This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baker, J. C. Articles by Seewaldt, V. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baker, J. C., Jr. Articles by Seewaldt, V. L. Related Collections Clinical Intervention Clinical Intervention:Molecular Targeted Drugs Clinical Intervention: Biomarkers

ESR1 Promoter Hypermethylation Does Not Predict Atypia in RPFNA nor Persistent Atypia after 12 Months Tamoxifen Chemoprevention

¹ Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina and ² Yale-New Haven Medical Center, New Haven, Connecticut

Requests for reprints: Victoria L. Seewaldt, Box 2628, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710. Phone: 919-668-2455; Fax: 919-668-2458. E-mail: seewa001{at}mc.duke.edu

Purpose: Currently, we lack biomarkers to predict whether high-risk women with mammary atypia will respond to tamoxifen chemoprevention.

Experimental Design: Thirty-four women with cytologic mammary atypia from the Duke University High-Risk clinic were offered tamoxifen chemoprevention. We tested whether ESR1 promoter hypermethylation and/or estrogen receptor (ER) protein expression by immunohistochemistry predicted persistent atypia in 18 women who were treated with tamoxifen for 12 months and in 16 untreated controls.

Results: We observed a statistically significant decrease in the Masood score of women on tamoxifen chemoprevention for 12 months compared with control women. This was a significant interaction effect of time (0, 6, and 12 months) and treatment group (tamoxifen versus control) P = 0.0007. However, neither ESR1 promoter hypermethylation nor low ER expression predicted persistent atypia in Random Periareolar Fine Needle Aspiration after 12 months tamoxifen prevention.

Conclusions: Results from this single institution pilot study provide evidence that, unlike for invasive breast cancer, ESR1 promoter hypermethylation and/or low ER expression is not a reliable marker of tamoxifen-resistant atypia. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(8):1884–90)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Ibarra-Drendall, L. G. Wilke, C. Zalles, V. Scott, L. E. Archer, S. Lem, L. D. Yee, J. Lester, S. Kulkarni, C. Murekeyisoni, et al. Reproducibility of Random Periareolar Fine Needle Aspiration in a Multi-Institutional Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Cross-Sectional Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2009; 18(5): 1379 - 1385. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. N. Vasilatos, G. Broadwater, W. T. Barry, J. C. Baker Jr., S. Lem, E. C. Dietze, G. R. Bean, A. D. Bryson, P. G. Pilie, V. Goldenberg, et al. CpG Island Tumor Suppressor Promoter Methylation in Non-BRCA-Associated Early Mammary Carcinogenesis Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., March 1, 2009; 18(3): 901 - 914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]