Expression of COX-2 in Carcinoma Breast
EC10-EC14
Correspondence
Dr. Padam Parmar,
Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences,
Rohtak-124514, Haryana, India.
E-mail: drpadamparmar@gmail.com
Introduction: Early detection of breast cancer with chemoprevention is needed to decrease cancer related mortality at an early stage. The role of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in carcinogenesis and tumour progression has been a subject of interest in breast cancer.
Aim: To study the spectrum of COX-2 expression in normal breast tissue, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer.
Materials and Methods: Fifty cases of primary breast cancer undergoing radical or modified radical mastectomy constituted the study group. Histopathological diagnosis was established on routine Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain and various histologic prognostic parameters were assessed. Immunohistochemical profile of the tumour was assessed by subjecting one section each from a representative block of tumour to ER, PR, HER2/neu and COX-2. Immunohistochemical Score (IHS) of COX-2 was calculated by combining an estimate of the percentage of immunoreactive cells (quantity score) with an estimate of the staining intensity (staining intensity score). The results obtained were interpreted and correlated statistically. When the data was qualitative, a chi-square test was used to assess the association. Correlation of COX-2 IHS with clinicopathological parameters and different areas was calculated by Spearman rank correlation (rs). The significance of correlation was evaluated by using critical values table for Spearman’s coefficient of correlation.
Results: COX-2 IHS was negative in (n=17, 34%) and moderately positive in (n=33, 66%) of the tumour cases examined. Among normal breast tissues, negative and moderate positivity was seen in (n=14, 28%) and (n=36, 72%) of the cases respectively. Amongst the 23 cases with DCIS component, (n=20, 86%) of the cases revealed moderately positive COX-2 IHS. COX-2 expression was correlated within normal breast tissue, DCIS component and invasive areas, as paired samples. Paired areas examined for COX-2 expression with group of normal-invasive, normal-DCIS and tumour-DCIS and all the three components together. Correlation of COX-2 expression among the paired areas examined was statistically significant.
Conclusion: Based on present results, COX-2 exerts autocrine and paracrine effects and is involved in early breast cancer carcinogenesis. Inhibition of COX-2 may represent a potential target for preventing breast cancer oncogenesis.