Serum HER-2/neu Extracellular Domain Levels in Men Presenting with Suspected Prostate Cancer

Introduction : A new serum assay (HER-2/neu; Bayer), aimed at quantifying the human HER-2/neu (C-erb-2) oncogene product, has been shown to be of potential use in many tumours of epithelial origin, notably breast cancer, where serum HER-2/neu may play a role in predicting disease progression and response to treatment. Raised levels of HER-2/neu have also been observed in a proportion of patients with advanced prostate cancer. Methods : Serum samples were obtained from 153 men presenting with lower genito-urinary symptoms and a total PSA between 4 and 20 ng/ml. Samples were assayed for HER-2/neu and total PSA on the Bayer Immuno-1 analyser. Trans-rectal biopsy of the prostate and subsequent histology defined the clinical diagnosis. Results : Early prostate cancer was demonstrated by histology in 50 (32.5%) patients, with 103 (67.5%) patients showing benign disease. Serum HER-2/neu (ng/ml) levels in the prostate cancer group (mean 10.6; 95% CI 10.7-11.1) and the benign group (mean 10.9; 95% CI 10.5-11.3) we...