Sumiyoshi 11_10

Overexpression of HER2 protein and HER2 gene amplification in breast cancer are prognostic factors for the response to specific medical treatments such as trastuzumab, endocrine therapy, and chemotherapy. Whereas HER2 expression and gene amplification are generally examined in tissue sections, we investigated whether specimens from fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) are adequate for these analyses. HER2 protein overexpression and HER2 gene amplification were assessed in both FNAC specimens and tissue sections from 58 cases of invasive breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry assay for HER2 protein expression was performed according to the HercepTest protocol, and HER2 gene amplification was examined with the Spot-light CISH (chromogenic in situ hybridization) Detection kit. There was a significant positive correlation between assessments of HER2 protein status in the cytology specimens and tissue sections. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of HER2 gene amplification detection in cytology specimens in relation to those in tissue sections were 84.0% (21/25 cases), 87.9% (29/33 cases), and 86.2% (50/58 cases), respectively. FNAC specimens are suitable for detection of HER2 overexpression and HER2 gene amplification in invasive breast cancer.