Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37413762›Full record

SynthesisESMO open2023

Prognostic value of HER2-low status in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

C Molinelli, F Jacobs, E Agostinetto, G Nader-Marta, M Ceppi, M Bruzzone, E Blondeaux, F Schettini, A Prat, G Viale and 3 more

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in ESMO open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–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

60 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. Comparison of clinical characteristics and survival between HER2-zero and HER2-low in early breast cancer: a retrospective observational study.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Observational
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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

13 authors.

C MolinelliAcademic Trials Promoting Team, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/ChiaraMolinelli.
F JacobsAcademic Trials Promoting Team, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/FlaviaJacobs_.
E AgostinettoAcademic Trials Promoting Team, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/ElisaAgostinett.
G Nader-MartaAcademic Trials Promoting Team, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/Nader_Guilherme.
M CeppiClinical Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
M BruzzoneClinical Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
E BlondeauxClinical Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/BlondeauxEva.
F SchettiniTranslational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona; Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Barcelona; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/FrancescoSche20.
A PratTranslational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona; Reveal Genomics, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/prat_aleix.
G VialeDepartment of Pathology, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan.
L Del MastroDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa; Department of Medical Oncology, U.O. Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/delmastro_lucia.
M LambertiniDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa; Department of Medical Oncology, U.O. Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/matteolambe.
E de AzambujaAcademic Trials Promoting Team, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Medical Oncology Department, Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: evandro.deazambuja@hubruxelles.be.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low expression in breast cancer has been recently identified as a new therapeutic target. However, it is unclear if HER2-low status has an independent impact on prognosis. MATERIALS AND

methodsA systematic literature research was carried out to identify studies comparing survival outcomes of patients affected by HER2-low versus HER2-zero breast cancer. Using random-effects models, pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the metastatic setting as well as disease-free survival (DFS), OS and pathological complete response (pCR) in the early setting. Subgroup analyses by hormone receptor (HoR) status were carried out. The study protocol is registered on PROSPERO (n.CRD42023390777).

resultsAmong 1916 identified records, 42 studies including 1 797 175 patients were eligible. In the early setting, HER2-low status was associated with significant improved DFS (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-0.92, P < 0.001) and OS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.95, P < 0.001) when compared to HER2-zero status. Improved OS was observed for both HoR-positive and HoR-negative HER2-low populations, while DFS improvement was observed only in the HoR-positive subgroup. HER2-low status was significantly associated with a lower rate of pCR as compared to HER2-zero status both in the overall population (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.88, P = 0.001) and in the HoR-positive subgroup (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65-0.90, P = 0.001). In the metastatic setting, patients with HER2-low breast cancers showed better OS when compared with those with HER2-zero tumours in the overall population (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89-0.98, P = 0.008), regardless of HoR status. No significant PFS differences were found.

conclusionsCompared with HER2-zero status, HER2-low status appears to be associated with a slightly increased OS both in the advanced and early settings, regardless of HoR expression. In the early setting, HER2-low tumours seem to be associated to lower pCR rates, especially if HoR-positive.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansPrognosisProgression-Free SurvivalProportional Hazards Modelsbreast cancerHER2-lowHER2-zero

Identifiers

PMID37413762
PMCPMC10485402

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.