c-erbB-2 Expression in Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): B.A. Gusterson, L.G. Machin, W.J. Gullick, N.M. Gibbs, T.J. Powles, C. Elliott, S. Ashley, P. Monaghan, S. Harrison
Primary Institution: Institute of Cancer Research
Hypothesis
Does c-erbB-2 overexpression correlate with lymph node status and prognosis in breast cancer?
Conclusion
c-erbB-2 protein is overexpressed in about 14% of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, but this overexpression does not correlate with lymph node involvement or prognosis.
Supporting Evidence
- 14 out of 103 infiltrating ductal carcinomas showed positive c-erbB-2 staining.
- 54 tumors had lymph node involvement, but staining was only seen in those with positive primary tumors.
- 10 out of 24 pure intraduct carcinomas showed membrane staining, while none of the benign conditions did.
Takeaway
Some breast cancer cells have a special protein called c-erbB-2 that can help doctors understand how serious the cancer is, but not all cancers with this protein are worse.
Methodology
The study used immunocytochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast biopsies to assess c-erbB-2 expression.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and did not find significant correlations with prognosis.
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