Impact of E-Cadherin Expression on Histomorphological Prognostic Factors in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Study

Abstract

 E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent adhesion molecule, plays a crucial role in maintaining epithelial tissue integrity and acts as a tumor suppressor by limiting cellular detachment and invasion. This study investigates the expression of E-cadherin in breast cancer and examines its correlation with various histomorphological prognostic factors, including tumor size, grade, lymph node involvement, and hormone receptor status. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on tissue samples from 77 breast cancer patients, revealing that E-cadherin expression was significantly associated with smaller tumor sizes, lower grades, absence of lymph node metastasis, and hormone receptor positivity. These findings underscore E-cadherin’s value as a prognostic marker, indicating a more favorable prognosis in E-cadherin-positive tumors. The loss of E-cadherin expression, observed in larger, higher-grade, and lymph node-positive tumors, supports its role in promoting cancer invasiveness through the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The study suggests that assessing E-cadherin expression can aid in patient risk stratification and may guide treatment planning. Additionally, therapeutic strategies targeting E-cadherin-related pathways, particularly for E-cadherin-negative, HER2-positive, or aggressive breast cancer subtypes, present promising future research directions.