Correlation of HER-2 Status with Estrogen, Progesterone Receptors and Histological Grading in 122 Invasive Breast Carcinomas

Salah A. Ali

doi:10.15218/zjms.2009.012

Authors

Salah A. Ali Assistant prof, of pathology & head of department

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2009.012

Keywords:

HER-2, ER, PR, breast cancers

Abstract

Background and objective: Many laboratory & clinical studies have suggested that there are important inverse relationships between expression of HER-2 oncoprotein and hormonal receptors(ER,PR),the prognosis & treatment are also greatly depend on hormonal receptor of neoplastic cells to define these relationships using standard immunohistochemistry for HER-2,ER and PR studies were performed in addition to routine histopahtological grading of carcinoma of the breast.

Methods: Between January 2006 and December 2008 at histopathology lab of Rezgary hospital & private lab, (122) women who were operated on for diagnostic excisional biopsies of the breast cancers to allow analysis of routinely resected tissue. Quantitative expression of HER-2,ER and PR was measured on the resected samples of the breast cancers with cutoff points HER-2,ER and PR positivity were 10.6%,5.5%,5% respectively in addition to routine study of histopathology for grading of cancers according to Nottingham modified Bloom & Richardson criteria.

Results: Immunohistochemical analysis for ER, PR, and HER-2 were performed. ER and PR expression were decreased significantly in HER-2 positive tumors compared with HER- 2 negative tumors (ER,15.57%,vs 41.8% vs. and PR, 13.11% vs. 37.70%;). Even among HER-2+ tumors, the rate of ER or PR expression in high-grade tumors was significantly decreased compared with intermediate grade tumors. HER-2 was positive in 73.3% of grade 2 and 66.6% of grade 3 ductal carcinomas and 6.89 in grade 1 ductal carcinomas. HER-2 expression essentially in grades 2 and 3 ductal carcinomas, very few cases in grade 1 and correlated inversely with ER or PR expression. Although ER or PR expression is decreased in HER-2+ tumors, a substantial proportion of them still express ER or PR.

Conclusion: The results of this study are consistent with the indication of inverse relationships between HER-2 and ER,PR increased ER and PR levels in low grade neoplastic tissue ,the low grade neoplasms responding to hormonal therapy while high grade responding to hormonal therapy while high grage responding to herceptin

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