Sex differences in the predictive power of the molecular prognostic factor HER2/neu in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies imply that HER2/neu is a potential prognostic factor in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Whereas considerable evidence indicates sex differences in epidemiologic, hormonal, biologic, and genetic factors in this disease, it has remained unknown whether HER2/neu has a diverse function as a prognostic factor in men and women.


METHODS
We investigated the association between gene expression levels of HER2/neu in the primary tumors of 90 patients with curable resected NSCLC and survival, especially analyzing whether there is a different potential of this molecular factor in its prognostic impact between men and women.


RESULTS
High HER2/neu gene expression levels were found in 62 patients (68.9%), and low HER2/neu gene expression levels were found in 28 patients (31.1%). High HER2/neu messenger RNA expression levels were associated with inferior survival (P = 0.09) compared with lower HER2/neu expression. Survival analysis was then carried out separately for men and women in this group of patients. An HER2/neu gene expression cutoff point was identified that separated women, but not men, into good and poor prognostic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that HER2/neu as a prognostic factor is strongly sex specific, indicating that it is not useful for men but highly predictive for women.
Vallböhmer
Daniel
D
Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Brabender
Jan
J
Yang
Dong Yun
DY
Danenberg
Kathleen
K
Schneider
Paul M
PM
Metzger
Ralf
R
Holscher
Arnulf H
AH
Danenberg
Peter V
PV
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases