Correlation Between Salivary Levels and Tissue Expression Status of HER2 in Breast Cancer Patients – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer constitutes a significant proportion of malignancies among the female population, accounting for approximately 25% of all cancer cases on a global scale. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is the more reliable marker in breast cancer diagnosis. Objective: This study investigates the potential of soluble salivary HER2 in breast cancer diagnosis and explores its correlation with demographic and hormonal factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 subjects were selected and divided into three groups: Group A: healthy patients (n = 15), Group B: HER2-negative breast cancer patients (n = 15), and Group C: HER2-positive breast cancer patients (n = 15). Patients’ saliva was collected, and assessment of salivary soluble HER2 was performed by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: Salivary HER2 levels were 32.3 pg/ml in healthy group, 43.2 pg/ml in HER2-negative group, and 147.8 pg/ml in HER2-positive group. On evaluating the risk factors associated with the salivary HER2 levels, increased age (P = 0.007), positive family history (P = 0.006), patients with the habit of tobacco chewing (P = 0.001), and patients with no breastfeeding history (P = 0.001) showed a statistically significant result. Conclusion: Salivary HER2 levels were higher in both HER2-positive and -negative breast cancer groups compared to controls, indicating its potential as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for breast cancer screening.

Keywords

• breast cancer
• risk factors
• saliva
• screening
• tumor marker