Cyclin E overexpression as an independent risk factor of visceral relapse in breast cancer

Aim: Prognostic value of the cyclin E overexpression in breast cancer has n ot been clearly established, especially in relation to the pattern of recur rence. We investigated the implication of cyclin E overexpression for the p attern of recurrence in Korean breast cancer patients. Methods: Using immunohistochemical methods, we retrospectively examined the cyclin E expression level in breast cancer specimens from 128 women who un derwent curative breast surgery, and correlated the levels of expression wi th the pattern of relapse in patients. Results: Cox model-based multivariate analysis indicated that distant relap se could be predicted by the number of positive axillary lymph nodes, high cyclin E expression, and the younger age (< 35 years) of the patient. We te sted further the association of cyclin E overexpression with the specific t ypes of recurrence; multivariate analyses indicated that adjusted relative risks of bone and visceral relapse as the first events among high cyclin E group were 2.46 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-7.02) (P = 0.092), and 3.98 (95% Cl, 1.23-12.94) (P = 0.022), respectively. On the other hand, cyc lin E overexpression was not associated with the risk of locoregional relap se. Conclusion: Our data suggest that cyclin E overexpression in primary breast carcinoma tissue could independently predict the risk of distant relapse, especially of visceral relapse, as the first failure after curative breast surgery. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.