Influence of Androgen Receptor Expression on the Survival Outcomes in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

• Published in: Journal of breast cancer Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 134 - 142
• Main Authors: Kim, Yoonseok, Jae, Eunae, Yoon, Myunghee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Breast Cancer Society 01-06-2015; 한국유방암학회
• Subjects: Original; 일반외과학; Breast neoplasms; Androgen receptors; Mortality; Disease-free survival
• ISSN: 1738-6756; 2092-9900
• DOI: 10.4048/jbc.2015.18.2.134

Despite the fact that the androgen receptor (AR) is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, its prognostic effect remains controversial. In this meta-analysis, we explored AR expression and its impact on survival outcomes in breast cancer.
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Ovid databases and references of articles to identify studies reporting data until December 2013. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by extracting the number of patients with recurrence and survival according to AR expression.
There were 16 articles that met the criteria for inclusion in our meta-analysis. DFS and OS were significantly longer in patients with AR expression compared with patients without AR expression (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.90; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.38-0.73, respectively). In addition, hormone receptor (HR) positive patients had a longer DFS when AR was also expressed (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41-0.98). For patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), AR expression was also associated with longer DFS and OS (OR, 0.44, 95% CI, 0.26-0.75; OR, 0.26, 95% CI, 0.12-0.55, respectively). Furthermore, AR expression was associated with a longer DFS and OS in women (OR, 0.42, 95% CI, 0.27-0.64; OR, 0.47, 95% CI, 0.38-0.59, respectively). However, in men, AR expression was associated with a worse DFS (OR, 6.00; 95% CI, 1.46-24.73).
Expression of AR in breast cancer might be associated with better survival outcomes, especially in patients with HR-positive tumors and TNBC, and women. Based on this meta-analysis, we propose that AR expression might be related to prognostic features and contribute to clinical outcomes.