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HER2 status in hormone receptor positive premenopausal primary breast cancer adds prognostic, but not tamoxifen treatment predictive, information.

Rydén, Lisa LU orcid ; Landberg, Göran LU ; Stal, Olle ; Nordenskjold, Bo ; Fernö, Mårten LU and Bendahl, Pär-Ola LU (2008) In Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 109(2). p.351-357
Abstract
Background Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or amplification of its gene is a prognostic factor in primary breast cancer and a predictor for tamoxifen treatment efficacy in oestrogen receptor (ER) positive disease. In the present study we explored a defined cohort of breast cancer patients included in a randomised trial in order to assess prognostic and tamoxifen treatment information yielded by HER2 status.

Methods Premenopausal breast cancer patients with stage II tumours (n = 564) were included and allocated to 2 years of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment versus no adjuvant treatment. ER, progesterone receptor (PR) status and HER2 status was determined by immunohistochemistry using a tissue... (More)
Background Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or amplification of its gene is a prognostic factor in primary breast cancer and a predictor for tamoxifen treatment efficacy in oestrogen receptor (ER) positive disease. In the present study we explored a defined cohort of breast cancer patients included in a randomised trial in order to assess prognostic and tamoxifen treatment information yielded by HER2 status.

Methods Premenopausal breast cancer patients with stage II tumours (n = 564) were included and allocated to 2 years of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment versus no adjuvant treatment. ER, progesterone receptor (PR) status and HER2 status was determined by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray. HER2 amplification was analysed by fluorescent in situ hybridisation and tumours being amplified and/or HER2 3+ were considered HER2+. HER2 status was evaluable in 83% of the patients and 12.6% were HER2+. In untreated patients, HER2 was a negative prognostic factor in ER+ patients, HR 2.95; 95% CI: 1.61–5.38, p < 0.001, but not in ER- patients, HR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.28–1.61, p = 0.4, and a significant interaction between the two markers was found, p < 0.01. HER2 status was not related to tamoxifen treatment efficacy in ER+ patients (term of interaction p = 0.95). When stratifying for PR status, similar results were achieved.

Discussion HER2+ and ER+ breast cancer constituted a subgroup of tumours with poor prognosis in premenopausal breast cancer, whereas no treatment interaction was found between HER2 status and tamoxifen in ER+ tumours. The poor prognosis in HER2+ and ER+ patients may interfere with the interpretation of HER2 data in non-randomised trials of adjuvant tamoxifen. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
volume
109
issue
2
pages
351 - 357
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000255954200017
  • scopus:43149123572
  • pmid:17636399
ISSN
1573-7217
DOI
10.1007/s10549-007-9660-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f4ced8ec-70c2-49be-b2ad-edf1aac401ea (old id 540653)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17636399&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:52:28
date last changed
2022-01-28 02:58:51
@article{f4ced8ec-70c2-49be-b2ad-edf1aac401ea,
  abstract     = {{Background Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or amplification of its gene is a prognostic factor in primary breast cancer and a predictor for tamoxifen treatment efficacy in oestrogen receptor (ER) positive disease. In the present study we explored a defined cohort of breast cancer patients included in a randomised trial in order to assess prognostic and tamoxifen treatment information yielded by HER2 status.<br/><br>
Methods Premenopausal breast cancer patients with stage II tumours (n = 564) were included and allocated to 2 years of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment versus no adjuvant treatment. ER, progesterone receptor (PR) status and HER2 status was determined by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray. HER2 amplification was analysed by fluorescent in situ hybridisation and tumours being amplified and/or HER2 3+ were considered HER2+. HER2 status was evaluable in 83% of the patients and 12.6% were HER2+. In untreated patients, HER2 was a negative prognostic factor in ER+ patients, HR 2.95; 95% CI: 1.61–5.38, p &lt; 0.001, but not in ER- patients, HR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.28–1.61, p = 0.4, and a significant interaction between the two markers was found, p &lt; 0.01. HER2 status was not related to tamoxifen treatment efficacy in ER+ patients (term of interaction p = 0.95). When stratifying for PR status, similar results were achieved.<br/><br>
Discussion HER2+ and ER+ breast cancer constituted a subgroup of tumours with poor prognosis in premenopausal breast cancer, whereas no treatment interaction was found between HER2 status and tamoxifen in ER+ tumours. The poor prognosis in HER2+ and ER+ patients may interfere with the interpretation of HER2 data in non-randomised trials of adjuvant tamoxifen.}},
  author       = {{Rydén, Lisa and Landberg, Göran and Stal, Olle and Nordenskjold, Bo and Fernö, Mårten and Bendahl, Pär-Ola}},
  issn         = {{1573-7217}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{351--357}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Breast Cancer Research and Treatment}},
  title        = {{HER2 status in hormone receptor positive premenopausal primary breast cancer adds prognostic, but not tamoxifen treatment predictive, information.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10549-007-9660-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10549-007-9660-2}},
  volume       = {{109}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}