromogenic in situ hybridization [DC-CISH][Zyto- Vision] probe kit for determination of topoisomerase II alpha gene status Patients mean age was [47.7 ± 8.8 SD].

Tumor stage was intermediate [stage II] in [57%] while 36% of cases were in stage III.

Tumor grade was 46% for grade II and 54% for grade III.

Regarding Ki-67, 54% of cases express Ki-67 more than 14% in comparison to 46% of them the expression was less than 14%.Regarding topoisomerase II alpha gene amplification, gene amplification was noticed in single case only as [3.6%] and it was low amplification.

So TNBC is always associated with insignificant alterations of topoisomerase 2 alpha gene and thus may predicts poor response to anthracycline therapy in this molecular group of breast cancer