Predictive and Prognostic Value of Androgen Receptor Expression Across All Molecular Subtypes in Patients with Breast Cancer Who Received Neoadjuvant-Treatment: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.

@article{muglu2026predictive,
  title = {{Predictive and Prognostic Value of Androgen Receptor Expression Across All Molecular Subtypes in Patients with Breast Cancer Who Received Neoadjuvant-Treatment: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.}},
  author = {Harun Muğlu and Vedat Buğra Erol and Hakan Özçelik and Erdem Sünger and Maral Martin Mıldanoğlu and Mehmet Haluk Yücel and Ebru Engin Delipoyraz and Muhammed Celal Akın and Jamshid Hamdard and Burçin Çakan Demirel and Yasin Kutlu and Aslı Çakır and Özgür Açıkgöz and Mesut Şeker and Ömer Fatih Ölmez and Özcan Yıldız and Ahmet Bilici},
  journal = {Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press)},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.2147/bctt.s647399},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42936308},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Predictive and Prognostic Value of Androgen Receptor Expression Across All Molecular Subtypes in Patients with Breast Cancer Who Received Neoadjuvant-Treatment: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.
AU  - Harun Muğlu
AU  - Vedat Buğra Erol
AU  - Hakan Özçelik
AU  - Erdem Sünger
AU  - Maral Martin Mıldanoğlu
AU  - Mehmet Haluk Yücel
AU  - Ebru Engin Delipoyraz
AU  - Muhammed Celal Akın
AU  - Jamshid Hamdard
AU  - Burçin Çakan Demirel
AU  - Yasin Kutlu
AU  - Aslı Çakır
AU  - Özgür Açıkgöz
AU  - Mesut Şeker
AU  - Ömer Fatih Ölmez
AU  - Özcan Yıldız
AU  - Ahmet Bilici
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press)
DO  - 10.2147/bctt.s647399
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42936308
AB  - Purpose  Androgen receptor (AR) expression is detectable in the majority of breast cancers across all molecular subtypes; however, its predictive value for pathological complete response (pCR) and its prognostic contribution to long-term survival in an all-comer neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) cohort remain incompletely defined.Patients and methods  In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, 196 patients with early-stage breast cancer across all molecular subtypes received NACT at Istanbul Medipol University Hospital between 2013 and 2025. Pre-NACT AR expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (SP107 clone) with a pre-specified threshold of 50% applied. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS); 35 EFS events occurred. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression (three pre-specified covariates), Kaplan-Meier analyses, and competing risk modeling were performed.Results  AR ≥50% was detected in 139 patients (70.9%). The overall pCR rate was 30.1% (59/196). AR ≥50% was independently associated with superior EFS in the multivariable model (hazard ratio [HR]=0.396, 95% CI: 0.199-0.786; p=0.008). The estimated 5-year EFS was 82.2% vs 69.8% for AR ≥50% versus AR <50% patients (log-rank p=0.031). A statistically significant AR × pCR status interaction was identified (p=0.032), with the prognostic gradient of AR most pronounced among patients with residual disease (5-year EFS 77.9% vs 52.9% for AR-high vs AR-low). In HR+/HER2- disease, AR-low status paradoxically predicted higher pCR rates (median AR 40% vs 90%; p=0.027) but inferior long-term EFS, consistent with a "luminal paradox". Subgroup analyses are exploratory and hypothesis-generating.Conclusion  In this retrospective single-center cohort, pre-NACT AR ≥50% was independently associated with superior EFS in the multivariable model, complementary to pCR status. A formally significant AR × pCR interaction supports that AR provides differential prognostic information in the residual-disease population. These hypothesis-generating findings support prospective evaluation of AR-stratified risk assessment after NACT.
SN  - 1179-1314
ER  -