CORRELATION OF HER2 STATUS WITH LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN KAZAKH PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC

To investigate the correlation between HER2 expression and lymph node metastasis in Kazakh gastric cancer patients, assess the clinicopathological characteristics of HER2-negative and HER2-positive patients, and evaluate the association of HER2 expression with advanced lymph node involvement, while assessing its impact on overall survival to enhance clinical understanding and treatment strategies. In this study, "prognostic marker" refers to markers that predict clinical outcomes such as overall survival; markers associated only with pathological features (e.g., nodal stage) are described as "associated with" or "linked to" those features.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 159 gastric cancer patients at NJSC West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University. Histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments were performed, including HER2 evaluation using IHC. Statistical analysis with SPSS version 26 was used to identify predictors of lymph node metastasis.

This study investigates the correlation between HER2 expression and lymph node metastasis in Kazakh gastric cancer patients. The mean age of participants was 58.87±9.14 years, with a predominance of males (70.4%). Most patients were diagnosed with locally advanced GC (56%), with tumors predominantly located in the body of the stomach (40.3%). HER2-negative patients had a higher incidence of localized GC (45.5%) and lower lymph node involvement compared to HER2-positive patients, who exhibited more extensive lymph node metastasis (36.0%), especially in the N3 stage (p=0.027). Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between HER2 status and pathological lymph node stage (p=0.027). Survival analysis showed no significant difference in overall survival between HER2-negative and HER2-positive groups (p=0.58), suggesting HER2 status does not significantly impact survival.

This study identifies a significant association between HER2 overexpression and lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer, suggesting HER2 expression is associated with more advanced lymph node involvement in this cohort; no significant association with overall survival was observed (log-rank p=0.58), though its impact on survival remains inconclusive.