Background and objective: There is a mounting evidence of the role of HER2 overexpression inpatients with gastric cancer, and it has been solidly correlated with poor outcomes and more aggressive diseases. This study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of HER2/neu and the clinical characteristics of advanced gastric carcinomas, including survival.
Methods: The clinical data of 83 patients admitted in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Science, from 2006 to 2008 were reviewed. The HER2/neu status in 83 advanced gastric carcinomas was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test using SPSS13.0 software.
Results: The median age of the patients was 60 years and the male-to-female ratio was 2.95:1. HER2/neu overexpression (2+ and 3+) and amplification were found in 25 (30.1%) and 29 (34.9%) advanced gastric carcinomas, respectively. HER2/neu amplification/overexpression was associated with worse survival in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. The median survival of the patients without HER2/neu amplification was 12.6 months and that of those with HER2 amplification was 5.5 months.
Conclusions: HER2/neu status may be a clinical predictor of prognosis in advanced gastric cancer patients.