title: HER-3 expression in HER-2-amplified breast carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the expression of HER-3 influences the survival of HER-2 positive patients with breast cancer (BC).
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present work, the expression of HER-3 in a group of 35 HER-2 positive patients with BC was studied by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher HER-3 status if estimated by IHC correlated significantly with older age of the patients. HER-3 expression did not correlate with estrogen or progesterone receptor status, pT or pN. There was also no significant difference in disease-free or overall survival (DFS and OS) between groups with different HER-3 expression, although some tendencies were seen as HER-3 expression in over 50% of cells was a factor of worse 5- and 10-year survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies should be performed on a larger group of patients to confirm the prognostic role of HER-3 status determined by IHC in BC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czopek
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawlęga
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Krakow University of Economics, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fijorek
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Püsküllüoğlu
authors.affiliation: "Kopernik" Oncology Center, Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Różanowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okoń
keywords: HER-2; HER-3; breast cancer; immunohistochemistry; prognostic factor