title: The course of serum HER-2/neu levels as an independent prognostic factor for survival in metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of serum HER-2/neu level dynamics during the course of disease and treatment on the prognosis of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Two thousand and thirty-eight serum samples collected sequentially after disease relapse in 286 patients with metastatic breast cancer were measured by Bayer Immuno 1 trade mark assay retrospectively for serum HER-2/neu (cut-off level 15 ng/ml). One hundred and five patients (37%) presented with serum HER-2/neu continuously </=15 ng/ml after disease recurrence, 71 (25%) had continuously elevated levels and 110 patients (38%) had both non-elevated and elevated values in the course of metastatic breast cancer. Patients with continuously elevated serum HER-2/neu levels had a significantly poorer survival after disease recurrence compared to patients with continuously or temporarily non-elevated serum HER-2/neu values (log-rank test: p<0.001). Including the number of palliative antitumor therapies and therapy response in Cox regression analysis, serum HER-2/neu dynamics revealed to be an independent prognostic factor for survival. In conclusion, 63% of 286 patients with metastatic breast cancer demonstrated either continuously or temporarily elevated serum HER-2/neu levels. Decrease of elevated serum HER-2/neu to levels </=15 ng/ml and levels continuously </=15 ng/ml during the course of disease correlated significantly with longer survival.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Universitätsklinik Graz, Klinische Abteilung für Onkologie, A-8036 Graz, Austria. walter.schippinger@klinikum-graz.at
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schippinger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Regitnig
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bauernhofer
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ploner
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krippl
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wehrschütz
authors.forename: Sigurd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lax
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Klaus-Dieter
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wernecke
authors.forename: Hellmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samonigg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases