The expression of DCC protein in female breast cancer

• Published in: Breast cancer research and treatment Vol. 80; no. 2; pp. 215 - 220
• Main Authors: KOREN, Rumelia, DEKEL, Yoram, SHERMAN, Evgeny, WEISSMAN, Yona, DREZNIK, Zeev, KLEIN, Baruch, GAL, Rivka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-07-2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Breast - metabolism; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Cancer research; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - pathology; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - surgery; Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; DCC Receptor; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Proteins; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - metabolism; Tumors; Human; Carcinoma; Prognosis; DCC; Biological marker; breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Gene expression; Mammary gland diseases; chromosome 18q21; Female; Mammary gland; Predictive factor; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0167-6806; 1573-7217
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1024581508474

The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene has been shown to be frequently deleted or its expression reduced or absent in glioblastomas, colorectal, gastro-intestinal, pancreatic and prostatic tumors. In the present study, we investigated the expression of DCC in surgical specimen from 75 patients with primary breast cancer.
The expression of the DCC, estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR) was studied in 75 surgical specimens of primary breast cancer using an immunohistochemical method. To evaluate the outcomes of the breast cancer patients, we followed up the patients during minimum of 10 years.
Reduced or loss of expression of DCC was identified in 45 out of 75 samples. There were significant differences between cases without metastasis or local recurrences versus these with metastasis or local recurrences (p = 0.006), and between patients alive with no evidence of malignancy versus those with recurrence or dead of disease (p = 0.005). There were no significant differences between the DCC status and age, sex, tumor location, stage, grade, or proportion of patients who received adjuvant therapy.
These findings suggest that a decrease in DCC expression may influence the prognosis of breast carcinoma patients.