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Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on August 5, 2005
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi364
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© 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology
Received April 8, 2005
Revised June 26, 2005
Accepted June 27, 2005

Original article

Hormone receptors do not predict the HER2/neu status in all age groups of women with an operable breast cancer

H. J. Huang 1, P. Neven 2*, M. Drijkoningen 3, R. Paridaens 4, H. Wildiers 4, E. Van Limbergen 5, P. Berteloot 6, F. Amant 2, I. Vergote 6, and M. R. Christiaens 7

1 Division of Gynecologic Oncology in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Division of Gynecologic Oncology in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
2 Division of Gynecologic Oncology in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Multidisciplinary Breast Centre Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium
3 Multidisciplinary Breast Centre Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Department of Pathology Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium
4 Multidisciplinary Breast Centre Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Department of Medical Oncology Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium
5 Multidisciplinary Breast Centre Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Department of Radiooncology Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium
6 Division of Gynecologic Oncology in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium
7 Multidisciplinary Breast Centre Levven University Hospital, Levven, Belgium; Department of Surgery, Leuven University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
P. Neven, E-mail: Patrick.Neven{at}uz.kuleuven.ac.be


  Abstract

Background: In breast cancer, there is an inverse relationship between HER2/neu overexpression and receptors for estrogen (ER) or progesterone (PR). Some clinical observations such as the age-related association between hormone receptors and tumour grade, which predicts HER2/neu overexpression, suggest an age-related relationship.

Patients and methods: Our study population consisted of 1362 consecutive women receiving primary surgery for non-metastatic invasive breast cancer. We compared the relationship between both hormone receptors and HER2/neu overexpression in different age groups taking other tumour characteristics into account.

Results: In a multivariate model, considering the overall group, a negative ER, a negative PR and a high tumour grade were predictive for HER2/neu overexpression (P <0.001). Considering 246 women aged ≤45 years, the only predictor for HER2/neu overexpression in this age category was a high tumour grade (P = 0.003). Considering the 1116 women aged >45 years, ER (P = 0.001), PR (P = 0.001) and tumour grade (P <0.001) were associated with HER2/neu (P <0.001).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the association between ER, PR and HER2/neu overexpression varies with age. The hormone receptors are not an independent predictor for the HER2/neu status in young women while they are in elder patients.

Keywords: estrogen receptor; progesterone receptor; HER2/neu; breast tumours.
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