COX-2 and Her-2/neu are overexpressed in Paget's disease of the vulva and the breast: results of a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
Paget's disease (PD) of the breast as well as the vulva is a rare condition that accounts for about 4% of breast neoplasms and 1% of vulvar malignancies. Recurrent disease after breast and vulvar surgery might be a challenge. To evaluate relevant molecules therapeutically, tissue from mammary and vulvar PD lesions was investigated immunohistochemically.


METHODS
Histopathologic samples from 11 patients with mammary PD and eight patients with vulvar PD were stained with antibodies against estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER-2/neu and COX-2 followed by semiquantitative evaluation of the staining results.


RESULTS
All tested mammary lesions as well as seven out of eight vulvar PD were negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors. Strong membranous staining for HER-2/neu (Score 3) was seen in all cases. Six out of 8 vulvar and 10 out of 11 mammary PD showed COX-2 overexpression.


CONCLUSIONS
PD of the breast and vulva are negative for estrogens and progesterons, therefore, anti-hormonal therapy is not indicated. The high frequency of Her-2/neu and COX-2 overexpression, however, suggests that these molecules could be therapeutically relevant in patients with PD. These results require further investigation.
Horn
Lars-Christian
LC
Institute of Pathology, Division of Gynecologic and Perinatal Pathology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 26, Leipzig, 04103, Germany. hornl@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Purz
Sandra
S
Krumpe
Christine
C
Bilek
Karl
K
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010145:Paget Disease, Extramammary / Q000378:metabolism*; D010144:Paget's Disease, Mammary / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human