J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Jun;23(3):414-420. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.3.414.

Prognostic Significance of HER2 Gene Amplification According to Stage of Breast Cancer

• Kim YS
• Won YS
• Park KS
• Song BJ
• Kim JS
• Oh SJ
• Jeon HM
• Jung SS
• Park WC

• KMID: 1786878
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.3.414

Abstract

It is well known that the amplification of the HER2 gene is closely associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer. However, there is controversy about the clinical significance of HER2 according to lymph node status in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the differences in the prognostic significance of HER2 gene amplification according to the stages of breast cancer. We prepared a tissue array for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with breast cancer specimens from the surgery in 1994 to 1999. Total 338 cases of breast cancer were enrolled and the median follow-up period was 6.3 yr. The detection rates of HER2 gene amplification were as follows: 10.3% in stage I, 22.3% in stage II, and 43.8% in stage III. On survival analyses HER2-positive groups showed worse prognosis in stage III of breast cancer, but not in stage I or II. Multivariate analyses with a Cox-regression model also revealed that HER2 amplification was an independent prognostic factor only in stage III breast cancer. Regarding HER2 gene amplification as a prognostic factor of breast cancer, the clinical significance of the gene was found to be confined to advanced breast cancer.

Keyword

Breast Neoplasms; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Genes, erbB-2; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Breast Neoplasms/*genetics/mortality/*pathology
Disease Progression
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Gene Amplification
Genes, erbB-2/*genetics
Humans
*In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Neoplasm Staging
Prognosis
Proportional Hazards Models
Tumor Markers, Biological/genetics

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Disease-free survival (DFS) curves according to the stages of breast cancer. (A) stage I (B) stage II (C) stage III. Statistical significance between HER2 gene amplification -positive group (solid line) and -negative group (dotted line) was noted only in stage III of breast cancer.

• 

  Fig. 2 Overall survival (OS) curves according to the stages of breast cancer. (A) stage I (B) stage II (C) stage III. Statistical significance between HER2 gene amplification -positive group (solid line) and -negative group (dotted line) was noted only in stage III of breast cancer.

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