Prognostic significance of immunohistochemical c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene expression and nuclear DNA content in human breast cancer.
Immunoreactivity of the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene product and nuclear DNA content were assessed in specimens from 211 breast cancer patients with a mean follow-up of 16 years (range 13-19 years). A routine immunoperoxidase technique was used and cytometrical DNA assessments were performed on cytodiagnostically identified tumour nuclei, using image analysis. C-erbB-2 cell membrane staining was observed in 29% of the cases and was found to be related to tumour size (P = 0.02), histopathological grade (P = 0.02) and nuclear DNA content (P < 0.01). In univariate analysis immunohistochemical c-erbB-2 expression was of prognostic significance among node-positive patients (P = 0.02), but not among women with node-negative disease. This prognostic ability was reduced by multivariate analysis and was no longer significant. In contrast, nuclear DNA content was significantly related to distant recurrence-free survival even in multivariate analysis after adjustment for nodal status and tumour size (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicate that c-erbB-2 expression is of limited prognostic value in a subgroup of patients, whereas nuclear DNA content seems to provide significant prognostic information even in node-negative patients.
Department of Tumor Pathology, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
H
H
Schimmelpenning
E T
ET
Eriksson
U G
UG
Falkmer
L E
LE
Rutqvist
H
H
Johansson
A
A
Fallenius
G U
GU
Auer
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human