Radiation effects on development of HER2-positive breast carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Neither hormone-related nor genetics risk factors have been associated with the development of highly proliferative HER2-positive breast carcinomas. Because the majority of HER2-positive tumors present the amplification of the oncogene, we asked whether genomic instability triggered by irradiation might be involved in the induction of HER2-overexpressing breast carcinomas.


METHODS
Sixty-six infiltrating breast carcinomas from patients treated with radiation therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma or other pediatric solid tumors and a control series of 61 consecutive sporadic breast tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for HER2 expression with HercepTest. A panel of antibodies against estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, c-kit, cytokeratin 5/6, p53, and ki67 antigen was also used to identify differentiation subsets and molecular characteristics of the analyzed breast carcinomas.


RESULTS
Although no differences between the two tumor series were found with respect to HER2 expression scored 2+ and 3+, the percentage of 3+ HER2-positive tumors was significantly higher in patients irradiated during breast maturation compared with patients irradiated after breast maturation (35.3% versus 12.5%, P = 0.046). In the latter group, 52.5% of the breast carcinomas showed basal-like differentiation (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 negative) versus only 5.9% in the group irradiated during breast development (P < 0.0001). Analysis adjusted for age confirmed the significant increase in basal-like tumor development in patients irradiated within 4 years of menarche, but also showed that the differences between patients irradiated before and after puberty in HER2 3+ tumor frequencies are due to age-related differences in HER2 3+ tumor onset.


CONCLUSIONS
Together, our data indicate that the development of HER2-positive tumors correlates with timing rather than type of carcinogenic hits and provide clear evidence that radiation is a risk factor for breast carcinomas showing basal-like differentiation.
Castiglioni
Fabio
F
Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Terenziani
Monica
M
Carcangiu
Maria Luisa
ML
Miliano
Raffaella
R
Aiello
Piera
P
Bertola
Lorenzo
L
Triulzi
Tiziana
T
Gasparini
Patrizia
P
Camerini
Tiziana
T
Sozzi
Gabriella
G
Fossati-Bellani
Franca
F
Ménard
Sylvie
S
Tagliabue
Elda
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases