RESUMO
Introduction: HER-2/neu is a membrane protein and it is one of the determining prognostic factors of breast cancer
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of the HER-2 membrane protein and clinical- pathological parameters such as size: degree of the tumor differentiation, presence or absence of lymphovascular invasion and its relation with steroid hormone and P53 status in breast cancer patients
Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was done on 465 cases of breast cancers referred to two cancer centers in Gilan from 1980-1985. Patients' demographic data, pathological and type of clinical therapy were gathered from their medical charts. All membrane samples taken by biopsy were embedded in paraffin and stained by hematoxylin-eosin technique and were evaluation by a semi-quantitative method of immunohisto- chemistery for HER2 protein, P53 and steroidal receptor
Results: A total of 32% of breast cancer patients had positive HER2 protein. There was a positive correlation between HER2 protein and P53 protein expression [P=0.000]. There was a positive relationship between presence of HER2 protein and absence of steroid receptor with high-grade tumor [grade 3][P=0.3] and absence of HER2 and presence of steroid receptor with low-grade tumor [grade 1] [P=0.5]. There was no correlation between HER2 and lymphovascular invasion and size of tumor
Conclusion: In breast cancer patients, there is a positive correlation between presence of HER2 protein and degree of tumor differentiation and it also correlates with poor prognostic factors such as hormone receptor negativity and P53 positivity