Absence of TGF-βRII predicts bone and lung metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis in stage III breast tumors

In the case of operated breast cancer (BC), prognostic markers help to determine if the patient needs additional treatment and predictive markers help the clinician to decide which treatment to use. Thus, a better knowledge of known predictive and prognostic markers and the identification of new markers, may improve the treatment of BC patients. The transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor (TGF-βRII), a main receptor of transforming growth factor beta pathway, is a potential new prognostic marker. The aims of the present study were to investigate both the predictive and prognostic impact of TGF-βRII in BC samples. TGF-βRII protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 110 TNM stage III BC samples obtained prior to doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Our results demonstrate that TGF-βRII did not predict the response to NAC. On the other hand, an association between TGF-βRII-negative tumor and higher risk of metastasis to lungs and bones was verified. TGF-βRII negativity was an independent prognostic factor for decreased disease-free and overall survival.