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. 2012 Jun 26;107(1):71-4.
doi: 10.1038/bjc.2012.232. Epub 2012 May 29.

Chromosome instability and benefit from adjuvant anthracyclines in breast cancer

A F Munro  1 , C Twelves, J S Thomas, D A Cameron, J M S Bartlett
Affiliations

Chromosome instability and benefit from adjuvant anthracyclines in breast cancer

A F Munro et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Duplication of the centromeric region of chromosome 17 (Ch17CEP) is associated with sensitivity to anthracyclines. An explanation may be chromosome instability (CIN); a frequent event in solid tumours associated with poor outcome. The predictive value of CIN seems to be drug dependent and CIN has been associated with both sensitivity and resistance to chemotherapy.

Methods: In this study, we used fluorescent in situ hybridisation for chromosomes 1, 7, 11, 17 and 18 to identify patients with high tumour CIN% in 322 patients recruited into the BR9601 clinical trial.

Results: High tumour CIN% was correlated to Ch17CEP (P=3.68e-7) and is associated with a reduced RFS (P=0.0011) and OS (P=0.04). Patients with high CIN had a decreased risk of death on E-CMF compared with CMF.

Conclusion: CIN is of prognostic significance and may be of predictive value in determining anthracycline response, although further testing is required.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relapse-free and overall survival for high tumour CIN- (dashed lines) vs low tumour CIN- (solid lines)treated cases. (A) Relapse-free survival. (B) Overall survival.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overall survival for E-CMF- (solid lines) vs CMF- (dashed lines)treated cases. (A) Low tumour CIN% cases (see text). (B) High tumour CIN% cases (see text).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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