HER-2--a possible target for therapy of metastatic urinary bladder carcinoma.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, HER-2, is overexpressed in various tumours, e.g. breast- and bladder tumours. The aim of this study was to predict the potential use of HER-2 receptors as targets in systemic treatment of disseminated bladder tumours. HER-2 expression was assessed in bladder carcinoma metastases and the corresponding primary tumours, and subsequently compared with the EGFR expression. HER-2 and EGFR expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 21 patients with metastatic bladder carcinoma. HER-2 was overexpressed in 81% of the primary tumours and in 67% of the metastases. All HER-2-positive metastases were from HER-2-positive primary tumours. The results for EGFR were 71% of both primary and metastases-positive tumours. In 90% of the primary tumours and 86% of the metastases, at least one of the receptors was overexpressed. These results suggest that HER-2 targeted therapy can be considered as an alternative or a complement to other modalities in the treatment of metastatic urinary bladder carcinoma.
Division of Experimental Urology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. kenneth.wester@genpat.uu.se
Kenneth
K
Wester
Anna
A
Sjöström
Manuel
M
de la Torre
Jörgen
J
Carlsson
Per-Uno
PU
Malmström
D000368:Aged; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000628:therapy*
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases