title: Soluble c-erbB-2 fragment in serum correlates with disease stage and predicts for shortened survival in patients with early-stage and advanced breast cancer.
abstract: Seventy-nine patients with advanced breast cancer were tested for the presence, in serum, of a 110 kDa soluble, c-erbB-2 fragment. Thirty-nine patients were seropositive. There was no correlation between seropositivity and menopausal status, or with oestrogen status. In addition, no correlation could be found between tissue c-erbB-2 immunostaining for the external domain of the c-erbB-2 receptor and the presence of soluble c-erbB-2 in serum. The presence of serum soluble c-erbB-2, however, had a significant impact on survival of patients with advanced disease, suggesting that this test may become a useful independent prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kandl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bezwoda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen