Background/aim: Surgery, which remains a conventional treatment of breast tumors, may induce the secretion of growth factors that support angiogenesis and wound healing. These factors are suspected to trigger carcinoma cell division and promote tumor relapse. We addressed this question by culturing breast cancer cell lines in the presence of wound fluid harvested after surgery.
Materials and methods: Wound fluids were collected from patients who underwent either breast reconstruction, tumor resection, or tumor resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. MCF-7 (estrogen receptor (ER)+/progesterone receptor (PgR)+, HCC1937 (ER/PgR-, human epidermal growth factor receptor/neuralized (HER2/neu)-) and MCF-10A (used as a negative control) cell lines were grown in culture media supplemented with wound fluids.
Results: Wound fluids drained during the three categories of procedures significantly stimulated the proliferation of MCF-7 and HCC1937 cells in a similar manner.
Conclusion: This stimulatory effect on tumor cell proliferation could be attenuated by therapeutic targeting against growth factors and inflammation processes in order to avoid tumor relapse.
Keywords: Breast tumor; cell proliferation; drainage wound fluid; surgery.
Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.