[159] GATA-3 Expression in Male and Female Breast Cancers: Comparison of Clinicopathologic Parameters and Outcome

Raul S Gonzalez, Jason Wang, Harold Sullivan, Amy Adams, Cynthia Cohen. Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Background: GATA-3 is a transcription factor that regulates lineage determination in breast epithelium. Its expression in female breast cancers has been linked to the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and in turn to improved outcomes. However, GATA-3 has not been studied in male breast cancers.
Design: Nineteen male breast carcinomas (average age: 63 years) and 164 female breast carcinomas (average age: 57 years) were immunostained for GATA-3. Results were compared to age, tumor size, nodal and distant metastases, and positivity for ER, progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2. Nuclear staining for GATA-3 in 10% of cells was considered positive. Follow-up was obtained.
Results: Male cancers expressed GATA-3 less often than female cancers (32% vs. 82%, p<0.001). Men with GATA-3-positive cancer were older than men with GATA-3-negative cancer (Table 1) and women with GATA-3-positive cancer (70 years vs. 57 years, p=0.005). Female grade 1 and 2 cancers were almost all GATA-3 positive, but only 52% of grade 3 cancers were positive (p<0.001); no such correlation was seen in men. Unlike female cancers, male cancers showed no correlation between GATA-3 positivity and ER positivity, PR positivity, or distant metastases. While rates of metastasis and ER/PR positivity were similar in male and female GATA-3-positive cancers, male GATA-3-positive cancers were more often HER2-positive (33% vs. 4%, p=0.029) and larger (2.9 cm vs. 1.6 cm, p=0.004). Seventeen (89%) men were alive at follow-up (average: 61 months); only one, a 58-year-old with GATA-3-negative cancer, died of disease.

Characteristics of GATA-3-positive vs. GATA-3-negative Cancers
 GATA-3+GATA-3-p-value
M, avg. age70 years60 years0.038
F, avg. age57 years58 years0.821
M, avg. size2.9 cm2.0 cm0.068
F, avg. size1.6 cm1.9 cm0.250
M, grade 1/2/350%/17%/33%9%/27%/64%0.182
F, grade 1/2/330%/52%/18%3%/21%/76%<0.001
M, node mets1/6 (17%)6/11 (55%)0.304
F, node mets20/129 (16%)8/28 (29%)0.160
M, distant mets0/5 (0%)5/11 (45%)0.119
F, distant mets2/133 (2%)5/21 (24%)0.001
M, ER+6/6 (100%)12/13 (92%)1.000
F, ER+125/134 (93%)2/29 (7%)<0.001
M, PR+4/6 (67%)9/13 (69%)1.000
F, PR+109/133 (82%)2/29 (7%)<0.001
M, HER2+2/6 (33%)5/13 (38%)1.000
F, HER2+5/135 (4%)1/29 (3%)1.000



Conclusions: GATA-3 is expressed less often in male than female breast cancers and is seen in older patients. Male cancers show no correlation between GATA-3 positivity and ER positivity, PR positivity, or distant metastases. There may be no link between GATA-3 positivity and survival in men, whereas in women, GATA-3-positive tumors are typically lower-grade with a reportedly better prognosis.
Category: Breast

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:30 AM

Poster Session V # 38, Wednesday Morning

 

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