Changes of expression of estrogen and progestrone receptors, human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 and Ki-67 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that the development and prognosis of breast cancer is in close correlation to molecular subtype of breast cancer. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been extensively applied in the treatment of local breast cancer in advanced stage. In order to verify the correlation between expression changes of estrogen receptor, progestrone receptor, human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 and Ki-67 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we studied 120 patients with stage IIAIIIC breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy in Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Shandong, China from February 2011 to February 2015. Clinical characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. The expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 and Ki-67 of patients were detected using the immunohistochemical method before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The results suggest that the overall remission rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 76.7% (92/120) of which 16.7% (20/120) of cases had complete remission, 60% (72/120) had partial remission and 23.3% (28/120) were stable. There were no cases of progressive disease. The property of estrogen receptor and the expression of Ki-67 of primary tumor were correlated to the remission rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P less than 0.05). The expression of Ki-67 had a significant decline after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the difference had statistical significance (P less than 0.05). The difference in expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had statistical significance (P > 0.05). Hence, it can be concluded that breast cancer patients with negative estrogen receptor expression and high Ki-67 expression before neoadjuvant chemotherapy can achieve better curative effects. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy cannot change the expression states of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epithelial growth factor receptor 2, but it can lower the expression level of Ki-67. Ki-67 can also be used for predicting the curative effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.