Abstract
Background and Objectives: Lymph node involvement is the most single prognostic factor in breast cancer and is important for selection of adjuvant systemic treatment. Axillary lymph node dissection is performed to evaluate nodal status. c-erb B-2 is a transmembrane oncoprotein (185 K.D.) from tyrosion kinase family, which presents essentially in breast cancer. We wanted to find weather is there any relation between c-erb B-2 and Axillary lymph node involvement. If there is a positive relation, it can be used as a biological marker for nodal status evaluation and prognosis, so axillary lymph node dissection could be prevented.
Materials and Methods: Ninety cases of breast carcinoma (biopsy and mastectomy) in pathology department of Tabriz Imam Khomeini Medical center were studied for c-erb B-2 by biotion-avidin Peroxidase complex immuunohistochemical staining (I.H.C). Result were analyzed by SPSS software using chi square test.
Results: From 90 cases, 85 cases (94.4%) were invasive ductal carcinoma 2.2% invasive lobular carcinomal, 2.2% mucinous carinoma and 1.1% medullary carcinoma.
Fifty four cases were mastectomy with axillary dissection which nodel status was determined. Thirty nine cases had nodal involvement, 15 cases were negative for nodal metastases. c-erb B-2 was positive in 40% of cases.
There was relationship between c-erb B-2 expression and grade (P=0.04), but there was no relationship with nodal involvement (P=0.8).
Conclusion: c-erb B-2 can not be used as a biological marker to predict nodal status and can not substitute axillary dissection for initiation of systemic therapy or prognosis.