title: Prognostic significance of the c-erbB-2 oncogene product in childhood medulloblastoma.
abstract: The expression and prognostic significance of the c-erbB-2 oncogene product was studied in 55 cases of childhood medulloblastoma. Forty-six of the 55 tumours (83.6%) expressed the c-erbB-2 product. The percentage of tumour cells expressing the c-erbB-2 product proved to be a significant indicator of patient outcome when analysed as both a categorical and a continuous variable. As a categorical variable, patients with more than 50% positive tumour cells had a significantly worse survival, with only 10% alive at 10 years vs 48% for those with less than 50% positive tumour cells (log rank P = 0.0049). To demonstrate that this observed prognostic significance was both independent and not a result of 'data-driven' categorisation, it was also entered into the Cox model as a continuous variable. Prognostic significance was retained in P = 0.038.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gilbertson
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaros
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases