TROP-2 expression in triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 enriched breast cancers and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters.

Abstract

TROP-2 is a transmembrane calcium signaling molecule that is detected at a high rate (63%) in breast cancers. There are conflicting data on its relationship with subtypes, clinical, and pathological data in breast cancer. TROP-2 expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the H-score method was used to analyze the data. This evaluation was conducted on a total of 79 patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive (HER2-E) breast cancer. The study also investigated the relationship between TROP-2 expression levels and the clinical-pathological features observed in patients diagnosed with TNBC and HER2-E. A total of 62 TNBC (78.5%) and 17 HER2-E (21.5%) cases were analyzed in the study. The presence of high TROP-2 (H-score > 100) was detected in 87% of the TNBC group and 94% of the HER2-E group. Among the pathological parameters, only low H-score values were found to have a statistically significant correlation with mucinous morphology; however, no significant correlation was found with other pathological parameters, including CerbB2 expression status. No significant relationship was found between H-score and clinical parameters. Furthermore, TROP-2 expression in HER2-E cancers is notably elevated. Further studies with larger series are required to clarify expression rates in mucinous tumors.