Results from UPTIDER

In this poster, Dr Karen Van Baelen, a Researcher PhD student at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, presented results from the post-mortem tissue donation program UPTIDER on the metastatic spread in patients with lobular breast cancer.  

This poster conducted examinations through autopsies on six patients, revealing valuable insights into various aspects of the disease.

One significant revelation involved the identification of previously unseen metastases, constituting approximately one-fourth of the observed metastatic lesions. Despite the macroscopic normalcy of the organ, microscopic examination exposed complete infiltration by lobular breast cancer cells. The examination of histopathological features facilitated a correlation between primary and metastatic lesions.

Consistent analysis of E-cadherin expression indicated its absence or aberration in all lesions, reinforcing the classification of lobular breast cancer. Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes analysis revealed a relatively low presence in the metastatic lesions. Remarkably, the ER status was found to be maintained in a significant proportion of metastases, even in cases where endocrine treatment was no longer effective. In contrast, PR status exhibited variation, with only 42% of metastases retaining the same PR status as the primary tumour.

These findings underscore the importance of the UPTIDER program and its lobular breast cancer sub-study, highlighting often overlooked aspects of metastases. Clinicians are urged to consider potential disease progression even in the absence of apparent imaging abnormalities. The correlation between primary and metastatic samples offers valuable insights, particularly regarding the persistence of ER status.

Reference:

Van Baelen K. et al., Underestimation of metastatic spread in patients with lobular breast cancer: results from the post-mortem tissue donation program UPTIDER – SABCS 2023, #P01-06-06