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Expression of Bcl-2 but not Bax or p53 correlates with in vitro resistance to a series of anticancer drugs in breast carcinoma

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Abstract

Programmed cell death is an important determinant of the response to chemotherapy. Among the factors controlling this process, a significant role is played by bcl-2, bax and p53. The in vitro chemosensitivity of the 177 breast carcinomas was assessed by the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) using mitomycin C (MMC), 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), adriamycin (ADM), cisplatin (CDDP), and cyclophosphamide (CPA). The susceptibility of Bcl-2-negative tumors to all the drugs killing was significantly higher than that of Bcl-2-positive tumors. No relationship between Bax or p53 immunoreactivity and sensitivity for any of anticancer drugs studied was demonstrated. Immunohistochemical results regarding Bcl-2 are promising in the evaluation of the sensitivity of cancer cells to a series of anticancer drugs and might be therapeutically useful as an indicator of response to adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

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Yang, QF., Sakurai, T., Yoshimura, G. et al. Expression of Bcl-2 but not Bax or p53 correlates with in vitro resistance to a series of anticancer drugs in breast carcinoma. Breast Cancer Res Treat 61, 211–216 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006474307180

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