This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ferrero-Poüs, M. Articles by Spyratos, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ferrero-Poüs, M. Articles by Spyratos, F.

Relationship between c-erbB-2 and Other Tumor Characteristics in Breast Cancer Prognosis¹

Laboratoire d’Oncobiologie [M. F-P., F. S.] and Départements de Biologie [C. B.], de Statistiques Médicales [K. H.], d’Anatomie Pathologique [V. L. D.], and Médecine [M. T-H.], Centre René Huguenin de Lutte Contre Le Cancer, 92211 Saint-Cloud, France

The aim of this study was to evaluate c-erbB-2 overexpression by means of a quantitative biochemical technique in 488 primary breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up (median, 10 years) and its relation to other biochemical prognostic factors (uPA, p53, and epidermal growth factor receptor) and adjuvant therapy.

High levels of c-erbB-2 (>500 IU/mg protein) were associated with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor negativity, high histoprognostic SBR grade and high levels of uPA and p53. Univariate analyses showed shorter metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients whose tumors overexpressed c-erbB-2 in the overall population, in subgroups defined by ER and uPA status, and in patients with positive pathological nodal status, SBR grade II, progesterone receptor, and p53-negative tumors. Patients with ER-positive, c-erbB-2-positive tumors had a shorter MFS and OS than those patients with c-erbB-2-negative tumors. No difference was observed between adjuvant-treated and untreated patients (chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy) in the c-erbB-2-negative subgroup. There was a trend toward a longer short-term MFS in c-erbB-2-positive patients treated with chemotherapy, whereas an opposite effect was observed with hormone therapy.

Cox multivariate analyses showed that high levels of c-erbB-2 negatively influenced MFS in the overall population as well as in node-positive patients and in tamoxifen-treated patients, along with pN and uPA. Results for OS were comparable with those obtained for MFS. These results suggest that c-erbB-2 overexpression in breast cancer may be a better predictor of the response to tamoxifen than is ER status alone.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Menard, A. Balsari, E. Tagliabue, T. Camerini, P. Casalini, R. Bufalino, F. Castiglioni, M. L. Carcangiu, A. Gloghini, S. Scalone, et al. Biology, prognosis and response to therapy of breast carcinomas according to HER2 score Ann. Onc., June 9, 2008; (2008) mdn369v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. W. Kurian, R. N. Thompson, A. F. Gaw, S. Arai, R. Ortiz, and A. M. Garber A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Adjuvant Trastuzumab Regimens in Early HER2/neu-Positive Breast Cancer J. Clin. Oncol., February 20, 2007; 25(6): 634 - 641. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Ambrogi, E. Biganzoli, P. Querzoli, S. Ferretti, P. Boracchi, S. Alberti, E. Marubini, and I. Nenci Molecular Subtyping of Breast Cancer from Traditional Tumor Marker Profiles Using Parallel Clustering Methods Clin. Cancer Res., February 1, 2006; 12(3): 781 - 790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. L.P. Barnes, S. Khavari, G. P. Boland, A. Cramer, W. F. Knox, and N. J. Bundred Absence of HER4 Expression Predicts Recurrence of Ductal Carcinoma In situ of the Breast Clin. Cancer Res., March 15, 2005; 11(6): 2163 - 2168. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. P.H.M. Jansen, J. A. Foekens, I. L. van Staveren, M. M. Dirkzwager-Kiel, K. Ritstier, M. P. Look, M. E. Meijer-van Gelder, A. M. Sieuwerts, H. Portengen, L. C.J. Dorssers, et al. Molecular Classification of Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Carcinomas by Gene Expression Profiling J. Clin. Oncol., February 1, 2005; 23(4): 732 - 740. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Ross, J. A. Fletcher, K. J. Bloom, G. P. Linette, J. Stec, W. F. Symmans, L. Pusztai, and G. N. Hortobagyi Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer: The HER-2/neu Gene and Protein Mol. Cell. Proteomics, April 1, 2004; 3(4): 379 - 398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Spyratos, C. Bouchet, M. Ferrero-Pous, M. Tubiana-Hulin, and K. Hacene Re: Quantitative Association Between HER-2/neu and Steroid Hormone Receptors in Hormone Receptor-Positive Primary Breast Cancer J Natl Cancer Inst, September 17, 2003; 95(18): 1417 - 1418. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Ross, J. A. Fletcher, G. P. Linette, J. Stec, E. Clark, M. Ayers, W. F. Symmans, L. Pusztai, and K. J. Bloom The HER-2/neu Gene and Protein in Breast Cancer 2003: Biomarker and Target of Therapy Oncologist, August 1, 2003; 8(4): 307 - 325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Menard, A. Balsari, P. Casalini, E. Tagliabue, M. Campiglio, R. Bufalino, and N. Cascinelli HER-2-positive Breast Carcinomas As a Particular Subset with Peculiar Clinical Behaviors Clin. Cancer Res., February 1, 2002; 8(2): 520 - 525. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]