ackground : Oncogene is normally present in various human tissue as a proto-oncogene
which is activated into oncogene by mutation, translocation, rearragement, and amplification of
genes. By the activated oncogene, cells that have the normal explication can be transformed
into tumor cells. Recent studies on the oncogene or its product suggest that it may be
tumor marker or prognostic indicator of human tumors. To clarify the relationship between
the expression of cerbB-2 oncogene and pathologic type of cancer and its progression (such
as lymph node metastasis), and to evaluate the correlation between the c-erbB-2 oncogene
expression and the prognosis of cancer, our study was done in the gastric cancer that had
the most frequent attack rate in Korea.
Methods : The expression of c-erbB-2 oncogene was examined through the
immunohistochemical study in paraffin sections of 103 cases of gastric cancer which resected
surgically.
Results :
1) Positive reaction for c-erbB-2 oncogene product was observed mainly along the
cytoplasmic membrane, and occasionally in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells.
2) The positive ratio of c-erbB-2 expression was 52.8% in well differentiated, 53.8% in
moderate differentiated, 53.6% in poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 25.0% in signet
ring cell carcinoma.
3) The cases of postive reaction of c-erbB-2 oncogene had lymph node metastasis in
68.4% of well differentiated, 71.4% of moderately differentiated, 73.3% of poorly differentiated,
and all of signet ring cell carcinoma. But the cases of negative reaction of it had lymph
node metastasis in 29.4% of well differentiated, 25.0% of moderately differentiated, 23.1% of
poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 33.3% of signet ring cell carcinoma.
Conclusion : From the above results, the cases of positive reaction of c-erbB-2 oncogene
have more lymph node metastasis than those of negative expression of it. Therefore, the
expression of c-erbB-2 oncogene product may be a useful indicator of prognosis in gastric
cancer patients.
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