Prognostic value of p53 expression in hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine whether the outcome to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can be predicted by analyzing p53 expression in hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 594 patients diagnosed with stage I–III HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, and treated with NAC at the Asan Medical Center between 2008 and 2014. Expression of p53 was assessed, and overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were investigated and compared between groups. Results At a median follow-up period of 69.8 months, OS and BCSS were higher in the p53-negative (p53(−)) group than in the p53-positive (p53(+)) group. Five-year OS was 95.4% in the p53(−) and 92.1% in the p53(+) group ( p = 0.005). BCSS was 96.2% in the p53(−) group and 93% in the p53(+) group ( p = 0.008). Conclusion High expression of immunohistochemically detected p53 was strongly and significantly associated with decreased OS and BCSS than low p53 expression, suggesting that p53 may be a powerful prognostic factor in HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients receiving NAC.