Her-2/Neu Expression in Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma

Introduction: Bladder cancer is one of the commonest malignancies among Egyptian population with high morbidity and mortality rates. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Her-2/Neu) seems to play role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of bladder carcinomas; however, its expression and prognostic significance were variable between different studies. This study evaluates Her-2/Neu protein expression in noninvasive and invasive urothelial carcinomas of the bladder using immunohistochemistry (IHC).Methods: A number of 42 bladder carcinoma biopsies (12 noninvasive and 30 invasive) were collected. Tumor sections were immunostained using anti-Her-2/Neu antibody and were evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out with the Statistical Software Package Standard (SPSS).Results: Her-2/Neu membranous staining was observed in 21 carcinomas (50%). Statistical analysis revealed significant association between Her-2/Neu expression and both increasing grade of urothelial carcinoma (p!90.001) and tumor invasion (p!90.001), with over expression detected only in high grade (50%) and invasive tumors (43.3%). Patient’s gender and the presence of bilharzial cystitis did not have any significant association with Her-2/Neu expression.Conclusion: Her-2/Neu increased expression was associated with high grade and invasive urothelial carcinomas thus these patients may benefit from Her-2/Neu-targeted therapies after radical cystectomy.