Impact of grade, hormone receptor, and HER-2 status in women with breast cancer on response to specific chemotherapeutic agents by in vitro adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1150 - 1157
• Main Authors: Koo, Ja Seung, Jung, Woohee, Shin, Eunah, Lee, Hy-de, Jeong, Joon, Kim, Kun-Hong, Jeong, Hyeongjae, Hong, Soon Won
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.12.2009; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms - classification; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Doxorubicin - therapeutic use; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor - methods; Epirubicin - therapeutic use; Female; Fluorouracil - therapeutic use; Humans; Middle Aged; Original; Paclitaxel - therapeutic use; Receptor, ErbB-2 - genetics; Receptor, ErbB-2 - metabolism; Receptors, Estrogen - genetics; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Receptors, Progesterone - genetics; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; 의학일반; Breast Neoplasms; Tumor Markers; Drug Therapy
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.6.1150

This study was designed to assess whether histological and biological factors of breast cancer can predict chemoresponse to specific agents. Adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) was employed to retrieve chemoresponse to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), doxetaxel, doxorubicin, epirubicin, and paclitaxel in 49 patients. Tumors with high histologic and nuclear grade have higher response rate to doxorubicin (P<0.05) and palitaxel (P<0.05). Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors respond well to doxorubicin (P=0.038), and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative tumors to 5-FU (P=0.039), doxetaxel (P=0.038), doxorubicin (P=0.000), epirubicin (P=0.010), and paclitaxel (P=0.003). Among the breast cancer subtypes determined by ER, PR, and HER-2 immunohistochemical stains, the HER-2+/ER- subtype has a higher response rate to doxorubicin (P=0.008). This in vitro result suggests that the combination of histologic and nuclear grade, hormone receptor, and HER-2 status can be a predictive factor of response to specific chemotherapy agents. Further in vivo study should be followed for clinical trials.