Her-2/neu expression in ovarian cancer: pre- and postexposure to platinum chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine if the level of Her-2/neu expression in advanced ovarian cancer changed after platinum-based chemotherapy.


METHODS
Tissue samples from 43 patients who had surgery for ovarian cancer between 1991 and 2001 at the Mayo Clinic were stained for Her-2/neu expression using the DAKO kit and reviewed independently by two pathologists. Patient charts were reviewed for demographic data, clinical course, chemotherapy, and survival times.


RESULTS
Her-2/neu expression was 0 in 30 patients (69.76%), 1+ in 12 patients (27.9%), and 3+ in 1 patient (2.32%) before chemotherapy. After platinum chemotherapy, Her-2/neu expression changed from 0 to 1+ in 7 patients, from 1+ to 0 in 4 patients, 0 to 2+ in 1 patient, and 1+ to 2+ in 2 patients and no change was seen in 29 patients. Both pathologists agreed in all instances when the score was 0 or 1+ and disagreed in two instances between a negative and a weakly positive staining.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate a low level of overexpression of Her-2/neu at the time of primary diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Relapsing tumors show no significant change in the intensity of Her-2/neu expression after platinum-based chemotherapy. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and to ascertain whether platinum chemotherapy indeed has no effect on Her-2/neu expression.
Peethambaram
Prema P
PP
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. peethambaram.prema@mayo.edu
Cliby
William A
WA
Lubiniecki
Gregory
G
Clayton
Amy C
AC
Roche
Patrick C
PC
Iturria
Stephen J
SJ
Hartmann
Lynn C
LC
Hellström
Ingegerd
I
Strome
Scott E
SE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases