SIGNIFICANCE OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL C-ERBB-2 PRODUCT LOCALIZATION PATTERN FOR PROGNOSIS OF PRIMARY HUMAN BREAST-CANCER

Concerning immunohistochemistry of the c-erbB-2 receptor in human mamm ary carcinoma, membranous immunostaining of tumor cells has been gener ally considered as a potential risk factor for early recurrence, where as cytoplasmic reactivity has been neglected. An archival study on 463 patients with primary breast cancers demonstrates that cytoplasmic lo calization of p185 is significantly correlated with high estrogen and progesterone receptor levels, low histological grade and a low prolife rating tumor cell fraction. In accordance with these data, patients be aring mammary carcinomas with cytoplasmic localization of p185 reactiv ity have a significant better overall survival than those with membran ous immunostaining.