The predictive value of EGFR and HER-2/neu in tumor tissue and serum for response to anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer

Am J Clin Pathol. 2007 Oct;128(4):630-7. doi: 10.1309/51KPD70348RP6XTE.

Abstract

We investigated the predictive value of HER-2/neu and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in tumor tissue and prechemotherapy serum for histopathologic response in 108 patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Response to chemotherapy, assessed by histopathologic classification of regression (grade 0 [no therapy effect] to 4 [no residual tumor]), correlated significantly with prechemotherapy serum HER-2/neu levels. Median prechemotherapy serum HER-2/neu levels were significantly higher in patients with regression grades 1 through 4 compared with those in patients with regression grade 0 (9.6 vs 8.55 ng/mL; P = .011; 95% confidence interval [CI], .009-.014). Median pretreatment serum HER-2/neu levels of patients with complete pathologic response (pCR) were significantly higher than in patients with moderate or no treatment response (10.95 vs 9.1 ng/mL; P = .041; 95% CI, .036-.046). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a serum HER-2/neu value of more than 10.3 ng/mL to predict a pCR with 80% sensitivity and 69.4% specificity. There was no significant correlation of response with HER-2/neu and EGFR scores in tumor tissue or with serum EGFR levels. Results demonstrate prechemotherapy serum HER-2/neu to be a significant predictor of response to neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anthracyclines / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • ROC Curve
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anthracyclines
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Receptor, ErbB-2