Overexpression of c-erbB2 and Its Relationship with Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.
- Author:
Ja Yun KOO
1
;
Hy Do LEE
;
Woo Hee JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of General Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Primary breast cancer;
Adjuvant chemotherapy;
c-erbB2 overexpression
- MeSH:
Breast Neoplasms*;
Breast*;
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant;
Cyclophosphamide;
Diagnosis;
Disease-Free Survival;
Drug Therapy*;
Estrogens;
Fluorouracil;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Immunohistochemistry;
Methotrexate;
Prognosis;
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases;
Proto-Oncogenes;
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor;
Receptors, Progesterone
- From:Journal of the Korean Cancer Association
1998;30(3):450-456
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: c-erbB2 encodes 185 kDa oncoprotein with tyrosine kinase activity and has homology to the epidermal growth factor receptor. c-erbB2 proto-oncogene is found to be overexpressed in approximately 20 to 30% of primary breast cancer and has been associated with poor prognosis and lower response to conventional chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We perfonned a study on 40 infiltrating ductal breast cancers treated with primary surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. We investigated c-erbB2 expression by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissue using polyclonal antipeptide antibody(DAKO). We evaluated the relationships between its expression and the results after over 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy including cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-FU. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 43 years and the median follow-up time was 47.3 months. Thirteen(32.1%) of 40 patients showed the c-erbB2 overexpression in the external domains of protein. There were no correlations among c-erbB2 amplification and other prognostic factors such as hormonal receptors, histologic grade and tumor size. Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor showed tendency of inverse correlation with c-erbB2 overexpression but it was not statistically significant(p>0.05). c-erbB2 positive patients showed shorter disease free survival compared to c-erbB2 negative patients in univariate analysis(p<0.05)(Kaplan Meire analysis). The patients without c-erbB2 overexpression seemed to survive longer but had no significant survival benefit(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that overexpression of c-erbB2 may be a marker of poor response to adjuvant chemotherapy with CMF regimen and may be an indicator of more aggressive therapy.
