Background: Racial disparity in presentation and outcome of breast cancer is established but cause is unexplained. Many studies show various molecular markers for racial differences in the prognosis of breast cancer. There is scarcity of data on prognostic significance of HER-2/neu in Indian breast cancer.
Aims and objective: To know incidence and prognostic significance of HER-2/neu expression in Indian patients. To correlate HER-2/neu Expression with other prognostic markers and ER/PR Receptor status.
Material and methods: 112 consecutive patients with breast cancer attending the Department of Surgical Oncology from March 1997 to March 2000 were included in this study. The clinical data along with ER/PR status, follow up data and HER-2/neu expression examined by immuno-histochemical method was recorded.
Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis for all prognostic factors. Significance was calculated by using Chi square test and survival analysis by using Kaplan Meier survival curve.
Results: The median age of 112 patients was 46.56 (±9.55) years. HER-2/neu over expression was present in 46.37%. Significant correlation was found between HER-2/neu over expression and lymph node status, grade of tumor and ER/PR receptor status. Median follow up period of 23 months. There was significant tumour free survival advantage (p < 0.01) and overall survival advantage (p < 0.001) in patients with HER-2/neu negative expression.
Conclusion: HER-2/neu oncogene over expression is higher (46.37%) among Indian patients in comparison to 25-30% shown in most western literature. HER-2/neu oncogene over expression significantly correlates with grade, lymph node involvement, ER/PR status and also affects survival.
Keywords: Breast cancer in India; HER 2 expression; Prognostic markers.