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

• Published in: American journal of clinical pathology 2007-10, Vol.128 (4), p.630-637
• Main Authors: SCHIPPINGER, Walter, DANDACHI, Nadia, REGITNIG, Peter, HOFMANN, Günter, BALIC, Marija, NEUMANN, Rainer, SAMONIGG, Hellmut, BAUEMHOFER, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anthracyclines - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Receptor, ErbB-2 - metabolism; ROC Curve; Treatment Outcome; Tumors
• ISSN: 0002-9173; 1943-7722
• DOI: 10.1309/51KPD70348RP6XTE

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.