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. 2012 May 15;4(5):103-8.
doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v4.i5.103.

Relationship between HER-2 overexpression and brain metastasis in esophageal cancer patients

Taher Abu Hejleh  1 , Barry R Deyoung, Eric Engelman, Jeremy M Deutsch, Bridget Zimmerman, Thorvardur R Halfdanarson, Daniel J Berg, Kalpaj R Parekh, William R Lynch, Mark D Iannettoni, Sudershan Bhatia, Gerald Clamon
Affiliations

Relationship between HER-2 overexpression and brain metastasis in esophageal cancer patients

Taher Abu Hejleh et al. World J Gastrointest Oncol. .

Abstract

Aim: To study if HER-2 overexpression by locally advanced esophageal cancers increase the chance of brain metastasis following esophagectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between 2000 and 2010. Data analyzed consisted of demographic and clinical variables. The brain metastasis tissue was assayed for HER-2 overexpression utilizing the FDA approved DAKO Hercept Test(®).

Results: One hundred and forty two patients were reviewed. Median age was 64 years (36-86 years). Eighty eight patients (62%) received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Pathological complete and partial responses were achieved in 17 (19%) and 71 (81%) patients. Cancer relapsed in 43/142 (30%) patients. The brain was the first site of relapse in 9/43 patients (21%, 95% CI: 10%-36%). HER-2 immunohistochemistry testing of the brain metastasis tissue showed that 5/9 (56%) cases overexpressed HER-2 (3+ staining).

Conclusion: HER-2 overexpression might be associated with increased risk of brain metastasis in esophageal cancer patients following esophagectomy. Further studies will be required to validate this observation.

Keywords: Brain Neoplasms; Brain metastasis; Esophageal cancer; Esophageal neoplasm; Genes, erbB-2; HER-2.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall survival for all patients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overall survival for the patients who had pathological complete response or partial response. pCR: Pathological complete response; pPR: Pathological partial response.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Brain metastasis staining for HER-2. A: 0 HER-2 staining; B: 3+ HER-2 staining.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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