Molecular Characterization of HER2-Low Invasive Breast Carcinoma by Quantitative RT-PCR Using Oncotype DX Assay

Abstract

Background: HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) reproducibility is suboptimal for HER-low cases (IHC 1+ or 2+).

Methods: The Yale cohort included 214 stages I-II estrogen receptor positive breast cancers with IHC scores 0, 1+, and 2+ and routine Oncotype DX Recurrence Score (RS) results. The Exact Sciences (ES) cohort included 9 57 624 patients who had an Oncotype DX RS assay that assigns HER2-negative, equivocal, or positive status based on HER2 mRNA levels.

Results: HER2 mRNA levels varied across IHC categories but with increasing medians of 9.10 (n = 89), 9.20 (n = 71), and 9.45 (n = 54) in IHC 0, 1+, and 2+, respectively. 22.4% of HER2-low (1+/2+) cancer had RS > 25. Over 98% of HER-low cancers were HER2-negative by Oncotype DX assignment.

Conclusions: Cancers with higher mRNA levels exist within IHC 0 and low categories, most of the HER2-low patients by IHC have low RS indicating no benefit from current adjuvant chemotherapies.

Keywords: HER2 RT-PCR; HER2-low; Oncotype DX assay; breast cancer; recurrence score.