Her2/neu Overexpression Is Associated with Treatment Failure in Women with High-Risk Stage II and Stage lilA Breast Cancer

Twenty-five patients with high-risk stage II and lIlA breast cancer (> 10 or more involved lymph nodes) were treated with six cycles of standard-dose chemotherapy (5fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide) followed by high-dose chemotherapy (2.5 g/m2 cyclophosphamide for 3 days and 225 mg/m2 thiotepa for 3 days) with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell support. The actuarial relapse free survival at 3 years is 80%; the actuarial survival at 3 years is 96%. Four patients relapsed systemically between 6 and 18 months; all four patients who relapsed had breast cancers that overexpressed Her2/neu. In contrast, none of the 21 patients who had no or borderline overexpression of Her2/neu relapsed (P = 0.00004, Fisher’s exact test). Patients with high-risk stage II and lIlA breast cancer who have overexpression of Her2/neu appear to be at a high risk for relapse, even when treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell support.