title: Prognostic significance of c-erb-B2 amplification in fine-needle biopsies of breast cancer patients not operated at diagnosis.
abstract: Prognostication of breast cancer patients, not operated at diagnosis, poses a clinically difficult problem. To use gene amplification we examined cytological samples and determined c-erb-B2 gene copy number with semi-quantitative PCR. Control experiments showed the same gene-copy number in aliquots that were either air-dried (and MGG-stained), fixed in methanol (and air-dried), or snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Therefore we examined the prognostic value of c-erb-B2 amplification in 95 breast cancer patients that had not been operated at diagnosis (up to 12 years previously). Tumor cells were obtained from routine archival cytological smears. 15 patients (16%) had developed amplification. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that c-erb-B2 amplification is a significant prognostic factor (p < 0.0001). Hence routine cytological MGG smears can be used for prognostic determination.
authors.affiliation: Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lönn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lönn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenkvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone