Circulating miR-27a as a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Biomarker to Differentiate Malignant from Benign Breast Lesions: A Preliminary Study

Background Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, with no single biomarker yet validated for reliable early diagnosis. miRNAs have emerged as potential circulating biomarkers for several diseases. miR-27a has shown a multifaceted role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and may be explored for its diagnostic potential. Similarly, soluble HER-2/neu can be assessed for its potential in detecting the presence of tissue HER-2 receptors in breast cancer. Methods Ninety-four patients with breast lumps (BIRADS III or above) were enrolled. Diagnosis and grading were confirmed by biopsy. Serum miRNA was extracted, and miR-27a expression was measured via RT-PCR using RNU6 as a control. sHER-2 levels were assessed using ELISA. Statistical analyses included chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and ROC curve analysis. Results miR-27a expression was significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in those with benign tumors (p < 0.0001), correlating with tumor size, grade, lymph node involvement, and metastasis (p < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed a cut-off >10.31 (AUC 0.971, sensitivity 93.0%, specificity 89.2%). sHER-2 levels were significantly elevated in tissue HER-2 positive breast cancer cases (p < 0.0001). Conclusion miR27a shows strong potential to be used as a biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis. sHER-2 effectively differentiated between the HER-2 status of breast cancer. Larger studies with follow-up are needed for clinical validation.