Immunohistochemical cathepsin-d expression in breast carcinoma: Correlation with prognostic factors and survival Meme kanseri̇nde i̇mmünohi̇stoki̇myasal olarak cathepsi̇n-d ekspresyonu: Di̇ǧer prognosti̇k faktörlerle ve saǧkalimla i̇lişki̇si̇

Purpose: Breast cancer is an increasingly important cause of illness and death among women. In recent years, several prognostic determinents of breast cancer have been identified, including Cathepsin-D (CD). Material and methods: CD protein expression was analysed immunohistochemically in tumor specimens of 64 breast cancer patients. Results: CD expression was determined in 68.7% of the cases, and immunoreaction was strong in 45.3% of the cases. There was a significant correlation between stage (p=0.01) and c-erbB-2 immunorectivity (p=0.017). After a median follow up of 33 months, CD positivity showed significant correlation with disease free survival (p=0.011) but not with overall survival. Conclusions: CD expression is related to recurrence and metastatic potential of breast cancer. In addition, CD expression may be acquired in the preinvasive stage of the carcinoma, since there was CD immunoreactivity in adjacent in-situ ductal carcinoma areas of strongly immunoreactive invasive carcinomas