Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2009 Sep;20(9):1499-1504.
doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdp028. Epub 2009 Mar 18.

Does confirmatory tumor biopsy alter the management of breast cancer patients with distant metastases?

C Simmons  1 , N Miller  2 , W Geddie  2 , D Gianfelice  3 , M Oldfield  1 , G Dranitsaris  4 , M J Clemons  5
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Does confirmatory tumor biopsy alter the management of breast cancer patients with distant metastases?

C Simmons et al. Ann Oncol. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Decisions about systemic treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer are often based on estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and Her2 status of the primary tumor. This study prospectively investigated concordance in receptor status between primary tumor and distant metastases and assessed the impact of any discordance on patient management.

Materials and methods: Biopsies of suspected metastatic lesions were obtained from patients and analyzed for ER/PgR and Her2. Receptor status was compared for metastases and primary tumors. Questionnaires were completed by the oncologist before and after biopsy to determine whether the biopsy results changed the treatment plan.

Results: Forty women were enrolled; 35 of them underwent biopsy, yielding 29 samples sufficient for analysis; 3/29 biopsies (10%) showed benign disease. Changes in hormone receptor status were observed in 40% (P = 0.003) and in Her2 status in 8% of women. Biopsy results led to a change of management in 20% of patients (P = 0.002).

Conclusions: This prospective study demonstrates the presence of substantial discordance in receptor status between primary tumor and metastases, which led to altered management in 20% of cases. Tissue confirmation should be considered in patients with clinical or radiological suspicion of metastatic recurrence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(A) Organization chart of participants. (B) Organization chart of results.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(A) Percentage change in positivity of estrogen receptor (ER). (B) Percentage change in positivity of progesterone receptor (PgR).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Brennan MJ, Donegan WL, Appleby DE. The variability of estrogen receptors in metastatic breast cancer. Am J Surg. 1979;137:260–262. - PubMed
    1. Allegra JC, Barlock A, Huff KK, Lippman ME. Changes in multiple or sequential estrogen receptor determination in breast cancer. Cancer. 1980;45:792–794. - PubMed
    1. Holdaway IM, Bowditch JV. Variation in receptor status between primary and metastatic breast cancer. Cancer. 1983;52:479–485. - PubMed
    1. Hull DF, Clark GM, Osborne CK, et al. Multiple estrogen receptor assays in human breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1983;43:413–416. - PubMed
    1. Raemaekers JM, Beex LV, Koenders AJ, et al. Concordance and discordance of estrogen and progesterone receptor content in sequential biopsies of patients with advanced breast cancer: relation to survival. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1984;20:1011–1018. - PubMed

Publication types