Association of CA12 with calcification in ER+/HER-2 negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Calcification in breast cancer is closely associated with ER+/HER2- breast cancer, and identifying key molecular markers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We integrated bioinformatics analyses of data from the TCGA and GEO databases with in vitro experiments on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines to explore the role of CA12 in breast cancer calcification. RESULTS: Our analysis identified 132 calcification-related genes, with CA12 highlighted as a significant biomarker. In vitro experiments showed that osteogenic induction promoted calcific nodule formation in ER-positive MCF-7 cells with concomitant CA12 upregulation, though this increase did not reach statistical significance; notably, ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited comparable CA12 upregulation without mineralization. We propose integrating CA12 detection with imaging to boost diagnostic accuracy for early ER+/HER2- breast cancer, enabling timely endocrine therapy and improving prognosis. CONCLUSION: This study offers new insights for early breast cancer diagnosis and individualized treatment, along with proposing CA12 as a potential biomarker for breast cancer calcification.