Faglig rapport 2005 - Helse Vest

Forskningsprosjekt 911108:Specific chromosomal aberrations as prognosticators in lymphnodenegative breast cancerProsjektansvarlig: Jan P. A. Baak (jpabaak@yahoo.com), Helse Stavanger HFMolecular markers and proliferation in breastcancer outcome predictionGrowth speed is the strongest prognostic factor of outcome in node-negative youngbreast cancer patients. When treated with chemotherapy after the operation survival isexcellent when proliferation is low, while patients with combined high proliferation and afibrotic focus (a hypoxia marker) have a very poor outcome in spite of chemotherapy.Invasive breast cancer (IBC) occurs frequently and many patients die. Adjuvant systemicchemotherapy=ASCT (cytostatic drugs after the operation in patients without overt distantmetastases) improves survival but may have serious side effects. Using current Norwegian BreastCancer Group (NBCG) guidelines 90% of all young node-negative IBCs receive ASCT but only 20-25%needs it. This must be improved. Growth speed is a strong prognosticator and an importanttherapeutic target. The strongest, simplest, well reproducible proliferation prognosticator is the mitoticactivity index=MAI. MAI