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Be precise! The need to consider the mechanisms for CEP17 copy number changes in breast cancer
Author(s) -
Viale Giuseppe
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.2593
Subject(s) - polysomy , fish <actinopterygii> , centromere , breast cancer , chromosome , medicine , biology , cancer , oncology , genetics , gene , fluorescence in situ hybridization , fishery
A recent paper by Marchiò and colleagues indicated that true polysomy of chromosome 17 is rare and that coincident CEP 17 centromere amplification may account for its overestimation in FISH testing for HER2 amplification, with a treat/not treat decision as the final important readout. Here the importance of relating HER2 copy number to cell count rather than a ratio with CEP17 is emphasized. This is central to ensuring that all who may respond to potentially life‐saving treatment with herceptin/lapatininib are not denied these drugs. Copyright © 2009 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.