Testing HER-2/neu in Breast Cancer with New Techniques
Author Information
Author(s): Cathy B Moelans, Roel A Weger, Chantal Ezendam, Paul J van Diest
Primary Institution: University Medical Centre Utrecht
Hypothesis
Does manual and laser microdissection improve the accuracy of HER-2/neu amplification detection in breast cancer using MLPA?
Conclusion
Both manual and laser microdissection improve the accuracy of HER-2/neu amplification detection, but manual microdissection is often sufficient.
Supporting Evidence
- Concordance between MLPA and ISH improved from 61% to 84% after manual microdissection and to 90% after laser microdissection.
- Manual microdissection led to an increase in measured HER2 gene copy number.
- Microdissection may not be routinely necessary but is advisable in cases with very low tumor content.
Takeaway
This study looked at how two different ways of preparing breast cancer samples can help doctors get better test results for a specific gene that affects treatment.
Methodology
The study involved 42 breast cancer patients and compared HER-2/neu amplification detection using MLPA after manual and laser microdissection.
Potential Biases
Presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may have biased MLPA results in some cases.
Limitations
The study only included resection specimens and may not represent all breast cancer cases.
Participant Demographics
Patients were consecutive invasive breast cancer patients with varying tumor percentages.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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