title: Preoperative serum levels of c-erbB-2 do not seem to be useful in management of patients with rectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Soluble c-erbB-2 oncoprotein has been proven as a useful marker in the management of breast cancer patients, but its value in diagnostics and follow-up of colorectal cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum c-erbB-2 monitoring in diagnostics and prediction of disease outcome in rectal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 88 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma before surgery and from 41 healthy controls were tested for the presence of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein by ELISA, and the patients were followed up for at least 5 years after the surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels were significantly higher in stage IV patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001) and did not show correlation with preoperative CEA levels. Elevated preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels showed relatively high specificity (88%) and low sensitivity (44%) in the diagnosis of rectal cancer. Elevated preoperative oncoprotein levels were predictive neither for overall survival nor for development of local recurrence/distant metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels were significantly higher in rectal cancer patients than in healthy controls, the soluble c-erbB-2 does not seem to be useful in the diagnosis of rectal cancer due to its low sensitivity. Preoperative serum levels of this oncoprotein were predictive neither for overall survival nor for local recurrence/distant metastases in rectal cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Sisters of Charity University Hospital, Vinogradska 29, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dujo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kovacević
authors.forename: Zdenko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sonicki
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kusić
authors.forename: Ante
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bolanca
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grubisić
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lukac
authors.forename: Josip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukac
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003082:Colectomy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases