Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor gene expression is associated with survival in breast cancer: a comprehensive analysis of gene copy number, mRNA and protein expression

Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) plays a key role in the initiation and progression of breast cancer. However, its prognostic relevance to breast cancer patients has long been a matter of debate. In a series of 325 primary invasive breast cancer patients, we performed a comprehensive analysis of IGF1R at the levels of gene copy number, mRNA expression and protein expression. The relationship between the IGF1R status and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis was evaluated. IGF1R mRNA levels not only correlated with protein expression, but also significantly associated with several clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients. Patients with low nuclear grade, negative axillary lymph node, positive hormone receptor, negative HER2, negative Ki67 and luminal subtype tumors showed higher level expression of IGF1R mRNA, which was shown to be a significant univariate parameter for both relapse free survival (RFS) and breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) as well as significant multivariate parameter for BCSS. IGF1R protein expression showed an association with a prolonged BCSS in univariate analysis. By contrast, IGF1R gene copy number did not correlated with mRNA and protein expression, and harbored no prognostic value. When studied in breast tumor subtype groups relatively, IGF1R mRNA level was still significantly associated with a better BCSS. Overall, our data indicated a correlation among IGF1R mRNA expression and protein expression in primary breast cancer. In particular, the IGF1R mRNA expression appeared to be a good prognostic marker either in the entire cohort or in the luminal subtype group. These data may serve as background information for IGF1R-targeted therapy