Expression of BRCA1, HER-1 (EGFR) and HER-2 in sporadic breast cancer and relationships to other clinicopathological prognostic features.
BACKGROUND
The BRCA1 caretaker gene is associated with poor prognostic features in hereditary breast cancer and may also play a role in sporadic breast cancer (SBC). HER-1 and HER-2 overexpression is associated with adverse prognosis in SBC. We studied whether BRCA1 expression was associated with HER1, HER2 and other prognostic features in SBC.


METHODS
Fifty newly-diagnosed SBC patients were studied for prognostic features and immunohistochemical expressions of BRCA1, HER-1 and HER-2.


RESULTS
Tumors were positive for BRCA1 in 26%, HER-1 in 32% and HER-2 in 20% of cases. Lack of BRCA1 expression was associated with node metastases and decreased estrogen receptor. HER-2 expression was associated with young age, HER-1, Ki67 and decreased hormone receptors. No correlation was observed between BRCA1 and HER-1 or HER-2.


CONCLUSIONS
In SBC, the lack of BRCA1 expression was associated with poor prognostic features, but unrelated to HER-1 and HER-2. HER2 and HER-1 were, however, highly correlated.
Ansquer
Yan
Y
Hôpital Louis Mourter, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique, 178 rue des Renouillers 92 701, Colombes, France. yan.ansquer@lmr.ap-hop-paris.fr
Mandelbrot
Laurent
L
Lehy
Thérèse
T
Salomon
Laurence
L
Dhainaut
Caroline
C
Madelenat
Patrick
P
Feldmann
Gérard
G
Walker
Francine
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D019313:BRCA1 Protein; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases