title: Clinical role of HER-2/neu expression in colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the HER-2/neu expression and its relationship with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 51 colorectal cancer patients who underwent resection with curative intent from January 2005 to March 2006 were included in this study. Patients were regularly followed up and survival data were obtained as of as April 2011. HER-2/neu protein expression was evaluated from tissue samples from the primary tumor using a semiquantitative standardized immunohistochemical staining kit. Staining intensity was scored as faint (1+), weak to moderate (2+) and moderate to strong (3+).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine (96.1%) patients showed 1+ staining, 2 (3.9%) 2+, while no case was strongly positive (3+) for HER-2/neu. No apparent association was noted between HER-2/neu expression and patients' age, gender, tumor location, tumor grade, stage and survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate (2+) overexpression of HER-2/neu was detected in a small proportion of colorectal cancer patients. Considering the low rate of HER-2/neu overexpression in colorectal cancer, studies with larger sample sizes using standardized tests are essential to understanding the biologic role of HER-2/neu in this disease.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Athens Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lagoudianakis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seretis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsiambas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koronakis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katergiannakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manouras
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D003082:Colectomy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human