Real-time RT-PCR: a complementary method to detect HER-2 status in breast carcinoma.

The option to treat patients presenting with HER-2 overexpressed invasive breast carcinoma with Herceptin requires quantitative determination of the HER-2 status. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the HER-2 mRNA expression levels using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (Q-RT-PCR) in tissue samples from 44 primary breast carcinomas and compare the results with immunohistochemistry (IHC). To determine the cut-off for altered mRNA expression, a normalized HER-2 expression value was determined for 20 normal breast tissue RNAs.

[Thirty years of breast pathology in an anticancer center].

Looking back to three decades of professional experience allows to evidence the dramatic changes of the role of the pathologist in breast cancer clinical management. Increasing means, fruitful exchanges within pathologists, and closer collaborations with other specialists have been key mediators of this evolution.

[Immunochemistry evaluation of HER2 status in infiltration breast cancer: technical protocol and interpretation guidelines].

In Europe, patients who may benefit from Herceptin((R)) (an HER2 targeted drug) are currently selected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Reliable detection of HER2 status is essential to the appropriate usage of Herceptin(R), because its specificity is limited to tumours overexpressing HER2. It is essential that the IHC evaluation of the HER2 status of a mammary carcinoma be optimized and reliable.

Correlation between MIB-1 and other proliferation markers: clinical implications of the MIB-1 cutoff value.

Background: Cell proliferation is a major determinant of the biologic behavior of breast carcinoma. MIB-1 monoclonal antibody is a promising tool for determining cell proliferation on routine histologic material. The objectives of this study were to compare MIB-1 evaluation to other methods of measuring cell proliferation, with a view to refining the cutoff used to classify tumors with low and high proliferation rates in therapeutic trials.