KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to evaluate COX-2 overexpression as a prognostic marker in BC through comparison with histopathological parameters and TNM staging.
- Researchers found COX-2 overexpression linked to worse BC prognosis through TNM staging and histological grading.
Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide and is a well-known cause of cancer mortality in females. COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) plays a vital role in the development of some human cancers, including lung, colon, and BC.
As a potent enzyme, COX-2 is crucial for converting arachidonic acid into prostaglandins, which mediate cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, all of which contribute to carcinogenesis. Overexpression of COX-2 has been detected in various malignancies, including BC, and is considered a poor prognostic marker.
Jayashree Bhawani and the team aimed to assess the immunohistochemical expression of COX-2 in BC and compare it with established histopathological parameters and TNM staging to evaluate its prognostic value.
They performed an inclusive analysis in the Department of Pathology, JNMC, Wardha (Sawangi), involving radical mastectomy specimens from patients diagnosed with breast carcinoma. COX-2 expression was assessed through immunohistochemistry and quantified using an immunohistochemical score. The obtained COX-2 expression levels were then correlated with various histopathological parameters to determine their prognostic significance.
About the expected results, the study is anticipated to indicate an association between COX-2 expression and factors linked to poor prognosis in breast carcinoma. A positive correlation is expected between larger tumor size, positive lymph node status, higher T stage, and N stage, and lymphovascular invasion.
The study concluded that COX-2 overexpression is associated with poor prognostic factors in BC, as evidenced by its correlation with TNM staging, histological grading, and molecular types of the disease.
This study was funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi (grant ref: MD22JUN-0241).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39045041/
Bhawani J, Shukla S, Acharya S, et al. (2024). “To study the utility of COX-2 as immunohistochemical prognostic marker in comparison to various histopathological parameters and TNM staging in breast carcinoma: an observational, cross-sectional study protocol.” F1000Res. 2024 Jun 18;12:1057. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.138776.2. PMID: 39045041; PMCID: PMC11263903.
