Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1997 Jun 1;79(11):2162-70.
doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970601)79:11<2162::aid-cncr14>3.0.co;2-u.

Prognostic significance of HER-2/neu gene amplification status by fluorescence in situ hybridization of prostate carcinoma

J S Ross  1 , C E Sheehan, A M Hayner-Buchan, R A Ambros, B V Kallakury, R P Kaufman Jr, H A Fisher, M D Rifkin, P J Muraca
Affiliations

Prognostic significance of HER-2/neu gene amplification status by fluorescence in situ hybridization of prostate carcinoma

J S Ross et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: HER-2/neu gene amplification, established as a prognostic factor in breast carcinoma and other cancers, has not been correlated with outcome in prostate carcinomas (PCs).

Methods: HER-2/neu gene amplification was determined by automated fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using a unique sequence cosmid probe on 113 formalin fixed, paraffin embedded 4-microns tissue sections and the results compared with tumor grade, DNA ploidy, HER-2/neu protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), serum prostate specific antigen, pathologic stage, and postoperative disease recurrence (mean follow-up of 44 months).

Results: HER-2/neu gene amplification by FISH (41% of PCs) correlated with tumor grade (P = 0.001) and DNA ploidy status (P = 0.0003). HER-2/neu protein overexpression by IHC (29% of PCs) correlated with grade (P = 0.03), but not with DNA ploidy. A trend for similar HER-2/neu status in each PC by IHC and FISH did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.25). On univariate analysis, HER-2/neu amplification by FISH (P = 0.029), tumor grade (P = 0.013), and DNA ploidy (P = 0.016) correlated with postoperative disease recurrence. HER-2/neu expression by IHC did not correlate with outcome. On multivariate analysis, grade (P = 0.0001) and ploidy (P = 0.001) were independent outcome predictors; HER-2/neu amplification by FISH reached near-independent significance (P = 0.125).

Conclusions: HER-2/neu gene amplification by FISH on archival PCs significantly correlates with grade and DNA ploidy status, is more sensitive than IHC in detecting HER-2/neu gene abnormalities, predicts postoperative disease recurrence, and may prove important in planning therapy for patients with prostate carcinoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

MeSH terms