erbB-2 expression in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach predicts shorter survival after curative resection.

BACKGROUND

Correlation between erbB-2 expression, histologic type of gastric carcinoma, and survival after curative resection was evaluated.

METHODS

Paraffin-embedded specimens from 120 patients who underwent curative resection of gastric carcinoma were analyzed immunohistochemically for the expression of erbB-2.

RESULTS

Enhanced erbB-2 expression correlated with tumor stage and depth of invasion. Well-differentiated adenocarcinomas had a higher incidence of erbB-2 expression than did poorly differentiated carcinomas. Survival rates of 33 patients with erbB-2-positive carcinomas were significantly lower than those of 87 with erbB-2-negative carcinomas (p < 0.001). Survival rates of patients with well-differentiated adenocarcinomas that were erbB-2 positive were significantly lower than those that were erbB-2 negative (p < 0.001). However, the presence of erbB-2 was not associated with altered survival in 46 patients with poorly differentiated carcinomas. Multivariate analysis of all 120 patients revealed that independent predictors of recurrent disease include nodal involvement (p = 0.003) and erbB-2 expression (p = 0.0051).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that erbB-2 expression is a new marker associated with poor prognosis in well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas.