Abstract
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is widely used in surgical pathology, but it has been plagued by problems with reproducibility and lack of standardization resulting in poor concordance between laboratories. In particular, inaccuracy of routine human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) testing in breast cancer patients has been a major issue. In 2006 this led the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) to charge an expert panel with developing recommendations for HER2 testing. After subsequent publication and adoption of these guideline recommendations through dissemination of best practices, variation in clinical practice is expected to diminish and result in improved accuracy. In this article, we review the role of genomic HER2 alterations in the development and treatment of breast cancer, highlight the importance of accurate and reproducible HER2 testing, and discuss practical approaches to standardize HER2 testing by IHC. Pre-analytic and analytic variables are addressed, and a practical algorithm for test interpretation is introduced. * IHC : immunohistochemistry HER2 : human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ASCO : American Society of Clinical Oncologists CAP : College of American Pathologists ER : estrogen receptor FISH : fluorescence in situ hybridization PR : progesterone receptor H&E : hematoxylin and eosin staining
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
