PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Burkhardt, M
AU  - Mayordomo, E
AU  - Winzer, K-J
AU  - Fritzsche, F
AU  - Gansukh, T
AU  - Pahl, S
AU  - Weichert, W
AU  - Denkert, C
AU  - Guski, H
AU  - Dietel, M
AU  - Kristiansen, G
TI  - Cytoplasmic overexpression of ALCAM is prognostic of disease progression in breast cancer
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.2005.028209
DP  - 2006 Apr 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 403--409
VI  - 59
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/59/4/403.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/59/4/403.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol2006 Apr 01; 59
AB  - Background: Activated leucocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM, CD166) is a cell surface member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. ALCAM expression has prognostic relevance in prostate and colon cancer. Objective: To evaluate ALCAM protein expression in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry and to correlate expression levels with clinicopathological data. Methods: 162 primary breast carcinomas with a mean clinical follow up time of 53 months were immunostained using a monoclonal ALCAM antibody. The staining was evaluated as an immunoreactive score (IRS) and grouped into low v high for both membranous and cytoplasmic staining. Results: Intraductal and invasive carcinomas showed a higher ALCAM expression (median IRS 4 and 6 respectively) than normal breast tissue (IRS 2). In univariate survival analyses a significant association of high cytoplasmic ALCAM expression with shortened patient disease-free survival (mean (SD) five year non-progression rate, 69.4 (4.6)% v 49.4 (11.1)%, p = 0.0142) was found. In multivariate analyses of disease-free survival times, high cytoplasmic ALCAM expression (relative risk (RR) = 2.086, p = 0.026) and nodal status (RR = 2.246, p = 0.035) were significantly associated with earlier disease progression, whereas tumour grading (RR = 1.6, p = 0.052) was of borderline significance. Conclusions: The data suggest that strong cytoplasmic ALCAM expression in primary breast cancer, as detected by immunohistochemistry, might be a new marker for a more aggressive breast cancer biology.