title: C-erbB-2 overexpression in primary breast cancer: independent prognostic factor in patients at high risk.
abstract: The prognostic value of c-erbB-2 protein overexpression has been evaluated in 463 patients with operable breast cancer after a median follow-up of 66 months. Overexpression was observed in 99/463 (21%) of the breast tumors. It showed significant positive correlation to histological grade (p < 0.0001) and tumor size (p < 0.02). A relationship of borderline significance was observed between c-erbB-2 protein overexpression and negative or low estrogen receptor (ER) content. No significant correlation was found to lymph node involvement or proliferating tumor cell fraction as determined by the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). After a median follow-up of 66 months (range 6 to 109 months), the overall survival of all patients amounted to 63%. Multivariate analysis revealed lymph node involvement, tumor size, histological grade, histological type, c-erbB-2 protein overexpression, progesterone receptor (PR) content, and oral contraceptive use as independent prognostic factors. In an univariate analysis, the overall survival amounted to 72% and 38% of tumor patients with negative and positive c-erbB-2 protein overexpression, respectively. The most significant finding is that c-erbB-2 overexpression has been recognized as an independent predictive factor in subsets of tumor patients who would be expected to have a generally poor prognosis, such as those indicating axillary lymph node involvement, large tumor size (> 2 cm), and PR negativity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Rudolf Virchow Charlottenburg, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schönborn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zschiesche
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minguillon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möhner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone