文摘
Summary
GATA3 is a transcription factor closely associated with estrogen receptor α in breast carcinoma, with a potential prognostic utility. This study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of GATA3 in estrogen receptor α–positive and estrogen receptor α–negative breast carcinomas. One hundred sixty-six cases of invasive breast carcinomas with 10-year follow-up information were analyzed. Positive GATA3 and estrogen receptor α cases were defined as greater than 20 % of cells staining. Time to cancer recurrence and time to death were analyzed with survival methods. Of 166 patients, 40 were estrogen receptor α negative and 121 estrogen receptor α positive. Thirty-eight (23 % ) recurrences and 51 (31 % ) deaths were observed. In final multivariable analyses, GATA3-positive tumors had about two thirds the recurrence risk of GATA3-negative tumors (hazard ratio = 0.65, P = .395) and comparable mortality risk (hazard ratio = 0.86, P = .730). In prespecified subgroup analyses, the protective effect of GATA3 expression was most pronounced among estrogen receptor α–positive patients who received tamoxifen (hazard ratio = 0.57 for recurrence and 0.68 for death). We found no statistically significant differences in recurrence or survival rates between GATA3-positive and GATA3-negative tumors. However, there was a suggestion of a modest-to-strong protective effect of GATA3 expression among estrogen receptor α–positive patients receiving hormone therapy.
