EpCAM expression is an indicator of recurrence in basal-like breast cancer

Advances in the understanding of the molecular basis of breast cancer have necessitated a definition of more sensitive and specific indicators of prognosis that are central to the underlying cancer biology and that reflect the complicated and heterogeneous nature of the disease. This study investigates the expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) in breast cancer particularly basal-like phenotype group which remains unclear. EpCAM expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry in a large well-characterised series of breast carcinomas prepared as tissue microarrays. Relationships between EpCAM expression with molecular subtypes, clinicopathological variables and patients’ outcome were examined. EpCAM expression was associated with higher tumour grade ( P