C-erbB-2 overexpression and survival in early onset breast cancer

Young breast cancer patients have a decreased survival rate and it has been demonstrated that young age is an independent predictor of adverse prognos is. Overexpression of c-erbB-2 protein (also known as HER-2/neu) has been s hown to be a prognostic indicator in breast cancer in general and especiall y among patients with axillary nodal metastases. The present study was init iated to determine the prognostic significance of c-erbB-2 protein overexpr ession in early onset breast cancer. A population consisting of 110 young breast cancer patients, less than or e qual to 36-year-old at diagnosis, was analyzed with immunohistochemical sta ining for c-erbB-2 protein. Thirty patients (27%) were found to overexpress the c-erbB-2 protein. C-erb B-2 positivity was significantly associated with poor survival when all pat ients were included in the analysis (P = 0.002) and for patients with axill ary nodal metastases (P = 0.0007). No such association was found for node-n egative patients. Furthermore, the difference in prognosis in relation to c -erbB-2 among node-positive patients was maintained, when these were strati fied in groups treated or not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. The study indicates that overexpression of c-erbB-2 protein is a strong pro gnostic factor in young breast cancer patients with axillary nodal metastas es. Moreover, the adverse prognosis associated with c-erbB-2 overexpression in node-positive patients was observed whether or not the patients had rec eived adjuvant chemotherapy.