TY - JOUR
T1 - HER-2 expression and cell proliferation
T2 - Prognostic markers in patients with node-negative breast cancer
AU - Volpi, Annalisa
AU - Nanni, Oriana
AU - De Paola, Franca
AU - Granato, Anna Maria
AU - Mangia, Annita
AU - Monti, Franco
AU - Schittulli, Francesco
AU - De Lena, Mario
AU - Scarpi, Emanuela
AU - Rosetti, Paola
AU - Monti, Manlio
AU - Gianni, Lorenzo
AU - Amadori, Dino
AU - Paradiso, Angela
PY - 2003/7/15
Y1 - 2003/7/15
N2 - Purpose: We analyzed the clinical relevance of HER-2 expression, widely investigated in breast cancer but with contradictory results, in the largest case series of node-negative breast cancer patients investigated to date. Patients and Methods: The pure prognostic value of HER-2 expression was investigated in 529 patients treated with locoregional therapy alone until early relapse. Proliferative activity was evaluated as [3H]thymidine labeling index and HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry. All biologic determinations were conducted within the context of an intra- and interlaboratory National Quality Control Program. Results: HER-2 expression was not related to relapse-free survival in the overall series but was a significant discriminant of prognosis in the subgroup of patients with rapidly proliferating tumors. Six-year rate of relapse was 40% for patients with highly (≥30%) positive tumors and 26% for those with weakly HER-2-expressing tumors (P = .039). Conclusion: HER-2 expression in association with proliferative activity identifies a subgroup of node-negative breast cancer patients with the worst prognosis, who are candidates for specific intensive adjuvant therapy.
AB - Purpose: We analyzed the clinical relevance of HER-2 expression, widely investigated in breast cancer but with contradictory results, in the largest case series of node-negative breast cancer patients investigated to date. Patients and Methods: The pure prognostic value of HER-2 expression was investigated in 529 patients treated with locoregional therapy alone until early relapse. Proliferative activity was evaluated as [3H]thymidine labeling index and HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry. All biologic determinations were conducted within the context of an intra- and interlaboratory National Quality Control Program. Results: HER-2 expression was not related to relapse-free survival in the overall series but was a significant discriminant of prognosis in the subgroup of patients with rapidly proliferating tumors. Six-year rate of relapse was 40% for patients with highly (≥30%) positive tumors and 26% for those with weakly HER-2-expressing tumors (P = .039). Conclusion: HER-2 expression in association with proliferative activity identifies a subgroup of node-negative breast cancer patients with the worst prognosis, who are candidates for specific intensive adjuvant therapy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0041629495&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0041629495&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1200/JCO.2003.04.008
DO - 10.1200/JCO.2003.04.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 12860948
AN - SCOPUS:0041629495
VL - 21
SP - 2708
EP - 2712
JO - Journal of Clinical Oncology
JF - Journal of Clinical Oncology
SN - 0732-183X
IS - 14
ER -