E-Cadherin expression and its association with molecular subtypes of breast cancers - A cross-sectional study.

Authors

Vibha Tripathi, Prakriti Shukla, Aleena Rizvi, Rashmi Chaturvedi, Sangita Bohara

Published in

Journal of cancer research and therapeutics. Volume 22. Issue 3. Pages 516-524. Apr 01, 2026. Epub Aug 14, 2026.

Abstract

Carcinoma breast is now one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. It is categorized into various subtypes based on molecular typing and immunohistochemistry. It is crucial to study these subtypes to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, our study aims to assess the histopathological and molecular subtypes of invasive breast cancers and their association with E-Cadherin expression.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 cases of invasive breast carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER2/neu, Ki-67, and E-Cadherin. Molecular subtypes were classified as Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2/neu enriched, and Triple-negative. E-Cadherin expression was categorized as positive (2+/3+) or negative (0/1+). Associations were analyzed using Chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and independent t-test. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
ER positivity was observed in 57.8%, PR in 44.4%, HER2/neu in 21.1%, E-Cadherin positivity in 66.7%, and high Ki-67 (>15%) in 52.2% of cases. Molecular subtypes included Luminal A (44.4%), Luminal B (16.7%), HER2/neu enriched (14.4%), and Triple-negative (24.4%). Molecular subtype was significantly associated with lymph node involvement (P < 0.001), lymphatic invasion (P < 0.001), vascular invasion (P = 0.043), and perineural invasion (P < 0.001). E-Cadherin expression showed strong association with molecular subtype (P < 0.001). Loss of E-Cadherin was most frequent in Triple-negative tumors (81.8%) and HER2/neu enriched tumors. E-Cadherin loss was significantly associated with larger tumor size (P = 0.029), higher Nottingham grade (P = 0.026), and ER negativity (P = 0.024).
E-Cadherin loss is significantly associated with aggressive molecular subtypes and adverse histopathological features in invasive breast carcinoma, suggesting its potential relevance as a marker of tumor.

PMID:
42617017
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Aug 2026.

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