Serial serum c-erbB-2 levels in patients with breast carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Recently, the extracellular domain of the c-erbB-2 oncogene product (HER-2/neu) has been reported to be elevated in the serum of one-fourth of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. The role of serum c-erbB-2 as a tumor marker, however, is still poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of serial serum c-erbB-2 levels as a tumor marker in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma.


METHODS
c-erbB-2 levels in the sera of patients with breast carcinoma were determined by an enzyme immunoassay that detects the extracellular domain of c-erbB-2. Serum c-erbB-2 levels were evaluated prior to treatment as well as throughout the course of treatment with second-line hormonal therapy employing either megestrol acetate or fadrozole, an experimental aromatase inhibitor.


RESULTS
Fifty-eight of 300 patients (19.3%) had elevated pretreatment serum c-erbB-2 levels. Of these 58 patients with elevated pretreatment c-erbB-2, 48 had more than 1 visit which enabled us to quantitate serial c-erbB-2 levels throughout the course of treatment. Of these 48 patients, 28 (58.3%) had serial c-erbB-2 values that correlated with the clinical course.


CONCLUSIONS
Serial serum c-erbB-2 levels did not show a high overall correlation with the clinical course in this group of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma treated with second-line hormonal therapy.
Volas
G H
GH
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey 17033, USA.
Leitzel
K
K
Teramoto
Y
Y
Grossberg
H
H
Demers
L
L
Lipton
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018450:Disease Progression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017316:Fadrozole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008535:Megestrol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D010919:Placebos; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017316:Fadrozole; D008535:Megestrol; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D010919:Placebos; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases