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Role of Caspase-8 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study in Central India

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Indian Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Caspase-8 is an initiator caspase, which regulates apoptosis and stimulates cell proliferation, malignant transformation and tumour progression. The CASP8 gene often disrupts the apoptotic mechanism and poses a risk of developing various types of cancer. The prognostic role of caspase-8 in breast cancer has been a subject of great interest and has not been validated yet. This pilot study was aimed to evaluate the expression of caspase-8 in breast cancer patients and its correlation with the disease outcome.

Design

In this study, 50 patients of breast cancer were enrolled. The immunohistochemical expression of Caspase-8, Estrogen Receptor (ER) and Progesterone Receptor (PR) and Her2/neu was studied and correlated with other prognostic factors.

Results

In case of weak/negative caspase-8 staining, 60% cases had 2 to 5 cm size followed by 36% which were > 5 cm in size. Out of 28 cases with moderate caspase-8 staining, 78.5% cases had tumour of 2 to5 cm in size and 21.4% had size > 5 cm size and out of 17 cases with strong caspase-8 staining, 58.8% had > 5 cm size, followed by 29.4% which had 2 to 5 cm and 11.7% with < 2 cm size. Both the cases (100%) with tumour size < 2 cm had strong caspase-8 staining (p = 0.05). There was no significant correlation between caspase-8 staining with histological grade, lymph node involvement, ER, PR and Her2/neu (p = 0.50, 0.50, 0.68, 0.55 and 0.26, respectively) staining. Except for lymph node involvement (p = 0.01), there was no significant caspase-8 staining correlation with survival, tumour size and histological tumour grade on follow-up (p = 0.42, 0.87 and 0.36, respectively).

Conclusion

Most of the breast cancers overexpress caspase-8. Survival of patients correlated only with lymph node involvement. It was better when there was weak or negative caspase-8 staining, though not statistically significant. Caspase-8 may have a potential for use in future as one of the prognostic biomarker if the larger study is able to establish the significance in breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

    Kailas Shrikrishna Kotalwar & Nitin M. Gangane

  2. Department of Pathology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

    Abhay Vilas Deshmukh

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  1. Kailas Shrikrishna Kotalwar
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  2. Abhay Vilas Deshmukh
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  3. Nitin M. Gangane
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Correspondence to Nitin M. Gangane.

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Kotalwar, K.S., Deshmukh, A.V. & Gangane, N.M. Role of Caspase-8 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study in Central India. Indian J Gynecol Oncolog 19, 74 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40944-021-00572-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40944-021-00572-2

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