Acta Medica Medianae (Dec 2011)
CORRELATION OF HER 2 PROTO-ONCOGENE EXPRESSION WITH THE MACROSCOPIC MANIFESTATION AND GROWTH PATTERN OF COLORECTAL CANCER
Abstract
Colon carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumours and the second cause of cancer deaths in developed countries. The objective of this study is to investigate the expression of HER2 in colorectal cancer and compare the expression levels of HER2 with the macroscopic appearance and manner of growth of the tumours, followed by detection and identification of the expression levels of proto-oncogene HER2 as an important prognostic factor of the further course, outcome and the data for the selection of appropriate therapy. This was a prospective, clinical and experimental study. Postoperative material obtained by resection of colorectal cancer from 63 patients of both sexes was used in the study. HER2 status was positive in 9.5% of the tumours. The results showed that the majority of tumours 36/63, i.e. 57.1% were manifested as infiltrative forms, 9/63, i.e. 14.3% as ulcerating form, and 18/63, i.e. 28.6% of tumours had a polypoid – exophytic form. The results show that 31 tumours of infiltrative forms were HER2 negative and 5 of them were HER2 positive. In tumours with ulcerating form 9 were HER2 negative, and there were no HER2 positive tumours. In vegetative tumour forms 17 were HER2 negative, and only 1 was HER2 positive. HER2 expression was absent in 90.5% of the tumours and does not correlate with the macroscopic appearance and manner of tumour growth. Expression level of HER2 does not have a diagnostic, predictive and prognostic potential, while its importance is undeniable in the understanding of oncogenesis.
