Predictive and Prognostic Value of Androgen Receptor Expression Across All Molecular Subtypes in Patients with Breast Cancer Who Received Neoadjuvant-Treatment: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis

Purpose

Androgen receptor (AR) expression is detectable in the majority of breast cancers across all molecular subtypes; however, its predictive value for pathological complete response (pCR) and its prognostic contribution to long-term survival in an all-comer neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) cohort remain incompletely defined. Patients and methods: In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, 196 patients with early-stage breast cancer across all molecular subtypes received NACT at Istanbul Medipol University Hospital between 2013 and 2025. Pre-NACT AR expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (SP107 clone) with a pre-specified threshold of 50% applied. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS); 35 EFS events occurred. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression (three pre-specified covariates), Kaplan-Meier analyses, and competing risk modeling were performed.