Prognostic significance of UBE2C mRNA expression in high-risk early breast cancer. A Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) Study

Ann Oncol. 2012 Jun;23(6):1422-7. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdr527. Epub 2011 Nov 4.

Abstract

Background: The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis. Components of the UPS have recently been implicated in breast cancer progression. In the present study, we sought to explore the prognostic and/or predictive significance of UBE2C messenger RNA (mRNA) expression on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in high-risk operable breast cancer patients.

Methods: Five hundred and ninety-five high-risk breast cancer patients were treated in a two-arm trial evaluating postoperative, dose-dense sequential chemotherapy with epirubicin followed by CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) with or without paclitaxel (Taxol). RNA was extracted from 313 formalin-fixed primary tumor tissue samples followed by one-step quantitative RT-PCR for assessment of mRNA expression of UBE2C.

Results: High UBE2C mRNA expression was associated with poor DFS (Wald's P = 0.003) and OS (Wald's P = 0.005). High tumor grade, as well as high Ki67 protein expression, was more frequent in the high-expression group of UBE2C. Results of the Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that high UBE2C mRNA expression remained an independent adverse prognostic factor for relapse (P = 0.037) and death (P = 0.05).

Conclusions: High UBE2C mRNA expression was found to be of adverse prognostic significance in high-risk breast cancer patients. These findings need to be validated in larger cohorts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Methotrexate / administration & dosage
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Tumor Burden
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / genetics*
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / metabolism
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • UBE2C protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes
  • Paclitaxel
  • Fluorouracil
  • Methotrexate