Preoperative serum levels of c-erbB-2 do not seem to be useful in management of patients with rectal cancer

• Published in: International journal of colorectal disease Vol. 22; no. 7; pp. 827 - 831
• Main Authors: KOVACEVIC, Dujo, SONICKI, Zdenko, KUSIC, Zvonko, BOLANCA, Ante, GRUBISIC, Goran, LUKAC, Maja, LUKAC, Josip
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.07.2007; Berlin Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma - blood; Adenocarcinoma - mortality; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Breast cancer; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - blood; Colectomy; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Diagnosis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; ErbB protein; ErbB-2 protein; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Male; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Metastases; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Patients; Preoperative Care; Prognosis; Receptor, ErbB-2 - blood; Rectal Neoplasms - blood; Rectal Neoplasms - surgery; Rectum; Serum levels; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Surgery; Survival; Survival Rate; Time Factors; Tumors; Adenocarcinoma; Human; Soluble c-erbB-2/HER-2/neu; Rectal disease; Tumor markers; Rectal cancer; Colorectal cancer; Tumoral marker; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Follow-up; Colonic disease; Mammary gland diseases; Treatment; Surgery; C-Onc gene; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Serum; Preoperative; Anorectal disease
• ISSN: 0179-1958; 1432-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s00384-006-0200-z

Soluble c-erbB-2 oncoprotein has been proven as a useful marker in the management of breast cancer patients, but its value in diagnostics and follow-up of colorectal cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum c-erbB-2 monitoring in diagnostics and prediction of disease outcome in rectal cancer patients. Serum samples from 88 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma before surgery and from 41 healthy controls were tested for the presence of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein by ELISA, and the patients were followed up for at least 5 years after the surgery. Preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels were significantly higher in stage IV patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001) and did not show correlation with preoperative CEA levels. Elevated preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels showed relatively high specificity (88%) and low sensitivity (44%) in the diagnosis of rectal cancer. Elevated preoperative oncoprotein levels were predictive neither for overall survival nor for development of local recurrence/distant metastases. Although preoperative serum c-erbB-2 levels were significantly higher in rectal cancer patients than in healthy controls, the soluble c-erbB-2 does not seem to be useful in the diagnosis of rectal cancer due to its low sensitivity. Preoperative serum levels of this oncoprotein were predictive neither for overall survival nor for local recurrence/distant metastases in rectal cancer patients.