THE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH-FACTOR-I IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS - RESULTS OF A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY ON 126 PATIENTS

The insulin-like growth factor-I is an important mitogen and has a growth promoting property, especially in breast cancer. This work analyses the prognostic value of the insulin-like growth factor receptor-I (IGFR-I), which belongs to the group of membrane receptors for growth factors. The study included 126 patients. 49 patients (39%) were IGFR positive (greater than or equal to 4.0%). There was a significant correlation between IGFR and oestrogen receptor (ER) status (P = 0.001), but not between IGFR and progesterone receptor status (PR; P = 0.07). There was no correlation between node status and IGFR. The expression of IGFR had a strong significance in the disease-free analysis (P = 0.0108). The IGFR status was not of predictive value in the node-negative subgroup (64 patients). Within the PR-negative group, the disease-free analysis further stratified with IGFR revealed that patients with IGFR-positive and PR-negative cancers are in a worse situation than IGFR-negative PR-negative cancer patients (P = 0.01).