• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3757-3761
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the CD56+NK-TIL count in infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast. Material and Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed using antibodies specific for CD56 on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 175 infiltrating ductal carcinomas (IDC) of breast. Distribution of intratumoral and stromal CD56+NK-TILs was assessed semi-quantitatively. Results: A low intratumoral CD56+count showed significant and inverse associations with tumor grade, stage, and lymph node status, whereas it had significant and direct association with response to treatment indicating good prognosis. These patients had better survival (${\chi}^2$=4.80, p<0.05) and 0.52 fold lower death rate (HR=0.52, 95% CI=0.28-0.93) as compared to patients with high CD56+ intratumoral count. The association of survival was insignificant with low CD56 stromal count as compared to high CD56 stromal count (${\chi}^2$=1.60, p>0.05). Conclusion: To conclude, although NK-TIL count appeared as a significant predictor of prognosis, it alone may not be sufficient for predicting the outcome considering the fact that there exists a crosstalk between NK-TILs and the other immune infiltrating TILs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6221-6225
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• 2013

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare type of breast carcinoma, characterized by various combinations of mesenchymal, adenocarcinoma and other epithelial components. MBC often manifests as a large mass, with low axillary lymph node involvement and poor prognosis. Knowledge and treatment patterns about MBC demographics, presentation and tumor characteristics are very limited. In clinical practice, MBC is usually treated based on the guidelines developed for infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). The ideal treatment paradigm for MBC is unknown due to its low incidence and pathological variability, so potential predictors of treatment efficacy need to be explored. This review summarizes the current models and strategies for MBC according to the published literature.