Background Expression of the HER-2/neu oncogene has been suggested to
confer added virulence or aggressive behavior in gynecologic malignanc
ies. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of HER-2/neu
expression in invasive cervical cancer and its impact on survival in w
omen with cervical cancer. Design Archival tissue from 150 patients wi
th cervical carcinoma was evaluated immunohistochemically for HER-2/ne
u oncoprotein expression. Survival information was retrieved retrospec
tively from patients' medical records. Results The HER-2/neu expressio
n was observed in 34 out of 150 tumors (22%). The HER-2/neu positive t
umors exhibited considerable heterogeneity in the distribution of immu
noreactive tumor cells. Tumor grade and histology did not influence th
e pattern or intensity of HER-2/neu expression. There was no statistic
ally significant difference in survival of patients with HER-2/neu pos
itive and those with HER-2/ neu negative tumors (P = 0.50). Tumor stag
e at diagnosis was the only covariate with prognostic significance in
patient survival (P < 0.001). Conclusion Expression of HER-2/neu oncog
ene is a rare event in cervical cancer. Immunohistochemical detection
of HER-2/neu expression is neither a predictor of survival of patients
with cervical cancer nor does it identify subgroups of patients at hi
gher risk for recurrence of disease.