HER2 expression in Brazilian patients with estrogen and progesterone receptor-negative breast carcinoma.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between clinical and pathological factors and survival in patients with double negative HER2-overexpressing carcinoma and triple negative carcinoma. One hundred and sixty-one (161) patients diagnosed with breast cancer negative for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were included. Of the total, 58 patients had double negative HER2-overexpressing (ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive) and 103 had triple negative (ER-negative, PR-negative and HER2-negative). ER and PR expression was assessed through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and HER2 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry and Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis in tissue microarray. More than 80% had stages II and III disease and histologic grade III and nuclear grade 3. Patients with triple negative breast carcinoma had undifferentiated histologic types in 11% of cases and vascular invasion in 14.5%. Both groups had more than 50% visceral metastases. HER2 expression (p=0.42) and vascular invasion (p=0.05) did not interfere with survival. Survival of patients with Stages I-II disease was significantly longer than in those with Stage III disease both for double negative HER2-overexpressing carcinomas (p<0.0001) and triple negative carcinomas (p=0.03). The study shows that hormone receptor-negative breast carcinomas were undifferentiated and diagnosed at advanced stages and that HER2 expression was not associated with overall survival.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, School of Medicine, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. susana_ramalho@hotmail.com
Susana
S
Ramalho
Katia Piton
KP
Serra
Jose
J
Vassallo
Fernando Augusto
FA
Soares
Glauce Aparecida
GA
Pinto
Luiz Carlos
LC
Teixeira
Isabela Werneck
IW
da Cunha
Sophie F M
SF
Derchain
Gustavo
G
de Souza
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human