title: HER3 overexpression as an independent indicator of poor prognosis for patients with curatively resected pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) overexpression and survival in patients with curatively resected pancreatic cancer was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue samples from 126 pancreatic cancers without hematogenous or peritoneal metastases recovered from macroscopically curative resection were fixed with formalin, embedded in paraffin and subjected to immunohistochemical staining. Semiquantitative scores of zero (no staining or staining in less than 10% of cancer cells), 1+, 2+, or 3+ were assigned to each sample based on the intensity of staining. Scores of 2+ or 3+ were defined as HER3-positive staining, i.e., HER3 overexpression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HER3 overexpression was observed in 52 of the 126 tissue samples (41.3%). There were no associations between HER3 overexpression and clinicopathological factors, including tumor location, tumor size, tumor differentiation, T/N categories according to the International Union against Cancer, and serum carbohydrate antibody 19-9 level (CA19-9). Univariate analysis demonstrated the median survival time of patients with HER3 overexpression was 37.2 months, while that of patients with HER3-negative samples was 58.6 months (p = 0.008). HER3 overexpression, lymph node metastasis, and elevated serum CA19-9 level were independent predictors of poor prognosis based on multivariate survival analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A new prognostic predictor, HER3 overexpression, was identified for resected pancreatic cancer.
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Toshiki
authors: T
authors: Hirakawa
authors: Bunzo
authors: B
authors: Nakata
authors: Ryosuke
authors: R
authors: Amano
authors: Kenjiro
authors: K
authors: Kimura
authors: Sadatoshi
authors: S
authors: Shimizu
authors: Go
authors: G
authors: Ohira
authors: Nobuya
authors: N
authors: Yamada
authors: Masaichi
authors: M
authors: Ohira
authors: Kosei
authors: K
authors: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3