title: Discrepancies between HER2 assessment from core needle biopsies and surgical specimens of invasive ductal breast carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of HER2 status is particularly important for qualifying patients for trastuzumab treatment of invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDC). HER2 assessment in core needle biopsies (CNBs) of IDC could contribute to a better therapy schedule.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed at examining the relationship between HER2 immunohistochemistry assessment scores in paired CNBs and whole tissue sections of IDC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed on paired samples of CNBs and whole tissue sections from 49 IDC patients operated on at the Lower Silesian Oncology Center in Wroclaw, Poland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Discrepancies in HER2 scores were noted in eleven (22.45%) of the paired samples analyzed. Three cases (6.12%) were underscored in the CNB specimens as compared to the surgical HER2 specimens, whereas eight cases (16.33%) were overscored in the CNB specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the high level of discrepancy between the tested pairs of IDC tissues, the authors recommend caution in assessing HER2 in CNB tissue specimens as a standard procedure. Wherever possible whole tissue sections should be utilized for HER2 assessment.
authors.affiliation: Lower Silesian Oncology Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojnar
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bartosz Puła
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podhorska-Okołów
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dzięgiel
mesh_terms: D062005:Biopsy, Large-Core Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human