Prognostic and Predictive Effects of Tumor and Plasma miR-200c-3p in Locally Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The miR200 family is involved in breast cancer progression. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive and prognostic role of miR-200c-3p, both in plasma and in tumor, in women with locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. Our results show that plasma levels of miR-200c-3p are higher in these patients and might be used as a breast cancer marker. In patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, miR-200c-3p expression may also improve prognostic stratification beyond pathologic response and clinical stage. ABSTRACT: While the role of miR-200c in cancer progression has been established, its expression and prognostic role in breast cancer is not completely understood. The predictive role of miR-200c in response to chemotherapy has also been suggested by some studies, but only limited clinical evidence is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate miR-200c-3p in the plasma and primary tumor of BC patients. The study design included two cohorts involving women with locally advanced (LABC) and metastatic breast cancer. Tumor and plasma samples were obtained before and after treatment. We found that miR-200c-3p was significantly higher in the plasma of BC patients compared with the controls. No correlation of age with plasma miR-200c-3p was found for controls or for BC patients. MiR-200c-3p tumor expression was also associated with poor overall survival in LABC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, independently of pathological complete response or clinical stage. Our findings suggest that plasmatic miR-200c-3p levels could be useful for BC staging, while the tumor expression of miR-200c-3p might provide further prognostic information beyond residual disease in BC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.