title: Hormone receptor expression is associated with a unique pattern of metastatic spread and increased survival among HER2-overexpressing breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  HER2/neu (HER2) overexpression occurs in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is associated with aggressive disease. Although a significant number of HER2-positive tumors also express hormone receptors (HR), the effects HR expression has on clinical characteristics, including response to trastuzumab among HER2-positive breast cancer, has not been elucidated yet.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of consecutive metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients was conducted in 2 medical centers. Associations between hormone receptors expression and clinical variables, and metastatic spread pattern and survival were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population included 137 metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients, 56 of them were HR-positive and 81 were HR-negative. No significant differences between the 2 groups were found for demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, stage at diagnosis, tumor histology, and grade. Similar response rate to trastuzumab was observed in both study groups. Significantly, longer, median, disease-free, and overall survival was noted among the HR-positive patients. Patients in the HR-negative group had significantly more liver metastases, a trend for more brain metastases, and less bone metastases. There was a strong trend for more visceral metastases in the HR-negative group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest an important role for HR expression in modulating metastases predilection and disease progression in HER2-positive breast cancer.
authors: Institute of Oncology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
authors: Shani
authors: S
authors: Paluch-Shimon
authors: Noa
authors: N
authors: Ben-Baruch
authors: Ido
authors: I
authors: Wolf
authors: Lior
authors: L
authors: Zach
authors: Juri
authors: J
authors: Kopolovic
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kruglikova
authors: Tami
authors: T
authors: Modiano
authors: Ady
authors: A
authors: Yosepovich
authors: Raphael
authors: R
authors: Catane
authors: Bella
authors: B
authors: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab