ELEVATED SERUM C-ERBB-2 PROTEIN-LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH PANCREATIC-CANCER - CORRELATION TO METASTASIS AND SHORTER SURVIVAL

Overexpression of the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene has been shown to correl ate with relapse and poor prognosis in adenocarcinomas of the breast a nd stomach. In pancreatic cancer, c-erbB-2 overexpression has been dem onstrated using immunohistochemistry, but the relationship between ser um c-erbB-2 level and clinical data has not been fully evaluated, In t his study, serum c-erbB-2 protein levels were measured in 100 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas and in 9 patients with mucin-producin g tumors. Immunohistochemical studies for c-erbB-2 protein were perfor med in 36 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas and 4 patients with mucin-producing tumors. The mean serum c-erbB-2 levels were 15.4 U/ml in pancreatic cancer patients and 4.0 U/ml in healthy controls (p < 0 .001). The positive rate for serum c-erbB-2 was 34% (37/109) in patien ts with pancreatic cancer and 0% (0/66) in patients with gallstones an d in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical study disclosed that the positive staining rate was 28% (8/29) in common ductal adeno carcinoma specimens, 43% (3/7) in metastic specimens, and 75% (3/4) in mucin-producing tumor specimens. Clinical evaluation revealed that 59 % (22/37) of serum c-erbB-2-positive patients and 33% (24/72) of negat ive patients had liver or peritoneal metastases (p < 0.01). The mean s urvival time was 154 days in the c-erbB-2-positive group and 220 days in the negative group (p < 0.05). We suppose that c-erbB-2 is related to metastasis and progression of the disease in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.