Study of HER2/neu status in Qatari women with breast carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: The study is aimed at determining the prevalence of HER2/neu overexpression in Qatari women with breast cancer and to assess the survival in patients with HER2/neu positive tumors.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study of clinical data of 70 Qatari female patients diagnosed with breast cancer during the period 1991 through to 2001, at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. We also performed a retrospective review of breast tissue sample for those patients using paraffin sections and applying immunohistochemistry staining-[Hercep test (DAKO Inc)] to determine the HER2/neu status.

RESULTS: Eighteen patients (26%) were HER2/neu positive (2+ and 3+) with a mean age at diagnosis of 49.3years, and 52 (74%) were negative (0 and 1+) with mean age at diagnosis of 46.6 years. Of the patients with positive HER2/neu, 5 (28%) had a relapse of the disease and 4 (22%) died of the disease during follow up. Of the patients with HER2/neu, negative test 9 (17%) had a relapse of the disease and 10 (19%) died of the disease. The median survival function at mean of covariates for HER2/neu positive patients was 26 months, and for HER2/NEU negative patients was 28 months.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HER2/neu over expression in Qatari female with breast cancer in this study is 26%, but due to a small sample size it may not reflect really the prevalence. Patient with HER2/neu positive were older at diagnosis than patients with HER2/neu negative, also they had higher relapse rate and mortality. Median survival function was better for HER2/neu negative patients.