Expression and Clinical Significance of Androgen Receptor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype of breast tumor with ER negative, PR negative, and HER2 negative, shows a poor prognosis because of a frequent recurrence. Androgen receptor (AR) is involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, but its role is not clearly defined. This study was to explore the expression of AR and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters in TNBC. Methods: This study investigated a consecutive series of 1036 cases of sporadic invasive breast carcinoma. Immunohistological assays were performed to determine the expression of AR in 190 of TNBC. The relationships between AR expression and clinicopathologic data and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Of informative 1036 breast cancer cases, triple-negative phenotype was 190 (18.3%). TNBC patients experienced a poorer prognosis in comparison to non-TNBC patients (p Conclusions: AR might be a prognostic marker and possible endocrine target for therapy in patients with TNBC.