[Molecular protocol for HER2/neu analysis in breast carcinoma]

Correlation analysis of lymphocyte-monocyte ratio with pathological complete response and clinical prognosis of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer

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We evaluated the impact of LMR on pCR and prognosis in breast cancer patients.

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High LMR predicts increased pCR in HER2(+) breast cancer patients.

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High LMR predicts a better prognosis in neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients.

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LMR is an economical and easy detection index for patients.

Purpose

Inflammation plays an important role in tumor proliferation, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Peripheral blood lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been reported to be closely associated with the prognosis of many tumors, such as certain hematologic malignancies and gastric cancer. However, the association in breast cancer is still not clear. This study investigated the relationship between LMR with pathological complete response and clinical prognosis of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer, to provide convenient and accurate predictive indicators for pathological complete response (pCR) and prognosis.

Methods

The clinicopathological data of 192 female breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery in Harbin Medical University Tumor Hospital from January 2013 to August 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Blood lymphocytes and monocytes were obtained by peripheral venous punctures.

Results

Compared with the low LMR group, pCR was more easily obtained in the high LMR group (P=0.020); Subgroup analysis showed that patients with the high LMR and HER-2(+) group were more likely to obtain pCR (P=0.011).Univariate andmultivariate results showed that the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) of the high LMR group were longer than that of the low LMR group.

Conclusion

LMR and HER-2 status are correlated with pCR of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients and are independent predictors of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, both LMR and T stage of tumor are independent prognostic factors of breast cancer patients, with good predictive value.

A meta-analysis on concordance between immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect HER2 gene overexpression in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

We performed this meta-analysis study to evaluate the concordance and discordance between immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in detecting HER2 alteration in human breast cancer.

METHODS

As a meta-analysis, the present study evaluated the available data from previous studies on the HER2 gene detected by IHC and FISH. To indicate the meta-analysis results, a forest plot was used.

RESULTS

We identified 172 citations, for which our inclusion criteria were met by 18 articles, representing 6629 cases. The overall concordance and discordance rate between IHC staining with score 0/1+ and FISH for detection failure of HER2 expression was 96 and 4 %, respectively. The present study showed that the overall proportion of FISH positive and negative rate for IHC score 2+ for detection of HER2 expression was 36 and 64 %, respectively; and 91 and 9 % for 3+ IHC scores.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study show that IHC score 0/1+ and 3+ cannot be completely considered as negative and positive breast cancer test, respectively. Therefore, we suggest a valid and complementary test, the same as FISH, to explore HER2 expression.