C-ERBB-2 ONCOGENE RELATED TO P53 EXPRESSION, CELL-PROLIFERATION AND PROGNOSIS IN BREAST-CANCER

A series of 193 archival breast cancer biopsies were analysed immunohi stochemically to detect over-expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein. Altog ether, 59/193 (31%) of the tumours were positive for c-erbB-2, the sta ining being located at the cell membranes with weak cytoplasmic staini ng in some samples. The expression of c-erbB-2 was positively correlat ed with a number of parameters analysed: ductal type, intraductal grow th pattern, high tumour grade, density of tumour infiltrating lymphocy tes (TIL), DNA aneuploidy, steroid (ER, PR) receptor negativity, high S-phase fraction, high mototic frequency, high values of nuclear facto rs, and accumulation of p53 protein. c-erbB-2 expression showed a weak association with a low survival probability (p = 0.07) and with a sho rt recurrence-free survival (p = 0.1). In local tumours or in axillary lymph node positive tumours, c-erB-2 expression had no significant pr ognostic value. Also in multivariate analysis, c-erbB-2 expression had no independent prognostic value superior to the axillary lymph node s tatus, tumour diameter and mitotic frequency. The results show that c- erbB-2 expression in related to several histopathological features of malignancy and cell proliferation in breast cancer, but it has no inde pendent prognostic value better than that of the established prognosti c factors.