Paper II
2022 July (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) · 100 marks · 180 min

Question

Explain the molecular basis of classification and prognostic features of Carcinoma breast.

Q68 marksShort Essays

Answer

Molecular classification of breast carcinoma (based on gene expression profiling, approximated by IHC surrogates)

  • Luminal A: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative, low Ki-67 — best prognosis, typically low-grade, responsive to hormonal therapy
  • Luminal B: ER-positive, variable PR, HER2-positive or negative with high Ki-67 — intermediate prognosis, more aggressive than Luminal A
  • HER2-enriched: ER/PR-negative, HER2-positive — aggressive, but targetable with anti-HER2 therapy (trastuzumab), improving previously poor prognosis
  • Basal-like/triple-negative: ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative — most aggressive subtype, no targeted hormonal/HER2 therapy available, associated with BRCA1 mutations, poorest prognosis

Prognostic features

  • Tumour size: Larger tumours carry worse prognosis
  • Histological grade: Based on tubule formation, nuclear pleomorphism, mitotic count (Nottingham grading)
  • Lymph node status: Single most important prognostic factor — presence and number of involved nodes correlates strongly with outcome
  • Hormone receptor status (ER/PR): Positive status confers better prognosis and predicts response to hormonal therapy
  • HER2/neu status: Overexpression historically worse prognosis, but predicts response to targeted anti-HER2 therapy
  • Ki-67 proliferation index: Higher index indicates more aggressive behaviour
  • Lymphovascular invasion: Associated with higher risk of metastasis
  • Histological subtype: Certain special types (e.g., tubular, mucinous) have better prognosis than invasive ductal carcinoma NST
  • Distant metastasis: Presence indicates stage IV disease, poorest prognosis

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