HER 2 in Gastric Cancer in Albania as a New Therapeutic Alternative

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer in Albania. Gastric cancer has a 5-year survival rate as low as 30%. The expression of HER2 in gastric cancer has brought a new alternative treatment for patients. Materials and method: 192 patients were analyzed retrospectively, with primary GCs for HER2 overexpression by IHC and Dual SISH in equivocal cases. This was compared with the results of HER2 in gastric patients in surgical specimens and endoscopic biopsies and there is a correlation between gender, age, stage, and type of the histopathologic gastric cancer diagnosis. Results: Examinations were made by immunohistochemistry for HER2 in 73.4% (141 cases) of surgical specimens and 26.5% of endoscopic biopsies: 18.4% (26 cases) and 15.7% (8 cases) were HER2 3+, respectively. HER2 overexpression (3+) was detected in 17.7% (34 cases). HER2 Equivocal (2+) was detected in 24.5% (47 cases). 17.8%, 14%, and 4.7% were respectively intestinal type, diffuse, signet ring, and the rest adenocarcinoma NOS. GC prevailed in the group aged 61-70 yrs. (31.70%), followed by 51-60 yrs. (25%), 22.9% in 71-80-yrs. 20 cases analyzed by SISH, showed HER2 amplification in 40% (8cases). Economical restrictions and problems with the preanalytical phase made it impossible to evaluate by SISH all 20 cases. Conclusion: 17.7% of Albanian patients with primary GC were HER2-positive on IHC. There is no difference in biopsy and surgical specimen results. Economic restrictions can influence the results.