Affiliations: [a] Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Prihantono Prihantono, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia. E-mail: prihantono.md@gmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Cancer cells can defend themselves against apoptosis by activating NF-κB. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity has also been associated with chemotherapy resistance. OBJECTIVE:We aimed to investigate the relationship between NF-κB expression and intrinsic subtypes and anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy responses in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. METHODS:This prospective cohort study examined NF-κB expression and intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC). We conducted descriptive statistical analyses as well as survival analyses. RESULTS: The study sample was 63 patients, of which 21 cases (33.33%) were responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 42 cases (66.7%) were non-responsive. There is a significant relationship between negative ER, negative PR, grading, and high Ki67 expression with NF-κB overexpression (p < 0.05). No significant relationship was found between intrinsic subtypes and HER2 with NF-κB expression (p > 0.05). A significant relationship was found between NF-κB expression and responsive chemotherapy results (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION:In locally advanced breast cancer, there is a correlation between NF-B expression and response to anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients who express NF-KB have a better response to chemotherapy than those who overexpress NF-kB.
Keywords: NF-κB, breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, anthracyclines
DOI: 10.3233/BD-219007
Journal: Breast Disease, vol. 40, no. s1, pp. S45-S53, 2021
