Prognostic value of c-erbB-2 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
c-erbB-2 overexpression has been shown to be a potential marker of aggressive biological behaviour in a varity of tumours, whereas its role played in thyroid papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains unclear. Objective of the study is to determine whether c-erbB-2 overexpression correlates with the clinical course.


METHODS
We have studied 32 PTC by a two-step immunocytochemical staining procedure for paraffin-embedded specimens (DAKO Hercep-Test). Semiquantitative evaluations were performed, based on the intensity of immunostaining and the percentage of tumor cells.


RESULTS
34% (11/32) of the PTC showed a membranous overexpression of the HER2/neu oncoprotein. Correlating the pathological and clinical data revealed that 81% (9/11) c-erbB-2 positive patients and only 33% (7/21) c-erbB-2 negative patients developed a tumor recurrence or a progression (p = 0.02 in Fisher's exact test). 3/11 c-erbB-2 positive patients died from PTC whereas all (21/21) c-erbB-2 negative patients are still alive (p = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results strongly suggest that c-erbB-2 oncoprotein overexpression is related to the clinical course of PTC.
Freudenberg
L S
LS
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Essen, Germany. lutz.freudenberg@uni-essen.de
Sheu
S
S
Görges
R
R
Mann
K
K
Bokler
S
S
Frilling
A
A
Schmid
K W
KW
Bockisch
A
A
Otterbach
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases