Cytoplasmic c‐erbB‐2 protein expression correlates with survival in Dukes' B colorectal carcinoma

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Abstract
The prognostic significance of c‐erbB‐2 expression was studied in paraffin wax embedded colorectal cancer tissue using a monoclonal antibody. One hundred and sixty‐four patients with Dukes' B disease were studied. Membranous staining was not detected in any case. Cytoplasmic c‐erbB‐2 staining was seen in 55 cancers (33.5%). Cytoplasmic taining was unrelated to patient age (P= 0.31), sex (P= 0.69), tumour site (P= 0.69), size (P= 0.57), histological grade (P= 0.42) or ploidy status (P= 0.21) but was found more frequently in obstructing cancers (P= 0.03). Mean follow up of the patient population was 6.3 years. Five‐year‐survival estimated by the Kaplan‐Meier life‐table method was 47% for those with cytoplasmic c‐erbB‐2 staining and 77% for those without (log rank analysis;P? 0.0001). Stepwise regression analysis identified c‐erbB‐2 staining (relative risk, 2.51;P= 0.0005) and bowel obstruction (relative risk, 1.99;P= 0.015) as independent predictors of survival. It is suggested that cytoplasmic c‐erbB‐2 expression may provide a useful marker of tumour behaviour in Dukes' B colorectal cancer.