Brief fixation enables same-day breast cancer diagnosis with reliable assessment of hormone receptors, E-cadherin and HER2/Neu

Abstract

Hormone receptors and E-cadherin IHC and HER2 FISH are highly comparable between briefly fixed CNBs and the corresponding traditionally fixed resection specimens, and can therefore reliably be used in the daily clinical practice of same-day diagnostics of breast cancer.

Assessment of HER2 status in breast cancer biopsies is not affected by accelerated tissue processing

“…The use of this technique for basic histology was established previously . The reliability for hormone receptor status, E‐cadherin, Ki‐67 and HER2 FISH has also been described …”

“…HER2 FISH was performed as described elsewhere . For the ISH process, a custom‐made probe ERBB2‐HER2/ neu 17Q12/SE‐17 (KB‐00007 Kreatech; Leica, Rijswijk, the Netherlands) was used.…”

“…The authors concluded that data on the reliability of hormone receptor status or HER2 status after a short fixation time are scarce, but the status of highly expressive breast cancers does not seem to be altered. The reliability of hormone receptor status and fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation (FISH) determination of HER2 status is supported further by a more recent publication …”

“…HER2 FISH was performed as described elsewhere. 9 For the ISH process, a custom-made probe ERBB2-HER2/neu 17Q12/SE-17 (KB-00007 Kreatech; Leica, Rijswijk, the Netherlands) was used. Scoring of HER2 FISH was conducted as described by the latest ASCO/ CAP guideline for HER2 status assessment.…”

“…The reliability of hormone receptor status and fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) determination of HER2 status is supported further by a more recent publication. 9 As aCNB is a relatively new technique, there is little information available on the reliability of hormone receptor and HER2 determination on aCNB specimens. The Dutch 2012 breast cancer guideline suggests using either IHC or FISH as a first-line test and using more advanced techniques, such as multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) to establish a definitive HER2 status if the first result is equivocal.…”