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The effect of raloxifene on Bax protein expression in breast carcinomas of postmenopausal women
Author(s) -
Vitor LopesCosta Pedro,
Ribeiro dos Santos Alesse,
Borges da Silva Benedito
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/dc.21580
Subject(s) - raloxifene , medicine , immunohistochemistry , estrogen receptor , breast cancer , mcnemar's test , bax protein , oncology , estrogen , carcinoma , biopsy , protein expression , pathology , cancer , biochemistry , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , gene
The actual role of Bax protein as a prognostic biomarker that predicts response to therapy remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of raloxifene on Bax protein expression in breast carcinomas of postmenopausal women. Twenty postmenopausal patients with operable stage II, estrogen receptor‐positive, infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma were treated with oral raloxifene at a dose of 60 mg/day for a period of 28 days before definitive surgery. Tumor samples were obtained by incisional biopsy at the time of diagnosis and again at the time of definitive surgical treatment. Immunohistochemical evaluation of Bax expression was assessed semiquantitatively based on the fraction of stained tumor cells and intensity of staining. McNemar's test was used to analyze data ( P < 0.05). Eleven of the 20 (55%) patients were classified as positive for Bax expression before raloxifene treatment, whereas 9(45%) were classified as positive after raloxifene treatment ( P = 0.479). In conclusion, raloxifene did not alter Bax expression significantly in estrogen receptor‐positive breast carcinomas ofpostmenopausal women. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.