Surgery department of Kosin University Hospital in Pusan, Korea
Corresponding Author:
Chung Han Lee ,Tel: +82-51-990-6462, Fax: +82-51-243-6093, Email: lovebreast@naver.com
Received: November 20, 2010; Accepted: December 23, 2010.
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ABSTRACT
Purpose: the extracellular ligand-domains of HER-2/neu can be detected in the bloodstream. Many reports have
determined the association between increased serum HER-2/neu concentration and decreased response the
chemotherapy. The aims of our study were to assess the correlation between serum HER-2/neu and
clinocopathologic factors and to assess the effect of serum HER-2/neu on disease free survival rate.
Materials and Methods: The study subjects, 167 women with breast cancer, were a subset of patients operated at
OOO hospital from Jan 2005 to Dec 2006. Patients are grouped into 2 categories according to serum HER-2/neu
determined in the preoperative serum level. Clincopathologic factors were compared with 2 categories of serum
HER-2 level. Chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis. Kaplan?Meier estimates are presented for the
survival and differences in survival were analyzed using log rank test.
Results: The median age was 54 years, median tumor size was 3.2cm. there is no significant correlation between
tumor staging and serum HER-2/neu level.(p=0.190). The number of patients with HER-2/neu positive at
histopathologic report was correlated with serum HER-2/neu level.(p=0.035) and ER receptor negativity was also
correlated with serum HER-2/neu.(p=0.046) The univariate analysis for prognostic factors associated with disease
free survival revealed that the serum HER-2/neu as <15ng/ml, °√15ng/ml was statically significant.(p=0.001) and
tumor size as T1, T2, T3 or T4 was also statistically significant.(p=0.007) but lymph node status as N0, N1, N2 or N3
was not statistically significant.(p=0.553)
Conclusion: According to our study, serum HER-2/neu was not associated with more advanced staging, ER-status,
PR-status, HER-2/neu positive respectively. But there is significant association between serum HER-2/ neu and 3-
year disease free survival .
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