Possible relationships between risk factors, such as obesity and a family history of breast cancer, and prognostic factors of mammary carcinomas were investigated by examining the body mass index of patients and the expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR), c-erbB-2 and p53, grade of histology, size of tumors and nodal status of mammary carcinomas. There was no significant difference in the body mass index of premenopausal patients either with or without a family history. For postmenopausal patients, the body mass index was significantly low in patients with a family history compared with patients without a family history. In premenopausal patients with or without a family history and in postmenopausal patients with a family history, there was no significant difference in the body mass index regardless of the mammary carcinoma prognostic factor, such as expression of ER, PgR, c-erbB-2 and p53, grade of histology, size of tumors and nodal status. However, in postmenopausal patients without a family history, body mass index was significantly high for patients with mammary carcinomas that had PgR expression and node metastasis. These results suggest that obesity may affect the PgR status and nodal status of mammary carcinomas in postmenopausal patients without a family history.

Background: Nowdays patients with Her2 positive breast cancer are usually treated with trastuzumab. Nevertheless, around 10-20% of patients develop cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study is to analyze the association of the HER2 Ile655Val A>G polymorphism with trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity and the possible correlation with the efficacy of the treatment, so we asses if there is any impact in the survival.Methods: We determined the HER2 655 A>G was genotyping using TaqMan SNP technology polymorphism in 93 patients treated with trastuzumab in our center. (The cost of the test is 60 euros). The cardiotoxicity was defined as a decrease of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline more than 10%, to develop a LVEF inferior to 40% or the presentation of clinical manifestation of heart insufficiency.Results: Genotype frequencies of HER2/neu 655 met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p¼0.363). Logistic regression analysis adjusted by hormonal status and anthracycline treatment showed significant differences between AG vs. AA (OR¼3.00, CI95% 1.07-8.41, P¼0.037) or AG vs. AA+GG (OR¼3.21, CI95% 1.15-8.96, P¼0.026) for developing cardiotoxicity. Association between Her2/neu Ile655Val polymorphism and diseasefree survival or overall survival was not found. We did not find differences in baseline LVEF in patients who developed cardiotoxicity vs. those who did not. However, in cardiotoxicity group, the symptomatic patients had a baseline LVEF significantly lower than non-symptomatic patients (57.7 vs. 66.1, p <0.028).Conclusions: HER2 655 A>G polymorphism is significantly associated with higher risk of trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity but not with less efficacy in terms of survival. So, we recommend to perform this test to all the patients who are going to receive trastuzumab, to provide a closer follow up to the patients that present this polymorphism.Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors.