EXPRESSION AND AMPLIFICATION OF HUMAN EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR 2 (HER-2/neu) IN OVARIAN EPITHELIAL NEOPLASMS, STUDY IN ALGERIA

Background: Ovarian carcinoma has a poor prognosis in advanced stages and a poor response to conventional chemotherapy. We here investigated HER2 amplification and overexpression in ovarian neoplasms using both immunohistochemical (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques.

Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 60 patients with 13 biopsies and 47surgical specimens of only the epithelial ovarian cancer including early stage tumors and both carcinomas without borderline tumors diagnosed in the Pathology Department, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. HercepTest (DAKO) and PathVysion Her-2/neu probe kit (VysisInc) were used for IHC and FISH.

Results: HER2 overexpression / amplification were observed more in serous carcinomas in 47%, and in 32% of mucinous carcinomas of the ovary, with a higher stage and high-grade at diagnosis. The overall rate of HER-2 overexpression and amplification was 37%.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that trastuzumab therapy would be a possibility for patients with ovarian carcinoma when the tumor has HER2 overexpression and/or amplification.