Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40022029›Full record

Trial reportBMC cancer2025

The potential radiosensitization target PFKFB3 is related to response to radiotherapy in SweBCG91RT: a randomized clinical trial with long-term follow-up.

Moa Egelberg, Tommaso De Marchi, Niklas Schultz, Lena Tran, Per Karlsson, Erik Holmberg, Gyula Pekar, Fredrika Killander, Emma Niméus

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06637202 (SB), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06637202 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

SB (Swedish Breast Cancer Group) 91:A Breast Conserving Surgery With or Without Postoperative Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Stage 1-2 (<30 mm) pN0, M0

TypeinterventionalSponsorRegion SkaneRan1991 to 2025Enrolled1,187ConditionsBreast Cancer Early Stage Breast Cancer (Stage 1-3)Armspostoperative radiotherapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Moa EgelbergDivision of Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, BMC D13, Lund, 221 83, Sweden. moa.egelberg@med.lu.se.
Tommaso De MarchiDivision of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Niklas SchultzScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lena TranDivision of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Per KarlssonDepartment of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Erik HolmbergDepartment of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Gyula PekarDivision of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Fredrika KillanderDivision of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Emma NiméusDivision of Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, BMC D13, Lund, 221 83, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeveral cancer types have increased PFKFB3, a glycolytic enzyme for which potent inhibitors have been found. Inhibition of PFKFB3 impairs DNA repair after irradiation of cancer cells, making it a possible radiosensitization target. The SweBCG91RT trial, in which breast cancer patients were randomized to postoperative radiotherapy or not, was used to investigate PFKFB3 as a clinical marker of sensitivity to adjuvant radiotherapy.

methodsNuclear protein levels of PFKFB3 were assessed with immunohistochemistry in primary breast tumors (n = 970) and whole-cell RNA levels with microarray gene expression (n = 765). Multivariable competing risks regression analysis was employed for the effect of radiotherapy on incidence of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), depending on PFKFB3 levels.

resultsTumors with high levels of nuclear protein and RNA had the largest effect on incidence of IBTR of adjuvant radiotherapy, however without evidence of an interaction. PFKFB3 RNA correlated with subtype, as high levels were more common among the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive and Luminal A subtypes than Luminal B and triple negative tumors.

conclusionHigh PFKFB3 is associated with a larger reduction of IBTR after radiotherapy but PFKFB3 cannot reliably be used as a predictive marker of sensitivity to adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer. PFKFB3 expression differed with subtype, indicating that it may be a better marker among Luminal A and HER2 positive tumors, but this is yet to be investigated.

trial registrationThe trial has been retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov 2024-10-03 (NCT06637202).

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalPhosphofructokinase-2Radiation ToleranceAdultAgedBiomarkers, TumorFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMiddle AgedRadiotherapy, AdjuvantBiomarkers, TumorPFKFB3 protein, humanPhosphofructokinase-2Breast cancerDNA repairPFKFB3RadiosensitizationRadiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40022029
PMCPMC11869729

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Registered trials

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