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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Validated Immunochemical Assay for Comprehensive Determination of the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Released from and Bound to Cells
Published on: May 9, 2025
Evaluation of the relationship between human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/neu (c-erbB-2) amplification and
Fatemeh Homaei-Shandiz1, Mohammad-Reza Ghavam-Nassiri, Nourieh Sharifi
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Ferdowsy University, Mashhad, Iran. homaeif@yahoo.com
Objective:
The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)/neu is a proto-oncogene that is amplified in 10-30% of breast cancers. It is known to be associated with a poor overall survival. We studied the relationship between its amplification and different histological gradings of breast cancer.
Methods:
We studied 196 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 at the Omid and Ghaem Training Hospital, Mashhad Medical University, Iran. The HER-2/neu oncoprotein was measured by immunohistochemistry and the histological gradings were carried out according to the Bloom-Richardson Grading system.
Results:
Sixty-seven (34.2%) cases were HER-2/neu positive and 129 (65.8%) cases were HER-2/neu negative. Overexpression of HER-2/neu was significantly higher in breast cancer patients <30 years (50% versus 33.3%, p=0.034). There was a non-significant statistical relationship between histological grading and overexpression of HER-2/neu oncogen (p=0.087). Twelve (17.5%) of HER-2/neu positive cases were metastatic and only 4 (3.1%) of HER-2/neu negative cases had metastasis (p=0.051).
Conclusion:
HER-2/neu gene amplification or its overexpression is detected in approximately 34.2% of breast cancer cases. Patients with HER-2/neu positive breast cancer have higher stage and grade diseases. This may help to use a better treatment for patients.
