title: Gallbladder cancers rarely overexpress HER-2/neu, demonstrated by Hercep test.
abstract: c-erbB-2, proto-oncogene is amplified and overexpressed in a number of human adenocarcinomas. Overexpression of c-erbB-2 is indicated as a worse prognostic factor and associated with neoplastic progression in various organs. To investigate the therapeutic effect of Trastuzumab in gallbladder cancer, we studied HER-2/neu expression in 43 primary tumors, 12 metastatic lymph nodes and two liver metastasis, using the Hercep test. Among primary tumors, strong (3+) immunohistochemical intensity was found in two cases (4.7%), weak (2+) in two (4.7%) and negative (1+) (2.3%) in one case. This positivity rate was distinctly lower than those in previous reports. There was no tendency between clinicopathologic characteristics and HER-2 positivity in the primary gallbladder. Among 12 metastatic lymph nodes, only one specimen showed 2+ positivity where the primary lesion revealed 3+ intensity of HER-2. In two liver metastatic lesions, the expression of HER-2 was not found. Our study implied that Trastzumab may not contribute to improvement in treatment of gallbladder cancer. However, there may be a therapeutic possibility for cases with lymph node recurrence overexpressing c-erbB-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga-city, Saga 849-8501, Japan. msatoru0115@ezweb.ne.jp
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumi
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Toshimi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human