HER-2 status in gastrointestinal stromal tumor

Human epidermal growth factor receptor–2 (HER-2) encodes for the transmembrane glycoprotein HER-2 that is involved in activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways that control cell growth and differentiation. HER-2 is overexpressed in approximately 20% of patients with breast cancer and has been associated with poorer prognosis. Since 1998, the anti–HER-2 antibody trastuzumab has been used for the treatment of patients with HER-2–positive breast cancers. However, little information is available about the relationship between HER-2 and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. This study's purpose was to determine the HER-2 status in gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We found that all 477 cases included in this study were negative (score 0) by immunohistochemistry using HercepTest, and no HER-2 gene amplification was detected in 71 cases submitted to fluorescence in situ hybridization. These results show that HER-2 may not have any role in gastrointestinal stromal tumor pathogenesis and that the neoplasm may not be suitable for treatment with trastuzumab.