Abstract
BACKGROUND: HER-2/neu, a membrane-bound receptor encoded on chromosome 17q21, is involved in carcinogenesis across several cancers, including breast, stomach, and cervical cancer. This study evaluates HER-2/neu expression in premalignant and malignant cervical lesions and correlates it with histological types and grades. METHODS: This prospective hospital-based study, conducted at the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India, included 74 cases (11 premalignant, 63 malignant) from January 2023 to October 2024. HER-2/neu expression was analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), and scoring was based on the American Society of Clinical Oncology-College of American Pathologists (ASCO-CAP) 2013 guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed to determine correlations. RESULTS: HER-2/neu positivity was observed in 8 (10.8%) out of 74 cases. Among squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), poorly differentiated cases showed maximum positivity in 4 (66.7%) cases, followed by moderately differentiated SCC in 2 (33.3%) cases, with no positivity in well-differentiated SCC. Among adenocarcinomas (a total of 10 (13.5%) among 74 in number), only 1 (12.5%) out of 8 cases were found to be Her-2/neu positive. Premalignant lesions demonstrated positivity in one (9.1%) case only. There was no statistically significant correlation between HER-2/neu expression and histological grade or presence of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: HER-2/neu expression is higher in malignant cervical lesions compared to premalignant ones, suggesting its role in tumor progression. Further studies with larger sample sizes and additional variables like human papillomavirus (HPV) status are recommended to explore its prognostic potential.