Expression of Her-2/neu oncogene protein product and epidermal growth factor receptors in surgical specimens of human breast cancers

Her-2/neu protein producft was immunocytochemically analyzed in 139 breast cancers. Epidermal growth factor receptors were similarly analyzed in 74 breast cancers from the same patient pool. These results were also separated on the basis of estrogen receptor proteins and of combined aneuploidy with elevated S-phase from flow cytometry. Invasive breast cancer yielded a positive label for Her-2/neu protein (26%) and for epidermal growth factor receptor (25%), with no significant difference. Correlations with estrogen receptor labeling yielded differences significant inversely for both Her-2/neu protein (p
The biology of growth factors and oncogenes is an active area of breast cancer research. Oncogenes are variants of normal cell genes which under certain conditions have the ability to change normal cells into cancer cells. Expression of one oncogene, Her-2/neu, in the tumor has been linked to higher than expected rates of breast cancer recurrence and mortality. The level of epidermal growth factor found in the fluid in macrocysts (large breast cysts) has been correlated with other factors of increased risk for future breast cancer. The clinical features of epidermal growth factor have not been extensively studied. A study was undertaken on 139 breast cancer patients; all specimens were analyzed for Her-2/neu, and 74 of these were also analyzed for epidermal growth factor receptors. Invasive cancers showed no significant difference between Her-2/neu and epidermal growth factor receptor; both factors were inversely related to hormone (estrogen) receptor status. Epidermal growth factor receptor status seemed to identify a group of breast cancers with a worse prognosis than did Her-2/neu labeling. When epidermal growth factor receptor and Her-2/neu protein were both found in the same cancer, there was usually a poor prognosis. These findings suggest that epidermal growth factor receptor study provides additional information regarding prognosis to that available from identification of Her-2/neu level, meaning that the information supplied by these two analyses is not redundant. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)