PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Duffy, Michael J.
AU  - Reilly, David
AU  - O'Sullivan, Cathriona
AU  - O'Higgins, Niall
AU  - Fennelly, James J.
AU  - Andreasen, Peter
TI  - Urokinase-Plasminogen Activator, a New and Independent Prognostic Marker in Breast Cancer
DP  - 1990 Nov 01
TA  - Cancer Research
PG  - 6827--6829
VI  - 50
IP  - 21
4099  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/50/21/6827.short
4100  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/50/21/6827.full
SO  - Cancer Res1990 Nov 01; 50
AB  - Urokinase plasminogen activator (UK-PA) is a serine protease implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis. In this investigation, patients with breast cancers containing high levels of UK-PA antigen had significantly higher risk of early disease recurrence and shorter overall survival than did patients with low levels of the protein. In univariate analysis, UK-PA was a more powerful discriminator for disease-free interval than axillary node status, tumor size, or estradiol receptor. For overall survival, UK-PA as a prognostic marker, was of similar magnitude to axillary node status but stronger than that of tumor size or estradiol receptor. In multivariate analysis, for both disease-free interval and survival, UK-PA was an independent risk factor, being independent of tumor size, axillary node status, and estradiol receptor. UK-PA appears to be a new and independent prognostic marker in breast cancer. ©1990 American Association for Cancer Research.