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Serial serum c‐ erb B‐2 levels in patients with breast carcinoma
Author(s) -
Volas Gena H.,
Leitzel Kim,
Teramoto Yoshio,
Grossberg Howard,
Demers Laurence,
Lipton Allan
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960715)78:2<267::aid-cncr12>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - medicine , breast carcinoma , breast cancer , megestrol acetate , carcinoma , erbb , ca 15 3 , cancer , oncology , ca15 3
BACKGROUND Recently, the extracellular domain of the c‐ erb B‐2 oncogene product (HER‐2/ neu ) has been reported to be elevated in the serum of one‐fourth of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. The role of serum c‐ erb B‐2 as a tumor marker, however, is still poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of serial serum c‐ erb B‐2 levels as a tumor marker in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. METHODS C‐ erb B‐2 levels in the sera of patients with breast carcinoma were determined by an enzyme immunoassay that detects the extracellular domain of c‐ erb B‐2. Serum c‐ erb B‐2 levels were evaluated prior to treatment as well as throughout the course of treatment with second‐line hormonal therapy employing either megestrol acetate or fadrozole, an experimental aromatase inhibitor. RESULTS Fifty‐eight of 300 patients (19.3%) had elevated pretreatment serum c‐ erb B‐2 levels. Of these 58 patients with elevated pretreatment c‐ erb B‐2, 48 had more than 1 visit which enabled us to quantitate serial c‐ erb B‐2 levels throughout the course of treatment. Of these 48 patients, 28 (58.3%) had serial c‐ erb B‐2 values that correlated with the clinical course. CONCLUSIONS Serial serum c‐ erb B‐2 levels did not show a high overall correlation with the clinical course in this group of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma treated with second‐line hormonal therapy. Cancer 1996;78:267‐72.