Tumor-associated antigens in bilateral breast cancer

J Surg Oncol. 1987 May;35(1):24-9. doi: 10.1002/jso.2930350106.

Abstract

The purpose of our present study is to determine whether monoclonal antibodies can define an antigenic phenotype which expresses itself in a concordant fashion in synchronous bilateral breast cancer. The monoclonal antibodies DF.3 and B72.3 were reacted (ABC immunoperoxidase) with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of bilateral synchronous breast cancers from 19 patients. MAb DF.3 demonstrated a P less than .01 correlation of right-sided vs left-sided reactivity. This suggested that MAb DF.3 could be used as a biologic marker for synchronous bilateral breast cancer. We hypothesized that the majority of clinically asynchronous breast cancers are really biologically synchronous. We used the immunoperoxidase technique in a similar fashion on bilateral metachronous tumors in 17 patients. DF.3 antigen expression correlated (right to left side) at P less than .01 value. This data, supported by previous information, suggests that the term "metachronous" breast cancer is a clinically arbitrary definition but that biologically most "metachronous" cancers may well be synchronous.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal*
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Epitopes / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / immunology*
  • Phenotype

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Epitopes