title: Prognostic significance of immunohistochemical expression of the HER-2/neu oncoprotein in bone metastatic prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the usefulness of the overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) oncoprotein in patients with bone metastatic prostate cancer as a marker for the time to recurrence and outcome after endocrine therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 50 patients who had been diagnosed with bone metastatic prostate cancer. HER-2 overexpression in the prostatic tissue by biopsy was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the Hercep test. The results were scored into four levels by two pathologists; scores greater than 1+ were considered positive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HER-2 staining score was 0, 1+, 2+, 3+, and indeterminate in 28, 4, 11, 6, and 1 case, respectively. HER-2 was overexpressed (greater than 1+) in 21 patients (42%). The cause-specific survival and nonrecurrence rates were significantly lower in the HER-2-positive group than in the negative group (P = 0.0084 and P = 0.0485, respectively). Furthermore, the cause-specific survival rate after recurrence was significantly greater in the HER-2-negative group than in the positive group (P = 0.0247).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We consider that HER-2 overexpression, as measured by immunohistochemistry, may be useful as a marker of an unfavorable prognosis by predicting the interval until relapse and outcome after endocrine therapy in patients with bone metastatic prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Kogenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taki
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saga
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases