Androgen Receptor Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15 to 20% ofall breast cancers. These patients do not benefit from hormone therapy and othertargeted treatments of breast cancer. Recently, researchers proposed the use ofandrogen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies in this subset of patients. The rate of ARexpression in TNBC patients varies from 0 to 53%. AR positivity is associated witha better outcome for breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluateAR status in TNBC patients and its association with other demographic andpathologic features. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Cancer Institute ofIran, affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, in 2015. Archivedformalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumor blocks were evaluated todetermine the AR status of the tumors. Demographic and pathologic characteristicsof the patients were retrieved from the department of pathology database. Data wereanalyzed with SPSS 18.0. Results: Seventy-seven TNBC patients with the mean age of 45.3 ± 11.5 wereassessed. Twenty-six patients (34%) showed AR expression, and 51 patients (56%)did not have AR expression. There was no significant correlation between AR statusand age, tumor size, histopathologic type of tumor, or lymph node involvement.However, AR positivity had a statistically significant association with a lower tumorgrade and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.029 and P = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: TNBC patients with AR expression tend to have lower tumorgrades and higher rates of lymphovascular invasion.

Androgen Receptor Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Keywords:

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) , androgen receptor (AR) , histopathological features