Elevated Soluble Galectin-3 as a Marker of Chemotherapy Efficacy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract
Purpose. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a glycan-binding lectin with a debated role in cancer progression due to its various functions and patterns of expression. The current study investigates the relationship between breast cancer prognosis and secreted Gal-3. Methods. Breast cancer patients with first time cancer diagnosis and no prior treatment (n=88) were placed in either adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting based on their treatment modality. Stromal and plasma Gal-3 levels were measured in each patient at the time of diagnosis and then throughout treatment using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA, respectively. Healthy women (>18 years of age, n=63) were used to establish baseline levels of plasma Gal-3. Patients were followed for 84 months for disease-free survival analysis. Results. Enhanced levels of plasma (adjuvant) and stromal (neoadjuvant) Gal-3 were found to be markers of chemotherapy efficacy. The patients with chemotherapy-induced increase in extracellular Gal-3 had longer disease-free interval and significantly lower rate of recurrence during 84-month follow-up compared to patients with unchanged or decreased secretion. Conclusion. The findings support the use of plasma Gal-3 as a marker for chemotherapy efficacy when no residual tumor is visible through imaging. Furthermore, stromal levels in any remaining tumors postchemotherapy can also be used to predict long-term prognosis in patients.
Publication Title
International Journal of Breast Cancer
Volume
2020
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1155/2020/4824813
ISSN
20903170
E-ISSN
20903189
Citation Information
Arooj Shafiq, January Moore, Aliya Suleman, Sabeen Faiz, Omar Farooq, Adnan Arshad, Mohammad Tehseen, Ammarah Zafar, Syed Haider Ali, Nasir Ud Din, Asif Loya, Neelam Siddiqui, Fatima K. Rehman, "Elevated Soluble Galectin-3 as a Marker of Chemotherapy Efficacy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study", International Journal of Breast Cancer, vol. 2020, Article ID 4824813, 11 pages, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4824813