Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase family in fine needle aspiration and permanent specimens of invasive lobular and ductal breast cancers

Pak J Biol Sci. 2011 May 15;14(10):584-9. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2011.584.589.

Abstract

Recently, the role of HER-2/Neu gene amplification has been enthusiastically investigated in breast cancer. Determining the HER-2/Neu status could be achieved by evaluating either histologic samples or cytologic specimens obtained by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). This study aimed at determining the concordance of HER-2/Neu expression in FNA and histologic sections. FNA samples, as well as their corresponding histologic sections of 90 cases with breast cancer were evaluated in Tabriz Sina Teaching Center in a 13-month period of time. The immunohistochemistry was employed for determining the HER-2/Neu amplification for both methods. The concordance rate and agreement were determined between the two methods. Ninety specimens of women with a mean age of 50.93 +/- 10.64 (29-84) years were assessed. There were 84 cases with invasive ductal carcinoma and 6 cases with invasive lobular carcinoma. Lymph nodes were involved in 50 cases and there were vascular and neural involvement in 40 and 35 cases, respectively. Her-2/Neu was not detected in 27 cases (30%) with weak and strong amplifications in 47 (52.2%) and 16 (17.8%) cases of FNA specimens, respectively. Her-2/Neu was not detected in 29 cases (32.2%) with weak and strong amplifications in 42 (46.7%) and 19 (21.1%) cases of histologic specimens, respectively. The concordance rate was 70% between the two methods. The agree ment was statistically significant between the two methods, as well (kappa = 0.51, p < 0.001). HER-2/neu gene amplification can be reliably estimated by immunohistochemistry on breast cancer FNAs and a good correlation has been found between this and results on histological sections.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle / methods*
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle / standards
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / enzymology*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / enzymology*
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / pathology*
  • False Negative Reactions
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Histocytochemistry / methods
  • Histocytochemistry / standards
  • Humans
  • Iran
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2