Immunohistochemical Expression of P21 In Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of Breast

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Among women worldwide, breast cancer remains a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality, while invasive ductal carcinoma is its most common histological type. Altered p21 expression may influence cell-cycle regulation and tumor behavior, but its clinicopathological significance remains inconsistent. Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of p21 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast and assess its association with selected clinicopathological parameters. Methods & Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram, from March 2018 to February 2020, including 52 histopathologically confirmed cases of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Immunohistochemical staining for p21 was performed at CARE Investigation in Chattogram using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. p21 expression was categorized as negative, weakly positive, or strongly positive and assessed in relation to selected clinicopathological parameters. Results: Among 52 patients, the mean age was 48.33 ± 10.81 years, and 98.1% were female. Grade II carcinoma predominated, at 75.0%. Overall, p21 immunoreactivity was observed in 73.1% of tumors, with strong expression in 51.9%, weak in 21.2%, and 26.9% negative. No significant association was found between p21 expression and age (p=0.448), estrogen exposure (p=0.805), or histopathological grade (p=0.483). Conclusion: Overall, p21 expression was common in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, with strong positivity in over half of cases. However, its expression was not significantly associated with age, estrogen exposure, or histological grade, suggesting limited utility as an isolated clinicopathological marker.