Original Article Racial differences in the expression of cell cycle-regulatory proteins in breast carcinoma Study of young African American and white women in Atlanta, Georgia Peggy L. Porter, M.D. 1 2 3 *§, Mary Jo Lund, M.S.P.H. 4, Ming Gang Lin, M.D. 1 2, Xiaopu Yuan, M.D. 1 2, Jonathan M. Liff, Ph.D. 4, Elaine W. Flagg, Ph.D. 5, Ralph J. Coates, Ph.D. 6, J. William Eley, M.D., M.P.H. 4 7 1Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 2Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 3Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 4Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 5Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 6Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 7Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia email: Peggy L. Porter (pporter@fhcrc.org) *Correspondence to Peggy L. Porter, Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109 This article is a U.S. Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, or the U.S. Government. §Fax: (206) 667-5815 Funded by: National Cancer Institute; Grant Number: RO1 CA64292, RO1 CA71735 Avon Foundation Abstract BACKGROUND African-American (AA) women are more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast carcinoma than are white women. After adjustment for disease stage, many studies indicate that tumors in AA women are more likely than tumors in white women are to exhibit a high level of cell proliferation and features of poor prognosis. The purpose of the current study was to compare tumor characteristics and cell cycle alterations in AA women and white women that might affect the aggressiveness of breast carcinoma. METHODS The study included 124 AA and 397 white women, ages 20-54 years. These women were enrolled in a case-control study in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1990 and 1992. Breast tumor specimens obtained from these women were centrally reviewed for histologic characteristics and evaluated for expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR), c-ErbB-2, Ki-67, p53, cyclin E, cyclin D1, p27, p16, pRb, and p21 by immunohistochemistry. Logistic regression models were used to assess the age- and stage-adjusted associations of various tumor characteristics with race. RESULTS The odds of a breast carcinoma diagnosis at a younger age and at a later stage were higher for AA women than for white women. After adjustment for disease stage and age at diagnosis, AA women also were found to have increased odds of having a higher-grade tumor, a higher mitotic index, marked tumor necrosis, ductal histology, loss of ER and PR, overexpression of cyclin E, p16, and p53 and low expression of cyclin D1 at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS The observed differences between tumor specimens obtained from AA women and tumor specimens obtained from white women, independent of stage and age at diagnosis, indicated that race may be a determinant, or a surrogate for other determinants, of aggressive breast carcinoma and specific cell cycle defects. Cancer Volume 100, Issue 12 , Pages 2533 - 2542 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.