The prognostic and predictive value of immunohistochemically detected HER-2/neu overexpression in 361 patients with ovarian cancer: a multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
The prognostic and predictive relevance of HER-2/neu dysregulation in epithelial ovarian cancer is controversial. The purpose of our study was to document HER-2/neu expression patterns and their correlation with clinicopathologic parameters and survival in a large and biologically homogenous Caucasian patient collective.


METHODS
Expression of HER-2/neu in ovarian cancer tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical staining was performed according to established protocols. Results were correlated to clinical data.


RESULTS
HER-2/neu overexpression was detected in 6.9% (25/361) of the tumor samples and was significantly associated with tumor stage (P = 0.03), but not with lymph node involvement (P = 0.5), tumor grade (P = 0.3), histological type (P = 0.6), residual tumor (P = 0.4), serum CA-125 before therapy (P = 0.2), and patient age (P = 0.8). We found no significant influence of HER-2/neu overexpression on overall and disease-free survival independent of FIGO stage, tumor grade, and residual tumor mass. In a subset of 73 suboptimally debulked patients, women with response to first-line chemotherapy (complete remission [CR] + partial remission [PR]) and no response to first-line chemotherapy (stable disease [SD] + progressive disease [PD]) showed significantly different rates of HER-2/neu overexpression (0% [0/51] vs. 14% [3/22]; P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor overexpression of HER-2/neu in women with advanced ovarian cancer is rare and provides no prognostic information in addition to that provided by established clinicopathologic parameters. This multicenter study, however, indicates that HER-2/neu overexpression is a predictive factor for the response to first-line chemotherapy in suboptimally debulked patients.
Riener
Eva-Katrin
EK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Freiburg Medical School, Freiburg D-79098, Germany. riener@frk.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Arnold
Norbert
N
Kommoss
Friedrich
F
Lauinger
Stefan
S
Pfisterer
Jacobus
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases