Breast cancer molecular subtypes and receptor status among women at Potchefstroom Hospital: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: this study aimed to determine the prevalence of receptor status and molecular subtypes in women with breast cancer treated at Potchefstroom Regional Hospital, South Africa and to analyze the association of molecular subtypes with some clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor. METHODS: the study population for this cross-sectional study consisted of 116 women with primary invasive breast cancer, treated at the hospital from 1(st) January 2012 to 31(st) December 2018. Molecular subtypes were classified by immunohistochemical surrogates as luminal A (estrogen receptor (ER) positive and/or progesterone receptor (PR) positive, HER2-; Ki-67 <30%), luminal B HER2- (ER+ and/or PR+, HER2-; Ki-67 ≥30%), luminal B HER2+ (ER+ and/or PR+, HER2+; any Ki-67), HER2 enriched (ER- and PR-, HER2+; any Ki-67), or triple-negative (ER-, PR-, HER2-, any Ki-67). RESULTS: the proportions of breast cancer receptor status of ER+, PR+ and HER2-, were 71.6%, 64.7% and 75.9%, respectively. The molecular subtypes of 29.3% of patients were luminal A-type, 24.1% were luminal B HER2-, 22.4% were triple-negative, 18.1% were luminal B HER2+ and 6% were HER2-enriched. Molecular subtypes were significantly associated with tumor grade (p <0.001; Cramér's V=0.337), but independent of age (p=0.847), menopausal status (p=0.690), histology type (p=0.316), cancer stage (p=0.819), lymph node status (p=0.362), or tumor size (p=0.255). CONCLUSION: the study has revealed that most of the breast cancer in our setting was receptor-positive; approximately one-quarter were triple-negative. Furthermore, the study showed that luminal type A and B are the preponderant molecular subtypes. Molecular subtypes were associated with tumor grade but independent of age and menopausal status. The current study may assist in guiding the therapeutic strategy for patients with breast cancer in the Potchefstroom hospital catchment area.