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Redefining prognostic factors for breast cancer: YB-1 is a stronger predictor of relapse and disease-specific survival than estrogen receptor or HER-2 across all tumor subtypes

Golareh Habibi1 email, Samuel Leung2 email, Jennifer H Law1 email, Karen Gelmon3 email, Hamid Masoudi4 email, Dmitry Turbin2 email, Michael Pollak5 email, Torsten O Nielsen2 email, David Huntsman2,4 email and Sandra E Dunn1 email

Laboratory for Oncogenomic Research, Departments of Pediatrics and Experimental Medicine, Child and Family Research Institute, W. 28th Avenue, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada

Genetic Pathology Evaluation Center, Jack Bell Research Center, Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada

Division of Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3 Canada

Department of Pathology and Laboratory, West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada

Division of Medical Oncology, Jewish General Hospital – Lady Davis Institute, Côte Ste Catherine Road, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2, Canada

author email corresponding author email

Breast Cancer Research 2008, 10:R86doi:10.1186/bcr2156

Published: 16 October 2008

Additional files

Additional file 1:

This file shows that YB-1 is strongly associated with poor survival in node-positive and node-negative breast cancers. In node-negative tumors YB-1 was expressed in 33% (572/1,730) of the cases, in which it was strongly associated with reduced BCSS. Similarly, it was expressed in 37% (506/1356) of node-positive breast cancer cases. In these cases YB-1 was also positively associated with reduced BCSS.

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Additional file 2:

This file shows correlations between YB-1 and clinicopathological features of breast cancer. Patients who had tumors expressing YB-1 were younger and tended to have tumors that lacked the ER. There was a positive correlation with increasing tumor grade. Often, tumors that exhibited amplifications in HER-2 also expressed high levels of YB-1. Conversely, YB-1 was not associated with nodal status and weakly related to tumor size.

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Additional file 3:

This file shows that YB-1 is significantly associated with relapse, independent of the type of breast cancer. The expression of YB-1 was associated with shorter RFS (HR = 1.284; P = 0.008), independent of breast cancer subtype defined by hormone receptor and HER-2 status, based on a Cox regression analysis.

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Additional file 4:

This file shows that the prognostic significance of YB-1 is associated with reduced BCSS (HR = 1.46, P = 6.74 × 10-7), independent of tumor subtype.

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Additional file 5:

This file shows a Cox regression model for patients who were treated with surgical resection and no chemotherapy. Nodal status, tumor size, and YB-1 expression were associated with reduced BCSS. YB-1 was better than HER-2 or ER for predicting BCSS.

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Additional file 6:

This file shows a Cox regression analysis for ER-positive patients treated with tamoxifen for 5 years. YB-1 was independently associated with an increased risk for reduced BCSS (HR = 1.703, P = 0.022). YB-1 complemented the significance found in node status, tumor size (greater than 2 cm only), and grade. Patient age, small tumors (<2 cm), and HER-2 expression were not independently associated with reduced BCSS.

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