Overexpression of the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein: why does this occur more frequently in ductal carcinoma in situ than in invasive mammary carcinoma and is this of prognostic significance?
Overexpression of c-erbB-2 occurs in 60% of in situ and 25% of infiltrating ductal carcinomas. We have previously found very strong associations between immunohistochemical staining for c-erbB-2 and histological pattern and nuclear size in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and less strong correlation with proliferative activity. In a further study of infiltrating ductal carcinomas we have found that, in addition to tumours arising from c-erbB-2 positive, large celled, rapidly proliferating, comedo carcinomas and c-erbB-2 negative small celled cribriform/micropapillary carcinomas with a low proliferative rate, there is a third group of c-erbB-2 negative tumours with large nuclei and variable proliferative activity. These latter tumours are not seen in pure DCIS suggesting that they have a very transient in situ stage. Therefore, although in pure DCIS c-erbB-2 positively appears to be associated with tumours with a greater invasive potential, and c-erbB-2 negativity with tumours having a more favourable prognosis, the latter is not necessarily true in infiltrating disease.
ICRF Clinical Oncology Unit, Guy's Hospital, London, U.K.
D M
DM
Barnes
J
J
Bartkova
R S
RS
Camplejohn
W J
WJ
Gullick
P J
PJ
Smith
R R
RR
Millis
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016196:S Phase / Q000502:physiology
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases