Incidence of Her2/neu receptor positive results in breast cancer cases in Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital

Back ground: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. HER2 is a transmembrane receptor with tyrosine kinase. It belongs to a family of four receptors (EGFR/HER1, HER2, HER3, HER4) that are involved in regulating cell growth, survival and differentiation. Structural studies revealed that HER2 is always in an active conformation and ready to interact with the ligand-activated HER receptors, before the advent of HER2-directed therapies, this increased level of HER2 was associated with high recurrence rates and increased mortality in patients with node-positive and node-negative disease. Aim of study: To calculate the incidence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive results in addition to its relation to estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor results in breast cancer cases in AL-Yarmouk teaching hospital and compare our results to regional and international results. Patients and Methods: Analysis of a prospectively collected clinical database was performed. We included 40 patients who had mastectomy for stage one to stage three breast cancer cases, from October 2018 to October 2019, where by complete receptor information were done. Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization test had been requested. The corresponding H&E-stained slides from all cases were reviewed. Unstained tissue sections containing tumor, as well as adjacent normal breast parenchyma when possible and corresponding to those used for the Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization test were selected from each case for immunohistochemical staining, comparison with regional and international results was done. Results: Total number of cases collected was 40 cases of breast cancer; they were investigated for human epidermal growth factor receptors 2 in addition to estrogen and progesterone receptors. Age of the patients ranged from 30 to 69 years (mean, 49.27 years). HER2/ neu positive cases were (8) (20%) of cases, and negative cases were (32) (80%), in addition to a statically significant relation to ER and PR receptor results. Conclusion: The incidence of human epidermal growth factor receptors 2 positive at AL-Yarmouk teaching hospital was 20%, estrogen receptors \ progesterone receptors positive was (57.5%) and the relation between these receptors was statistically significant.