Comparison of C-erbB2 (HER-2/Neu) immunohistochemistry results on invasive breast carcinomas. Experience of 2 Pathology departments in Turkey and Greece.
OBJECTIVE
To compare c-erbB2 (HER-2/Neu) immunohistochemical staining results obtained in 2 pathology departments and evaluate the reproducibility of staining and assessments.


METHODS
Ninety primary invasive ductal carcinoma cases constituted the material of this study. For concordant assessment, serial sections from the same tissue blocks were prepared in both Turkey and Greece and were sent to each other. Evaluation of c-erbB2 (HER-2/Neu) staining was done independently in 2 departments by experienced pathologists. Stained slides were evaluated semiquantitatively in Turkey and both semiquantitatively and automatically in Greece.


RESULTS
There was complete agreement on staining density in 58 (64.4%) cases in both centers. In 15 cases there were major discordances in staining degrees, and in 17 cases there was a major discordance. Hypothetical treatment decisions based on these results showed that 82% of patients would have been handled the same way.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparison of immunostaining patterns performed at 2 centers provided valuable data that may be used in the development of quality assurance policies. The present study showed the usefulness of multicenter comparative studies in initiating the development of guidelines.
Günhan
Omer
O
Department of Pathology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy and Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. ogunhan@gata.edu.tr
Kafousi
Maria
M
Kurt
Bülent
B
Koutsopoulos
Anastasios V
AV
Karslioğlu
Yildirim
Y
Stathopoulos
Efstathios
E
Celasun
Bülent
B
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010336:Pathology / Q000592:standards*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014421:Turkey
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases