OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu gene and prognosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: The expression of HER-2/neu in gastric cancer was detected by immunohistochemical technique and analyzed in relation with the follow-up and clinicopathologic data of the patients. RESULTS: Thirty-two of the 103 gastric cancer specimens (31.1%) were positive for HER-2/neu, but whose expression was not found in benign gastric lesion and normal gastric mucosa. HER-2/neu expression was not correlated with the patients' sex, age, tumor size and location or the degree of differentiation (P>0.05), but with the depth of invasion, clinical stage, lymph node and distant metastasis of the tumor and survival of the patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: HER-2/neu expression is closely related to invasion, metastasis and prognosis of gastric cancer and can be used to evaluate the biological behavior and prognosis of gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the expression of humanepidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu gene and prognosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: The expression of HER-2/neu in gastric cancer was detected by immunohistochemical technique and analyzed in relation with the follow-up and clinicopathologic data of the patients. RESULTS: Thirty-two of the 103 gastric cancer specimens (31.1%) were positive for HER-2/neu, but whose expression was not found in benign gastric lesion and normal gastric mucosa. HER-2/neu expression was not correlated with the patients' sex, age, tumor size and location or the degree of differentiation (P>0.05), but with the depth of invasion, clinical stage, lymph node and distant metastasis of the tumor and survival of the patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:HER-2/neu expression is closely related to invasion, metastasis and prognosis of gastric cancer and can be used to evaluate the biological behavior and prognosis of gastric cancer.