title: HER-2/neu determination in blood plasma of patients with HER-2/neu overexpressing metastasized breast cancer: a longitudinal study.
abstract: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the serological HER-2/neu determination as a predictor of the clinical outcome of patients with metastasized breast cancer receiving a trastuzumab therapy. Twenty trastuzumab patients were included into this study. Plasma samples of each patient were collected from the beginning of a trastuzumab therapy until the first imaging diagnostics. Serological HER-2/neu was quantified automatically using the Bayer Immuno 1 immunoanalyzer. Each assay was performed in duplicate. The values were analyzed in terms of the clinical course of each patient. The observation time was 13 months (median) with a range from 4 to 22 months. The data were analyzed by means of prediction of a therapy response as defined by the time to progression. HER-2/neu determination served as a predictive marker for the clinical course in 16 out of 20 patients (80%). All ten therapy responders displayed a normal HER-2/neu either from the beginning of the trastuzumab administration or a value normalization paralleled the course. Patients with permanent elevated or increasing HER-2/neu levels displayed a poor clinical outcome in six out of ten cases. Our data suggest that HER-2/neu determination in the plasma of patients with metastasized breast cancer could be a powerful tool for prediction of the patient's outcome after a trastuzumab-based therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 34, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoopmann
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Thérese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanasale
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schöndorf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D000068878:Trastuzumab