Affiliations: [a] Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt | [b] Oncologic Pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ahmed Mubarak Hefni, Medical Oncology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, El-methak Street, Assiut, 71515, Egypt. Tel.: +20 1003314522; Fax: +20 88 2086622; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: CD133 is a transmembrane glycoprotein and is considered the most common cell surface marker to identify cancer stem cells in hematological and solid tumors, including breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of immunohistochemical expression of CD133 on response rate and survival in metastatic breast cancer, as well as to correlate it with various demographics and clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS: One-hundred metastatic breast cancer patients were prospectively recruited at the Medical Oncology Department at South Egypt Cancer Institute during the period from January 2018 to January 2020. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant correlation between CD133 positive patients with various adverse clinicopathological parameters such as high grade (p= 0.013), higher tumor (p= 0.001), and nodal staging (p= 0.024) during a median follow-up time of 17 months. In addition, cases with CD133 positive expression had a significantly lower survival time than those with negative expression (3-years OS 37.4% versus 85.5%, p= 0.024). Regarding the response rate, CD133 positive patients had a lower response rate than negative patients (50% versus 54%, p= 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Positive CD133 is correlated with poor prognosis in metastatic breast cancer patients.
Keywords: Metastatic breast cancer, CD133 expression, clinicopathological characteristics, survival and response rate, cancer stem cells
