title: HER2 Testing and Clinical Decision Making in Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma: Guideline From the College of American Pathologists, American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
abstract: Context ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 or HER2) is currently the only biomarker established for selection of a specific therapy for patients with advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA). However, there are no comprehensive guidelines for the assessment of HER2 in patients with GEA. Objectives To establish an evidence-based guideline for HER2 testing in patients with GEA, formalize the algorithms for methods to improve the accuracy of HER2 testing while addressing which patients and tumor specimens are appropriate, and to provide guidance on clinical decision making. Design The College of American Pathologists (CAP), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) convened an Expert Panel to conduct a systematic review of the literature to develop an evidence-based guideline with recommendations for optimal HER2 testing in patients with GEA. Results The Panel is proposing 11 recommendations with strong agreement from the open comment participants. Recommendations The Panel recommends that tumor specimen(s) from all patients with advanced GEA, who are candidates for HER2-targeted therapy, should be assessed for HER2 status before the initiation of HER2-targeted therapy. Clinicians should offer combination chemotherapy and an HER2-targeted agent as initial therapy for all patients with HER2-positive advanced GEA. For pathologists, guidance is provided for morphologic selection of neoplastic tissue, testing algorithms, scoring methods, interpretation and reporting of results, and laboratory quality assurance. Conclusion This guideline provides specific recommendations for assessment of HER2 in patients with advanced GEA while addressing pertinent technical issues and clinical implications of the results.
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Angela N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bartley
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colasacco
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Christina B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Nofisat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ismaila
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Al B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrato
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gulley
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Dhanpat
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakar
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Helen J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Streutker
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troxell
authors.affiliation: Angela N. Bartley, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Mary Kay Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Carol Colasacco and Christina B. Ventura, College of American Pathologists, Northfield; Al B. Benson III, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Nofisat Ismaila, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Alfredo Carrato, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Margaret L. Gulley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Dhanpat Jain, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Sanjay Kakar, University of California, San Francisco, CA; Helen J. Mackay, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Catherine Streutker, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Laura Tang, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Megan Troxell, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; and Jaffer A. Ajani, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Jaffer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ajani
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D000465:Algorithms; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human