J Breast Cancer.  2007 Sep;10(3):206-210. 10.4048/jbc.2007.10.3.206.

Alteration of Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and HER-2 Expression in Breast Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

• Lee JW
• Han W
• Ko E
• Cho J
• Jung SY
• Kim EK
• Keam B
• Im SA
• Lee HC
• Park IA
• Oh SK
• Youn YK
• Kim SW
• Hwang KT
• Noh DY

• KMID: 2175037
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2007.10.3.206

Abstract

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the concordance of the immunohistochemical profiles of core biopsy before administrating neoadjuvant chemotherapy with that of the surgical specimens after a definitive operation for breast cancer.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER-2 expressions in 130 consecutive patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and were followed by surgery during the period between February 2002 and March 2006. The pathologic complete tumor response rate for this group was 4.6% (6/130). Both the pre- and post-operative immunohistochemical profiles were available in 32 of the 124 patients (25.8%). Immunohistochemical staining was done on the core biopsies before chemotherapy and on the surgical specimens after operation.
RESULTS
There were 12 markers from 11 patients that were altered out of the 96 total markers (ER, PR, or HER-2) from 32 patients: 2 ER (2/12, 16.7%), 4 PR (4/12, 33.3%), and 6 HER-2 (6/12, 50.0%). One patient simultaneously had changes in the expressions of PR and HER-2. Conversion of the hormone receptor status occurred in 3 patients (3/32, 9.4%): this was positive to negative in two, and vice versa in one. In addition, there were 6 conversions (6/32, 18.8%) of the HER-2 status from negative to positive.
CONCLUSION
The hormone receptor status changed in 9.4% of the 32 patients and the HER-2 status changed in 18.8% of the 32 patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We have concluded that conducting only a single immunohistochemical study about ER, PR, and HER-2 may not be enough to exactly estimate the tumor marker status in the neoadjuvant setting.

Keyword

Breast cancer; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Tumor marker expression; Steroid hormone receptor; HER-2

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Breast Neoplasms*
Breast*
Drug Therapy*
Estrogens*
Humans
Receptors, Progesterone*
Retrospective Studies
Estrogens
Receptors, Progesterone

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