title: The prognostic significance of human epidermal growth factor receptor family protein expression in operable pancreatic cancer : HER1-4 protein expression and prognosis in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Prognostic factors aid in the stratification and treatment of cancer. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family members (HER1-4) expression in patients with operable pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  
  The expression of individual HER proteins in patient tissue specimens was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Patient follow-up time was between 1.0 and 78.1 months.
  
  
  
  Positive expression of HER1, HER2, HER3 and HER4 was detected in 41.4, 60.0, 24.3 and 65.7% of cases, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that HER3 positive expression was associated with decreased median survival time (12.0 vs. 25.6 months for HER3 positive and negative groups, respectively; P = 0.013). Cox's regression confirmed that positive HER3 expression was an independent predictor of poor survival (RR = 3.684, P = 0.001). In contrast, HER4 negative patients had a significantly decreased median survival time when compared with HER4 positive patients (11.4 vs. 25.6 months, respectively; P = 0.027). However, HER4 was not an independent predictor of survival. No significant association between HER1 or HER2 expression and survival was observed (P = 0.626 & P = 0.859, respectively).
  
  
  
  HER3 is an independent prognostic marker for patients with operable pancreatic cancer. HER4 may also be of potential prognostic value in this disease and deserves further attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Experiments Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: XiuHong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Basic Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
authors.forename: Liuting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Basic Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China. oncology@ccmu.edu.cn.|Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Diseases, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. oncology@ccmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Bangwei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4
keywords: HER1; HER2; HER3; Pancreatic cancer; Prognosis