PRAME expression and clinical outcome of breast cancer

The tumour antigen PReferentially expressed Antigen of MElanoma ( PRAME) is expressed in a variety of malignancies, including breast cancer. We have analysed PRAME gene expression in relation to clinical outcome for 295 primary breast cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves show a correlation of PRAME expression levels with increased rates of distant metastases and decreased overall patient survival. This correlation existed both for the entire patient group (n=295) and for the subgroup of patients (n=185) who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariable analysis indicated that PRAME is an independent marker of shortened metastasis-free interval in patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. PRAME expression was associated with tumour grade and negative oestrogen receptor status. We conclude that PRAME expression is a prognostic marker for clinical outcome of breast cancer, independent of traditional clinicopathological markers.