Gene expression patterns in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded core biopsies predict docetaxel chemosensitivity in breast cancer patients

• Published in: Breast cancer research and treatment 2008-03, Vol.108 (2), p.233-240
• Main Authors: Chang, Jenny C., Makris, Andreas, Gutierrez, M. Carolina, Hilsenbeck, Susan G., Hackett, James R., Jeong, Jennie, Liu, Mei-Lan, Baker, Joffre, Clark-Langone, Kim, Baehner, Frederick L., Sexton, Krsytal, Mohsin, Syed, Gray, Tara, Alvarez, Laura, Chamness, Gary C., Osborne, C. Kent, Shak, Steven
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cancer research; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Clinical outcomes; Clinical Trial; Clinical trials; Female; Fixatives; Formaldehyde; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Testing; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Mammary gland diseases; Medical prognosis; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Oncology; Paraffin Embedding; Patient Selection; Predictive Value of Tests; Receptor, ErbB-2 - analysis; Receptor, ErbB-2 - genetics; Receptors, Estrogen - analysis; Receptors, Estrogen - genetics; Receptors, Progesterone - analysis; Receptors, Progesterone - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Taxoids - therapeutic use; Tissue Fixation - methods; Treatment Outcome; Tumors; United Kingdom; United States
• ISSN: 0167-6806; 1573-7217
• DOI: 10.1007/s10549-007-9590-z

Previously, we had identified gene expression patterns that predicted response to neoadjuvant docetaxel. Other studies have validated that a high Recurrence Score (RS) by the 21-gene RT-PCR assay is predictive of worse prognosis but better response to chemotherapy. We investigated whether tumor expression of these 21 genes and other candidate genes can predict response to docetaxel. Core biopsies from 97 patients were obtained before treatment with neoadjuvant docetaxel (4 cycles, 100 mg/m 2  q3 weeks). Three 10-μm FFPE sections were submitted for quantitative RT-PCR assays of 192 genes that were selected from our previous work and the literature. Of the 97 patients, 81 (84%) had sufficient invasive cancer, 80 (82%) had sufficient RNA for QRTPCR assay, and 72 (74%) had clinical response data. Mean age was 48.5 years, and the median tumor size was 6 cm. Clinical complete responses (CR) were observed in 12 (17%), partial responses in 41 (57%), stable disease in 17 (24%), and progressive disease in 2 patients (3%). A significant relationship ( P