Prognostication of a 13-immune-related-gene signature in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer

We investigated the expression profiles of immune genes in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to identify the prognostic value of immune genes and their clinical implications. NanoString nCounter Analysis of 770 immune-related genes was used to measure immune gene expression in patients with TNBC who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy at Samsung Medical Center between 2000 and 2004. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify the associations between gene expression and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). Of 1189 patients who underwent curative BC surgery, 200 TNBC patients were included and stage was the only clinical factor predictive of DRFS. In terms of immune genes, 155 of 770 genes were associated with DRFS (p