Turkish Journal of Pathology

Türk Patoloji Dergisi

Turkish Journal of Pathology

Turkish Journal of Pathology

2022, Vol 38, Num, 2     (Pages: 114-121)

GLUT-1 Expression in Breast Cancer

Oguzhan OKCU 1, Bayram SEN 2, Cigdem OZTURK 1, Gulname FINDIK GUVENDI 1, Recep BEDIR 1

1 Department of Pathology, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Training and Research Hospital, RIZE, TURKEY
2 Department of Biochemistry, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Training and Research Hospital, RIZE, TURKEY

DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2021.01557
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Objective: Numerous studies have been conducted to predict the prognosis of breast cancers. The effect of glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT-1), the main carrier protein responsible for glucose transport, was investigated in breast cancer patients.

Material and Method: 170 patients operated for breast carcinoma were included in this study. We analysed the prognostic significance of GLUT-1 immune-expression in 149 patients without neoadjuvant therapy, and in 21 patients with neoadjuvant therapy.

Results: GLUT-1 expression was correlated with poor prognostic factors such as estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor negativity, high Ki-67 proliferation index, and high histological and nuclear grade (p<0.001). GLUT-1 was expressed at a statistically higher rate in invasive ductal carcinomas, compared to invasive lobular carcinomas (p <0.001), and was expressed at a higher rate in luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and triple-negative molecular subtypes compared to luminal A subtype tumors (p <0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between GLUT-1 expression and presence of neoadjuvant therapy. Univariate survival analysis showed high GLUT1 expression was associated with low disease-free survival.

Conclusion: GLUT-1 expression was found to be associated with poor pathological prognostic factors in breast carcinoma patients. The results suggest that GLUT-1 expression can be considered as a prognostic marker in breast cancers, and it may be used as a target molecule in personalized treatment approaches.

Keywords : Breast cancer, Immunohistochemistry, GLUT-1