Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33813685›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2021

HER2 testing in breast cancers: comparison of assays and interpretation using ASCO/CAP 2013 and 2018 guidelines.

Lauren E McLemore, Constance T Albarracin, Stephen K Gruschkus, Roland L Bassett, Yun Wu, Sagar Dhamne, Isaiah Yim, Kevin Lin, Isabelle Bedrosian, Nour Sneige and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Reliability of core needle biopsy for HER2-low early-stage breast cancer.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Evaluation ofCancers · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Lauren E McLemore *Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Constance T Albarracin *Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Stephen K GruschkusDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Roland L BassettDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yun WuDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Sagar DhamneDepartment of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Isaiah YimDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Kevin LinDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Isabelle BedrosianDepartment of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Nour SneigeDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Hui ChenDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. hchen7@mdanderson.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5847-0561

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Fabien Delerue · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeHER2 overexpression and gene amplification are routinely tested by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), respectively. In addition, HER2 mRNA expression is also tested by the Oncotype DX assay. Discordance between laboratories among the different assays remains a problem. To improve the routine HER2 reporting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated their guidelines in 2018. Our study will compare concordance of HER2 status by IHC and FISH using ASCO/CAP 2013 and 2018 guidelines with Oncotype DX.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 657 estrogen receptor positive primary breast cancer cases with available Oncotype DX tests between 2011 and 2018. Medical records were reviewed for HER2 results by IHC, FISH, and Oncotype DX. The HER2 results by different assays and between 2013 and 2018 guidelines were compared.

resultsOf the 657 cases, 280 were tested by IHC, FISH, and Oncotype DX. HER2-equivocal cases by IHC 2013 guidelines were all negative (67/67, 100%) by FISH 2018 guidelines and by Oncotype DX. HER2-equivocal cases by FISH 2013 guidelines were all negative (16/16, 100%) by FISH 2018 guidelines, while 15/16 (93.8%) negative and 1/16 (6.2%) equivocal by Oncotype DX. The HER2-equivocal and HER2-negative groups were similar in age, gender, histology, grade, and Ki67 score.

conclusionsHER2 concordance was highest between Oncotype DX (99.6%) and FISH per 2018 guidelines. This suggests that the ASCO/CAP 2018 guidelines improved the accurate stratification of HER2-equivocal cases.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsBiomarkers, TumorErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansImmunohistochemistryIn Situ Hybridization, FluorescenceRetrospective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesASCO/CAP guidelinesBreast cancerFISHHER2 amplificationHER2 overexpressionOncotype DX

Identifiers

PMID33813685
PMCPMC12195328

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.