Monitoring of serum Her-2/neu predicts histopathological response to neoadjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy for breast cancer.

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  • 25 May 2004
    • journal article
Abstract
This prospective pilot study was performed to elucidate whether early changes in serum levels of the Her-2/neu extracellular domain (ECD) reflect histopathological response to trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant therapy in patients with Her-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer. ECD levels were measured throughout neoadjuvant trastuzumab-based treatment in 16 patients using a Her-2/neu Microtiter ELISA. In 9 (56%) patients with Her-2/neu shedding tumors (ECD > 15 ng/ml), ECD values (in % of baseline) of non-responders vs. responders were 117% vs. 55% on day 8 (p=0.014), 157% vs. 58% on day 22 (p=0.061) and 114% vs. 46% at restaging (p=0.049). Serial monitoring of serum Her-2/neu ECD levels may represent a valuable tool to predict pathological response to trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant therapy in patients with Her-2/neu-overexpressing tumors.