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Prognostic significance of HER2/neu expression in gastric cancer

Prognostische Bedeutung einer Expression von HER2/neu beim Magencarcinom

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Zusammenfassung

HINTERGRUND: Das Magenkarzinom ist in vielen Ländern noch immer die häufigste Neoplasie. Deshalb werden neben den als Prognose Marker bekannten klinisch pathologischen Faktoren neue unabhängige Parameter untersucht. Immer mehr Daten deuten darauf hin, dass bei Patienten mit dieser Krebserkrankung eine Expression von HER2/neu eine Rolle spielt. Solide Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass diese Expression mit einem schlechten Ausgang und einem aggressiveren Erkrankungsverlauf korreliert ist. PATIENTEN UND METHODEN: Fünfzig Magenkarzinom Gewebsproben wurden mittels Immunhistochemie auf das Vorliegen von HER2/neu untersucht. Es wurde versucht zu erheben, ob ein Zusammenhang zwischen einer HER2/neu Expression und klinisch pathologischen Parametern der Patienten besteht. Außerdem wurde eine eventuelle prognostische Bedeutung einer HER2/neu Expression wurden erhoben. ERGEBNISSE: Eine HER2/neu Membranfärbung wurde bei 7 (14 %) Fällen gefunden. Die Patienten mit einer Her2/neu Überexpression hatten im Vergleich zu den HER2/neu negativen Patienten eine schlechtere Prognose nach chirurgischer Therapie (p = 0.001, Log-rank test). Es wurde kein Zusammenhang zwischen einer HER2/neu Expression und klinisch-pathologischen Parametern gefunden. SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN: Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass eine immunhistochemisch erhobene HER2/neu Überexpression mit der Überlebensrate der Patienten korreliert. Dies fassen wir als ein gutes indirektes Maß der Qualität unserer Untersuchungen auf. Die Methode könnte daher einen Wert als prognostischer Marker beim Magenkrebs haben.

Summary

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is still the most prevalent neoplasia in many countries. Therefore, besides the clinicopathological factors known to be prognostic markers, new independent parameters are being investigated. There is mounting evidence of the role of HER2/neu expression in patients with this type of cancer, and it has been solidly correlated to poor outcomes and a more aggressive disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty gastric cancer tissue specimens were examined for the presence of HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between HER2/neu expression and patient clinicopathological parameters was evaluated and the prognostic significance of HER2/neu expression was assessed. RESULTS: HER2/neu membrane staining was detectable in 7 (14.0%) cases. The patients with HER2/neu overexpression had worse prognosis after surgical therapy compared with those without expression of HER2/neu (p = 0.001, Log-rank test). No relationship was found between HER2/neu expression and other clinicopathological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Using immunohistochemistry, our data showed that the association between HER2/neu overexpression and patient survival provides a good indirect validation for quality of this investigation and it may act as a prognostic parameter in gastric cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General and Clinical Pathology, Department of Medical Faculty, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    Julian Ananiev & Maya Gulubova

  2. Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    Irena Manolova

  3. Medical faculty, Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    Georgi Tchernev

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  1. Julian Ananiev
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  2. Maya Gulubova
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  3. Irena Manolova
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  4. Georgi Tchernev
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Correspondence to Georgi Tchernev.

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Ananiev, J., Gulubova, M., Manolova, I. et al. Prognostic significance of HER2/neu expression in gastric cancer. Wien Klin Wochenschr 123, 450–454 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-011-0025-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-011-0025-9

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