Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression in Breast Carcinoma Patients from Central India
Riju R. Krishnan, Bharat Umakant Patil, Anand Krishnan, Arul Suresh, Raju Gore, Anupama GuptaIntroduction:
Breast carcinoma remains the most common cancer among women worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In India, both incidence and mortality are steadily rising, with younger women being disproportionately affected. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression has emerged as a potential biomarker that influences prognosis and treatment response, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, limited data from India exist regarding its clinicopathological and prognostic significance.
Aim:
To assess the prevalence of PD-L1 expression and its relationship with clinicopathological features and outcomes in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast in Central India.
Materials and Methods:
This retrospective observational study analyzed 145 histologically confirmed IDC cases over 20 months. PD-L1 expression was evaluated immunohistochemically using the Combined Positive Score (CPS ≥10 considered positive). Associations with molecular subtypes, clinicopathological parameters, and survival outcomes were analyzed using Chi-square and Kaplan–Meier methods.
Results:
Overall, 6.9% of cases were PD-L1 positive, with the highest prevalence in TNBC (18.2%). No significant links were found between PD-L1 expression and tumor grade, size, or nodal status. PD-L1-positive patients showed a trend toward poorer overall survival (
Conclusion:
PD-L1 expression in breast carcinoma was relatively low but more common in TNBC. Although not statistically significant, PD-L1 positivity indicated a trend toward worse prognosis. Focused testing in aggressive subtypes and standardized evaluation methods are recommended to better determine its clinical role in Indian patients.