Circulating neuregulin-1 and galectin-3 can be prognostic markers in breast cancer

Background: It is important to identify novel plasmatic biomarkers that can contribute to assessing the prognosis and outcome of breast cancer patients. Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) are proteins that are involved in breast cancer development and patient survival; therefore, we studied whether the serum concentration of these 2 proteins can be correlated to breast cancer progression. Methods: Plasmatic NRG1 and Gal-3 were evaluated in 25 healthy controls and 50 breast cancer patients at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after treatment with anthracyclines and taxanes, with or without trastuzumab. Results: NRG1 and Gal-3 were significantly more elevated in cancer patients than in healthy controls; further- more, NRG1 and Gal-3 were significantly increased after chemotherapy and were predictive of mortality at 1 year. Conclusions: Circulating NRG1 and Gal-3 can be additional biomarkers indicative of prognosis and outcomes for breast cancer patients.