EXPRESSION OF TENASCIN IN INVASION BORDER OF EARLY BREAST-CANCER CORRELATES WITH HIGHER RISK OF DISTANT METASTASIS

Tenascin (Tn) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein transiently expr essed in epithelial-mesenchymal interaction areas during embryogenesis . Tn is expressed in a limited manner in adult tissues but emerges dur ing wound healing and tumorigenesis. We have studied Tn expression by immunohistochemistry in 137 small node-negative breast cancers treated with breast-conserving surgery and post-operative radiotherapy during 1985-1989. None of the patients had undergone any adjuvant hormonal t herapy or chemotherapy. Stromal Tn expression itself could not predict distant metastasis. However, Tn staining in the area of the invasion border seemed to be a strong predictor of distant metastasis, with an estimated 5-year metastasis-free survival (MFS) of 85% in Tn-positive cases compared to 98% in Tn-negative ones. The prognostic impact of Tn in the invasion border on MFS was stronger than that of tumour size a nd grade. This staining appears to be a useful adjunct for the estimat ion of breast-cancer metastasis. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.