Relationship between Calcification on Mammography and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER-2) Expression in Breast Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Breast carcinoma shows over-expression of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER-2) in 18 to 20% of the cases. This type of cancer is very progressive and has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to determine the association between the calcification on mammography with HER-2 expression in breast carcinoma as a marker of breast carcinoma aggressiveness. Methods: This was an analytic observational study with a case-control design. Patients with breast carcinoma at the Department of Radiology and Department of Anatomical Pathology of Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung from July-September 2019 were enrolled in this study. Samples were consecutively collected. The association of calcification on mammography and HER2 expression was analyzed using the Chi-square test. Result: In total, 40 patients were included, consisting of 20 individuals with HER-2 positive and 20 individuals with HER-2 negative. The youngest was 40 years old and the oldest was 73 years old. Statistical test results showed that there was a significant association between calcifications in mammography and HER-2 expression (p-value = 0.0001, OR 13.22; 95% CI 2.7-62.6). Conclusions: There is a significant association between calcification on mammography and HER-2 expression in breast carcinoma, suggesting that positive calcification mammography was 13.22 times higher in patients with HER-2 positive compared to patients with negative calcifications.