IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STAINING OF PS2-PROTEIN IN FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATE FROM BREAST-CANCER IS AN ACCURATE GUIDE TO RESPONSE TO TAMOXIFEN IN PATIENTS AGED OVER 70 YEARS
Yg. Wilson et al., IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STAINING OF PS2-PROTEIN IN FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATE FROM BREAST-CANCER IS AN ACCURATE GUIDE TO RESPONSE TO TAMOXIFEN IN PATIENTS AGED OVER 70 YEARS, British Journal of Surgery, 81(8), 1994, pp. 1155-1158
Fine-needle aspirates from 52 breast cancers in 50 patients over 70 ye
ars of age were immunocytochemically stained for pS2 protein. All pati
ents were treated with tamoxifen 40 mg/day and followed up at interval
s of 2 months. The size of the tumour was serially assessed with calip
ers and portable ultrasonography. Change in tumour size was confirmed
mammographically. Clinical monitoring was performed blind of the pS2 s
tatus. Twenty-five tumours were pS2 positive; of which 23 showed a sig
nificant response; ten went into complete remission (mean time to comp
lete remission 6.8 (range 2-14) months) and 13 demonstrated partial re
mission (mean follow-up 8.9 (range 6-19) months). Two tumours remained
static. Twenty-seven tumours were pS2 negative and none of these resp
onded to tamoxifen; six remained static (mean follow-up 11.5 (range 6-
14) months) and 21 progressed (mean time to progression 7.0 (range 3-1
4) months) (P<0.001). Immunocytochemical assessment of fine-needle asp
irates from elderly women with breast cancer accurately predicts a wor
thwhile response to tamoxifen.