Staining technique predicts breast cancer recurrence
BY Ron Gilmore
March 06, 2017
Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by an MD Anderson Cancer Center medical professional on March 06, 2017
Cyclin E, a protein important for DNA replication, is present in various forms of cancer in high levels. Overexpression of cyclin E correlates with increased tumor aggression and reduced breast cancer survival.
Recent findings by MD Anderson researchers showed that detecting cyclin E through a method known as cytoplasmic cyclin staining proved to be a reliable method for detecting breast cancer survival.
Cytoplasmic cyclin staining occurs when scientists add dye to the cytoplasm ¡ª the jelly-like substance surrounding the nucleus within the cell membrane ¡ª to detect cyclin E levels. The procedure can also distinguish primary cancer cells from the more dangerous metastatic cancer cells.
¡°Cytoplasmic cyclin E staining identifies patients with the highest likelihood of recurrence consistently across different patient cohorts and subtypes,¡± said , professor of Experimental Radiation Oncology.
Keyomarsi¡¯s team analyzed data from patients with distinct clinical and pathologic features, evaluating the subcellular localization of cyclin E in breast cancer specimens from 2,494 patients from four different cohorts. Data was provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), MD Anderson, and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. Median follow-up times were eight, 13.5, and 5.7 years, respectively.
¡°Our results showed that cytoplasmic cyclin E staining identified patients with the greatest risk of recurrence better than other prognostic factors," Keyomarsi said. ¡°Cytoplasmic cyclin E staining outperformed all other variables in predicting breast cancer recurrence.
¡°Our findings provide a rationale for investigating treatment strategies that could specifically target tumors with cyclin E.¡±