EXPRESSION AND AMPLIFICATION OF HUMAN EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR 2 (HER-2/neu) IN GASTRIC CANCER, STUDY IN SIDI BEL ABBES, ALGERIA

Background: HER-2 protein or p185 her2 a membrane receptor with tyrosine kinase activity encoded by HER-2/neu gene. Overexpression of HER 2/neu has been observed in many human cancers, including gastric cancer. In our study, we determined the expression and amplification of HER-2 protein in the metastatic gastric cancer.

Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 100 cases of adenocarcinoma metastatic gastric cancer were neutral formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded. Standard histochemical and Immuno-Histo-Chemical (IHC) staining were used for studing the expression of HER-2/neu completed with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) in 2+. The results were graded 0, 1 as negative and 3 as positive.

Results: Overall rate of HER-2/neu overexpression and amplification was 26% cases. Overexpression and amplification of HER-2/neu was not dependent to grade (P=0,094) or clinical stage (P=0,061) and was more appeared in advanced stage and high grade of tumour.

Conclusion: The target therapy would improve the overall response rate and Progression-free survival of metastatic gastric cancers, hence the value of developing the evaluation of epidermal receptor expression of growth factor in gastric adenocarcinoma, to treat patients HER2 positive (amplification and/or overexpression) with trastuzumab (Anti-HER2) for a better life quality.