Internal mammary nodal status is a more reliable prognostic factor than DNA ploidy and c-erb B-2 expression in patients with breast cancer
M. Noguchi, N. Koyasaki, N. Ohta, H. Kitagawa, M. Earashi, M. Thomas, I. Miyazaki and Y. Mizukami
Department of Surgery (II), Kanazawa University Hospital, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
We evaluated the relationship among DNA ploidy, c-erb B-2 oncoprotein
expression, and clinicopathologic prognostic factors, especially axillary
and internal mammary node metastases, and their value in estimating the
prognosis in 128 patients with operable breast cancer. There were
significant correlations between DNA ploidy and clinical stage, tumor size,
or axillary or internal mammary lymph node metastases, and between c-erb
B-2 expression and clinical stage or axillary lymph node metastases. In a
univariate study, overall or disease-free survival was significantly
correlated to clinical stage, tumor size, DNA ploidy, c-erb B-2 expression,
and axillary and internal mammary node metastases. In a multivariate study,
however, only axillary and internal mammary node metastases were recognized
as independent factors on overall survival, whereas on disease-free
survival, only axillary lymph node metastases were identified as an
independent indicator. Since the DNA ploidy status and c-erb B-2 expression
were closely correlated with the axillary and/or internal mammary lymph
node metastases, they did not appear as independent prognostic factors in
this small series.
