HER2 expression in Brazilian patients with estrogen and progesterone receptor-negative breast carcinoma

Author(s)

Ramalho, Susana ^[1] ; Serra, Katia Piton ^[1] ; Vassallo, Jose ^[2] ; Soares, Fernando Augusto ^[3] ; Pinto, Glauce Aparecida ^[2] ; Teixeira, Luiz Carlos ^[1] ; da Cunha, Isabela Werneck ^[3] ; Derchain, Sophie F. M. ^[1] ; de Souza, Gustavo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, Sch Med, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Dept Pathol Anat, Sch Med, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Hosp Canc AC Camargo, Dept Pathol, Fundacao Antonio Prudente, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACTA HISTOCHEMICA; v. 115, n. 2, p. 120-127, 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between clinical and pathological factors and survival in patients with double negative HER2-overexpressing carcinoma and triple negative carcinoma. One hundred and sixty-one (161) patients diagnosed with breast cancer negative for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were included. Of the total, 58 patients had double negative HER2-overexpressing (ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive) and 103 had triple negative (ER-negative, PR-negative and HER2-negative). ER and PR expression was assessed through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and HER2 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry and Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis in tissue microarray. More than 80% had stages II and III disease and histologic grade III and nuclear grade 3. Patients with triple negative breast carcinoma had undifferentiated histologic types in 11% of cases and vascular invasion in 14.5%. Both groups had more than 50% visceral metastases. HER2 expression (p = 0.42) and vascular invasion (p = 0.05) did not interfere with survival. Survival of patients with Stages I-II disease was significantly longer than in those with Stage III disease both for double negative HER2-overexpressing carcinomas (p < 0.0001) and triple negative carcinomas (p = 0.03). The study shows that hormone receptor-negative breast carcinomas were undifferentiated and diagnosed at advanced stages and that HER2 expression was not associated with overall survival. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/17097-1 - Expression of COX-2 and p53 on molecular subtypes of breast invasive ductal carcinoma and evaluation of its power as a predictive and prognostic factor
• Grantee: Sophie Françoise Mauricette Derchain
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants