RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 HER-2/neu expression in germ cell tumours
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 656
OP 658
DO 10.1136/jcp.55.9.656
VO 55
IS 9
A1 Soule, S
A1 Baldridge, L
A1 Kirkpatrick, K
A1 Cheng, L
A1 Gilbert, J L
A1 Smith, L R
A1 Thurston, V C
A1 Vance, G H
A1 Einhorn, L
A1 Miller, K
YR 2002
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/55/9/656.abstract
AB Aims: To determine the rate of HER-2/neu positivity of germ cell tumours by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). Patients/Methods: Ninety six archival, paraffin wax embedded pathology specimens were chosen from four groups of germ cell tumours. IHC for HER-2/neu was performed with the HercepTest kit; FISH analysis was performed with the INFORM assay and confirmed with a centromere 17 probe. Results: Twenty two of 96 specimens overexpressed the HER-2/neu protein when measured by IHC. Only three specimens showed HER-2/neu gene amplification by FISH. There was no correlation between the results obtained by IHC and FISH. Conclusions: The lack of concordance between IHC and FISH makes it unlikely that overexpression of the HER-2/neu protein in germ cell tumours is of prognostic or therapeutic relevance. Because of the low rate of HER-2/neu gene amplification in germ cell tumours, a clinical trial of trastuzumab treatment in patients with germ cell tumours is not warranted.