Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is associated with survival in breast carcinoma

Adjuvant therapy is one of the major advances in the treatment of breast carcinoma patients – but do all patients need it? New predictive markers, which are able to save breast carcinoma patients from the most toxic adjuvant therapies, are still needed. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2) has been previously linked to invasiveness of carcinoma cells. In this study, we explored the role of MMP-2 as a prognostic factor in breast carcinoma in a large series to be able to show the favourable effect of MMP-2 negativity in poor prognosis subgroup of hormone receptor-negative patients. The MMP-2 immunoreactive protein was evaluated from primary adenocarcinoma of the breast in 453 cases by using a specific monoclonal antibody in immunohistochemical stainings. The MMP-2 protein found in breast carcinoma tumour cells was here shown to be associated with a shortened recurrence-free survival or relative overall survival (P=0.03). It was shown here that MMP-2 negativity is significantly linked to favourable prognosis in patients considered to be at risk due to their hormone receptor negativity. In the patient group presenting with a progesterone receptor-negative tumour, the survival rate of the MMP-2-positive cases was 58% while it was 95% in MMP-2-negative cases after 10 years of follow-up (P=0.005). The present data shows for the first time that MMP-2 negativity could serve as a marker for favourable prognosis in breast carcinoma patients with a hormone receptor-negative tumour usually associated with high risk. MMP-2 is also shown to correlate to shortened survival independent of major prognostic indicators in patients with primary breast carcinoma.