PIK3CA Mutations and PTEN Loss Correlate with Similar Prognostic Factors and Are Not Mutually Exclusive in Breast Cancer

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Abstract
Purpose: The phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase/Akt pathway is frequently altered in breast cancer. PTEN, a phosphatase that opposes the effect of phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase, can be mutated or lost, whereas the PIK3CA gene is mutated. These have been proposed as alternative mechanisms, and their clinicalpathology significance is under discussion. In this study, we aimed to explore whether PIK3CA mutations and PTEN loss are mutually exclusive mechanisms, correlate with other known clinicopathologic markers, or have clinical implication in breast cancer.