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jhc2026v10i2s9


Original
Immunohistochemical Evaluation of PD-L1 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: An Analysis of 83 Cases
Alam MM,1 Dey BP,2 *Akhtaruzzaman M,3 Jahan I,4 Nahid MS,5 Rahman MZ6

  1. Dr. Md. Mahabub Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical College Hospital, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka – 1209, mahabub.robin@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7389-6026
  2. Dr. Bishnu Pada Dey, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University, Shahbagh, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh; drbishnu@bsmmu.edu.bd. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2379-3923
  3. *Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Clinical Pathologist, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Shahbagh, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh; akter22nd@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9906-8909
  4. Dr. Israt Jahan, Pathologist, 300 bed hospital, Narayanganj-1400, Bangladesh; isratliza424@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4386-8526
  5. Dr. Md. Shahrior Nahid, Assistant professor, Department of Pathology, National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre (NILMRC), Dhaka-1207. shahrior.nahid@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9858-9753
  6. Professor Dr. Md. Zillur Rahman, Professor, Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University, Shahbagh, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh, drzillur@bsmmu.edu.bd. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3222-1118.

*For correspondence
Abstract
Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease associated with a poorer outcome when compared with other subtypes of breast cancer. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status in TNBC patients has been associated with prognostic value, high PD-L1 expression has reported to predict worse outcomes. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has been approved in the treatment of TNBC in recent times. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in TNBC.
Method:  This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 83 cases of TNBC at the Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka at the period of 2021-2023. Demographic and pathological parameters (histologic type, Nottingham histologic grade, tumor stage etc.) were assessed. Immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells was observed. Collected data were placed in a data sheet. Results were collected and tabulated. Statistical analysis was performed on the tabulated data by chi-square test using SPSS 25.0.
Result:  PD-L1 expression was positive in 19.3% (16/83) of the cases. Among these 2.4% (2/83) cases were strongly positive. No expression was seen in 80.7% (67/83) of cases.
Conclusion: PD-L1 expression was observed in about one-fifth of the study samples. Therefore, immunotherapy with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agent can be considered as treatment option in selected TNBC patients.
[Journal of Histopathology and Cytopathology, 2026 Jul; 10 (2):146-153]
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.69950/jhc.2026.10.2.9
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