Comparison of ER/PR and HER2 statuses in primary and paired liver metastatic sites of breast carcinoma in patients with or without treatment

The aim of this study was to determine whether estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) statuses between primary tumors and paired liver metastatic localizations of breast carcinoma were modified by treatment or during the natural metastatic process.ER, PR, and HER2 expressions were analyzed on paired tissue specimens taken from the primary and the liver metastatic tumors in breast cancer patients. The first group included 46 women who presented with T1-T4, N0-N3, M0 breast carcinoma when first diagnosed and were treated by neoadjuvant therapy or directly underwent surgery, then received postoperative treatment and developed liver metastasis several months/years later. The second group included 12 patients with liver metastatic breast carcinoma when first diagnosed for breast cancer. HER2 status was determined by immunohistochemistry as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization.Among the 46 patients in the first group, the ER/PR and HER2 statuses (when considered as a whole histological subtype) were changed between primary tumor and liver metastatic lesions in 12 patients (26.1%). While ER and PR status were modified in 14 (30.4%) and 25 (54.3%) patients, respectively, there were only 5 (10.9%) cases showed a discrepancy in the HER2 status. In the second group, the ER/PR and HER2 statuses (when considered as a whole subtype) were consistent between primary and liver metastatic tumor in 10 of 12 (83.3%) patients. ER, PR, and HER2 statuses were modified in 0 of 12 (0%), 4 of 12 (33.3%), and 1 of 12 (8.3%) cases, respectively.ER/PR and HER2 statuses between primary and liver metastatic lesions of breast carcinoma can be modified after treatment but are stable in most cases during the natural metastatic process.

本研究旨在确定乳腺癌原发肿瘤与配对的肝转移部位之间的雌激素受体（ER）/孕激素受体（PR）和人表皮生长因子受体2型（HER2）状态是否因治疗或在自然转移过程中发生改变。对取自乳腺癌患者原发肿瘤和肝转移肿瘤的配对组织标本进行了ER、PR和HER2表达分析。第一组包括46名女性，她们在首次确诊时患有T1 - T4、N0 - N3、M0期乳腺癌，接受了新辅助治疗或直接进行了手术，然后接受了术后治疗，并在几个月/几年后发生了肝转移。第二组包括12名在首次确诊乳腺癌时就患有肝转移性乳腺癌的患者。HER2状态通过免疫组化以及荧光原位杂交来确定。在第一组的46名患者中，12名患者（26.1%）的原发肿瘤和肝转移病灶之间的ER/PR和HER2状态（当视为一个整体的组织学亚型时）发生了改变。ER和PR状态分别在14名（30.4%）和25名（54.3%）患者中发生改变，而只有5名（10.9%）患者的HER2状态存在差异。在第二组中，12名患者中有10名（83.3%）的原发肿瘤和肝转移肿瘤之间的ER/PR和HER2状态（当视为一个整体亚型时）是一致的。ER、PR和HER2状态分别在12名患者中的0名（0%）、4名（33.3%）和1名（8.3%）患者中发生改变。乳腺癌原发肿瘤和肝转移病灶之间的ER/PR和HER2状态在治疗后可能会改变，但在自然转移过程中大多数情况下是稳定的。