INHIBITION OF APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN BREAST-CANCER AS RELATED TO PROGNOSIS

Breast tumorigenesis proceeds through an accumulation of specific gene tic alterations. Breast malignant transformation is dependent on not o nly the rate of cell production but also on apoptosis, a genetically p rogrammed process of autonomous cell death. It may also be important i n the overall growth dynamics of neoplastic cells, both in the natural history and when they are exposed to chemotherapy or radiation. This study evaluated the biological and clinical implications of spontaneou s apoptosis in human breast cancer. Apoptosis was measured in 8 normal breast tissues and 91 human breast cancer samples by Apoptag end labe ling method. We found there was a significant inhibition of spontaneou s apoptosis in breast cancer cells compared with normal breast epithel ium. In 91 breast cancer samples, apoptotic index (AI) was strongly as sociated with lymph node metastasis; Low apoptosis of tumor cells was more frequent in poorly differentiated tumors and has a poor outcome.