We investigated whether nm23 and/or c-erbB-2 expression are useful for estimating the prognosis of invasive breast cancer patients. nm23 expression was significantly correlated with axillary (AX) and internal mammary lymph node (IMN) metastases, whereas c-erbB-2 expression was significantly correlated only with AX metastases. However, a univariate study revealed that survival was correlated significantly with tumor size, AX and IMN metastases, and c-erbB-2 expression, whereas nm23 expression was not an important prognostic factor. In a multivariate study, only AX and IMN metastases were significant prognostic factors. When AX and IMN metastases were excluded from the Cox model, only c-erbB-2 expression had independent prognostic value for survival. Therefore, we conclude that nm23 and/or c-erbB-2 expression may reflect the metastatic potential of breast cancer, but their prognostic value in combination is limited.

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