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. 1997;75(1):28–33. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1997.5

Fibroblast growth factor 2 in breast cancer: occurrence and prognostic significance.

C Yiangou 1, J J Gomm 1, R C Coope 1, M Law 1, Y A Luqmani 1, S Shousha 1, R C Coombes 1, C L Johnston 1
PMCID: PMC2222685  PMID: 9000594

Abstract

This paper examines the expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in the malignant human breast. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to assess the level of expression of FGF-2 in a series of 51 patients clinically followed up for a median of 84 months (Luqmani et al, 1992). Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to show that the level of FGF-2 in breast tissues correlated with the amount of FGF-2 mRNA. FGF-2 was present in both malignant and non-malignant breast, although less was expressed in malignant tissues as determined by all three methods. Immunohistochemistry on frozen sections of breast tissue showed expression of FGF-2 in myoepithelial and epithelial cells in non-malignant samples and generally lower or undetectable levels of staining in malignant epithelial cells. The results obtained by immunohistochemistry correlated well with RT-PCR data showing similar levels of FGF-2 and FGF-2 mRNA expression in samples. No correlation was found between FGF-2 mRNA expression and T stage, nodal status or oestrogen receptor status. However, Kaplan-Meier survival plots show that higher levels of FGF-2 are associated with improved overall and disease-free survival. We suggest that FGF-2 expression may have value as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer.

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Selected References

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