The Heregulin gene can be included in the 8p12 amplification unit in human breast cancer.

The Heregulin (HGL) gene, encoding a ligand for a member of the ERBB receptor family, is located at 8p12-p22, in or close to a region frequently amplified in breast carcinoma. Amplification of HGL was detected in three of 83 (3.6%) cases of breast tumors. No overexpression of the gene was observed in the amplified tumors. This and the low incidence of amplification suggest that HGL is not the key gene of the 8p12 amplification but may be used as a marker of large amplification units.