PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF ERBB-2 (HER-2/NEU) ONCOGENE ACTIVATION IN HUMAN TUMORS

ERBB-2 (Her-2/NEU) oncogene is often amplified and/or overexpressed in certain human neoplasms, especially in the breast cancer (BC). This oncogene has attracted particular attention because some investigators demonstrated strong correlation between ERBB-2 activation and unfavourable clinical outcome in BC. However, there are also many controversial results. Nevertheless, at present ERBB-2 testing in BC seems to be useful in clinical practice. As to other tumour types, prognostic significance of ERBB-2 alteration is shown in ovarian, lung, gastric, urinary bladder and endometrial cancers. However, there are only a few reports devoted ot ERBB-2 in non-breast carcinomas, therefore these data should be confirmed before clinical application.