c-erbB-2 expression is predictive for lymphatic spread of clinical gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
In patients with gastric carcinoma, the prognostic significance of c-erbB-2 oncogene expression was elucidated, but its role in the aggressive behavior of tumors is not clear.


METHODS
We asked whether or not cerbB-2 gene expression may have predictability with regard to the metastatic potential in 160 patients with gastric carcinoma using a immunohistochemical staining and a multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
c-erbB-2 immunoreactivity was observed in 11% (17/160) of tumors. Patients with c-erbB-2 product positive tumors had a significant shorter prognosis (p < 0.05), and were characterized by a high incidence of peritoneal dissemination (41%), liver metastasis (18%) and lymph node involvement (94%). In the multivariate logistic analysis revealed that c-erbB-2 expression was a significant risk factor related to lymph node involvement (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our multivariate analysis revealed that c-erbB-2 expression is linked to the metastatic potential in patients with gastric carcinoma.
Orita
H
H
Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Maehara
Y
Y
Emi
Y
Y
Kakeji
Y
Y
Baba
H
H
Korenaga
D
D
Sugimachi
K
K
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016015:Logistic Models; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases