Serum Her2neu protein tied to prostate cancer progression!

--Let's hope this leads to the test becoming more readily available and to it being performed with greater reproducibility--ie, best method should be agreed upon and that technology promoted

Serum Her-2/neu Protein Tied to Prostate Cancer Progression


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 22 - Serum levels of shed Her-2/neu protein appear to be associated with metastatic disease and an increased risk of death in certain men with prostate cancer, researchers report in the December issue of the Journal of Urology.
Dr. Samir S. Taneja of New York University and colleagues note that although Her-2/neu protein is an established prognostic indicator in breast cancer, its significance in prostate cancer is unclear.
To investigate further, the researchers studied serum from 279 patients suspected urologic cancer and prospectively enrolled to supply specimens to a serum bank.
Among men with no subsequent evidence of cancer, 5% showed increased serum levels of Her-2/neu protein. In those with clinically localized disease, the incidence was 11.9%. The highest levels were seen in men with clinical metastases and castration sensitivity (16.7%) and clinical metastases and castration resistance (33.3%).
The risk of death increased significantly with each unit increase of Her-2/neu.
Given these results, the researchers call for further studies "to optimize this assay for use in screening patients and predicting disease outcome."
J Urol 2005;174:2174-2177.