Expression of β-tubulin Ⅲ and Survivin in Advance Stage Breast Cancer Correlates with Chemotheraputic Effects of Docetaxel

Aims: To investigate the relationship between the expression of β-tubulinⅢ and survivin in advanced breastcancers and chemotherapeutic effects of docetaxel.
Methods: Clinical pathological data of 74 patients withadvanced breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed after docetaxel chemotherapy. Expression of β-tubulinⅢand survivin was assessed by immunohistochemistry and analyzed with reference to therapeutical and adverseeffects of docetaxel.
Results: The positive expression rate of β-tubulinⅢ was 38.1% (32/84), while that of survivinwas 76.2% (64/84). The effective rate (complete response + partial response) was 52.4%. That for patients withthe positive expression of β-tubulinⅢ or/and survivin was significantly lower than for those with negativeexpression (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the non-progression of median diseases, 1-year and2-year survival rates of between the patients with positive and negative expression (P<0.05). The main side effectswere myelosuppression, alimentary canal response and alopecie, no differences being observed between groups.
Conclusions: The combined detection of β-tubulinⅢ and survivin is a predictive index for chemotherapy effectsof docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer.