What does HER2/neu amplified mean?
What does HER2/neu amplified mean?
The HER2/neu gene product is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor belonging to a family of epidermal growth factor receptors structurally related to the human epidermal growth factor receptor. HER2/neu is overexpressed or amplified in approximately 30% of human breast cancers and is a poor prognostic feature.
What does HER2/neu status indicate?
HER2 is the more common name for the gene called ERBB2. HER2 (or HER2/neu) stands for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The job of HER2 is to control a protein on the surface of cells that helps them grow….What the results mean.
| Scale | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3+ | The HER2 is higher than normal. The tumour is HER2 positive. |
What causes HER2 gene amplification?
This is caused by a mutation in the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) gene. When the HER2 gene mutates, it causes cells in the breast to grow and divide at an uncontrolled rate, leading to tumor growth.
Is HER2/neu positive breast cancer genetic?
HER2-positive breast cancer is not inherited. Instead, it’s considered a somatic genetic mutation. This type of mutation occurs after conception. Having a close relative with HER2-positive breast cancer does not increase your risk for breast cancer or HER2-positive breast cancer.
What cancers can be HER2-positive?
Cancers that may be HER2 positive include breast, bladder, pancreatic, ovarian, and stomach cancers. Also called c-erbB-2 positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive.
Is it better to be HER2-positive or triple negative?
Breast cancer cells with higher than normal levels of HER2 are called HER2-positive. These cancers tend to grow and spread faster than breast cancers that are HER2-negative, but are much more likely to respond to treatment with drugs that target the HER2 protein.
Do you need chemo if you are HER2-negative?
Many women with hormone-positive, HER2-negative, lymph node-negative early-stage breast cancer who have intermediate risk of cancer recurrence do not need chemotherapy. The exception is that some women who are younger than 50 may benefit when chemotherapy is added to hormone therapy.
Is HER-2/neu gene amplification related to receptor protein overexpression in breast carcinoma?
In breast carcinoma, HER-2/neu gene amplification and receptor protein overexpression are tightly correlated and have prognostic and therapeutic implications. Methods: We used 54 randomly selected TCC specimens obtained from 1998 to 2000. Each specimen was fixated in 10% neutral-buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin.
How is HER2/neu expression determined?
Her2/neu expression was determined by Immuno-histochemistry (IHC). Equivocal and some selected cases were submitted for FISH to detect Her2/neu gene amplification.
Is Her-2/neu protein overexpression present in human bladder TCC?
Conclusions: HER-2/neu protein overexpression is present in human bladder TCC, with a statistically significant increase in overexpression in grade 3, and invasive specimens. Gene amplification does not appear to be the mechanism of protein overexpression.
Is HER2 a prognostic factor in gastric cancer?
However, the role of Her2 as a prognostic factor in gastric cancer is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of Her2 oncogene overexpression and concordance between the results for Her2 protein expression and gene amplification.