The Prognostic Values of Androgen Receptor in Breast Cancer

Lun Li; Shuyue Zheng; Ming Chen; Weiru Chi; Jingyan Xue; Jiong Wu

doi:10.5858/arpa.2021-0590-OA

The Prognostic Values of Androgen Receptor in Breast Cancer

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2023 Sep 1;147(9):1075-1085. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2021-0590-OA.

Authors

Lun Li^{1

2

3}, Shuyue Zheng^{1

2}, Ming Chen^{1

2}, Weiru Chi^{1

2}, Jingyan Xue^{1

2}, Jiong Wu^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ From the Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (Li, Zheng, Chen, Chi, Xue, Wu).
² The Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (Li, Zheng, Chen, Chi, Xue, Wu).
³ The Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (Li).
⁴ The Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Shanghai, China (Wu).

PMID: 36508355
DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2021-0590-OA

Abstract

Context.—: Whether androgen receptor (AR) expression can predict prognosis in breast cancer is under debate.

Objective.—: To analyze, retrospectively, the prognostic and treatment-predictive ability of AR status in breast cancer.

Design.—: A total of 5765 patients diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer without distant metastasis in the adjuvant setting were analyzed. The propensity score-matching method was used to develop a new cohort of 3978 patients (1989 patients each) in which important prognostic factors were balanced.

Results.—: Positive AR expression is an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival. Estrogen receptor (ER)+ and progesterone receptor (PR)+ AR+ breast cancer patients had the longest survival, whereas ER-PR-AR- breast cancer patients had the shortest survival. The ER/PR/AR combinations could not predict the treatment effects for adjuvant trastuzumab but could be used for adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy selection. The worst survival was found in ER+PR-AR- patients receiving toremifene, ER+PR-AR+ patients receiving exemestane, ER+PR+AR- patients receiving anthracycline, and ER-PR-AR+ patients receiving taxanes. ER+PR-AR-, ER-PR-AR+, and ER-PR-AR- patients were associated with the worst survival among those who received radiotherapy and anthracycline plus taxanes.

Conclusions.—: AR in combination with ER and PR could predict the prognosis and treatment effects of chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and radiotherapy in the adjuvant setting.

MeSH terms

Anthracyclines / therapeutic use
Breast Neoplasms* / metabolism
Female
Humans
Prognosis
Receptors, Androgen
Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
Retrospective Studies
Taxoids / therapeutic use

Substances

Receptors, Androgen
Receptors, Estrogen
Anthracyclines
Taxoids
Receptors, Progesterone