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Young investigator challenge: The utility of GATA3 immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of metastatic breast carcinomas in malignant effusions
Author(s) -
Lew Madelyn,
Pang Judy C.,
Jing Xin,
Fields Kristina L.,
Roh Michael H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
cancer cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.29
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1934-6638
pISSN - 1934-662X
DOI - 10.1002/cncy.21574
Subject(s) - medicine , immunohistochemistry , gata3 , oncology , pathology , breast cancer , metastatic breast cancer , cancer , biochemistry , transcription factor , gene , chemistry
BACKGROUND It is not uncommon to encounter challenges in the immunohistochemical confirmation of metastatic breast cancer given the limited sensitivities of mammaglobin and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP‐15/BRST‐2) and the significant proportion of triple‐negative breast carcinomas (ie, tumors that are negative for estrogen receptor [ER], and progesterone receptor [PgR], and human epidermal growth factor 2 [HER2]). GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) has emerged as a potentially useful immunohistochemical adjunct during the evaluation of metastatic breast carcinomas in cytology specimens. The objective of the current study was to examine GATA3 expression in the context of malignant effusions secondary to both mammary and extramammary malignancies. METHODS In total, 306 malignant effusions (from 62 metastatic breast carcinomas and 244 extramammary malignancies) were examined using GATA3 immunohistochemistry. Effusions with metastatic breast carcinoma were also examined using immunohistochemistry for additional breast markers (ER, PgR, HER2, mammaglobin, and GCDFP‐15/BRST‐2). RESULTS GATA3 immunohistochemistry highlighted the tumor cells in 58 of the 62 samples (93.5%) from patients with metastatic breast carcinoma, which was higher than the observed sensitivity of immunohistochemistry for ER (63.8%), PgR (41.4%), HER2 (15.5%), mammaglobin (22.4%), and GCDFP‐15/BRST‐2 (5.2%). GATA3 expression also was observed in a subset of malignant effusions secondary to extramammary primaries, specifically, in 28 of 244 specimens (11.5%). CONCLUSIONS GATA3 is a highly sensitive marker for the detection of metastatic breast carcinomas in effusion specimens. However, this marker is not entirely specific for malignancies of breast origin. Thus, GATA3 should be used in conjunction with additional immunohistochemical markers during the cytologic evaluation of malignant effusions. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2015;123:576‐81 . © 2015 American Cancer Society .