title: HER-2/neu oncogene in uterine carcinosarcoma on tamoxifen therapy.
abstract: HER-2/neu is an oncogene located on chromosome 17, encoding a type 1 tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor. HER-2/neu is overexpressed in 25-30% of breast cancers, increasing the aggressiveness of the tumor. We describe HER-2/neu overexpression and her-2/neu oncogene amplification in a case of uterine carcinosarcoma occurring in a 46-year-old women who had undergone mastectomy and a 2-year postoperative treatment with tamoxifen for invasive breast cancer. This is the first study demonstrating HER-2/neu expression and her-2/neu oncogene amplification in a uterine carcinosarcoma that has developed in a patient given tamoxifen therapy. It still needs to be clarified whether HER-2/neu overexpression increases the aggressiveness of carcinosarcoma, or whether HER-2/neu has a direct role in its pathogenesis, as described in breast cancers. Our observation of the her-2/neu oncogene amplification does not shed light on the prognostic impact of uterine carcinosarcoma following tamoxifen therapy, but it may indicate the need for further studies of HER-2/neu overexpression in a larger series of uterine carcinosarcoma patients, and it may permit us to hypothesize about a therapeutic concept, including the inhibition of HER-2/neu by humanized monoclonal antibodies also in uterine carcinosarcoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni, 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. mariarosaria.raspollini@unifi.it
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raspollini
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mecacci
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglierani
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchionni
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013629:Tamoxifen