Breast Cancer is not a single disease. Every breast cancer shows variable features and looks slightly different microscopically, just as individuals look and behave differently, so does an individuals breast cancer.

By looking at certain features of a cancer, the Breast Team are able to predict how each cancer is likely to behave and which treatments are required for each individual. Many of these factors have been known about for a long period of time. In the last few years a new factor has emerged as a possible new prognostic and predictive factor in breast cancer.

Prognostic factors determine if a tumour is likely to have a good outlook or poor survival. Predictive factors determine if a tumour is likely to respond to certain treatments.

This new Factor is a protein known as Her 2 (C-erb B 2, Her 2 neu). This protein is present in all normal cells. Studies have demonstrated that in approximately 30% of breast cancers the tumour cells have an excess of this protein. It has been suggested that in these cases the tumours are likely to behave more aggressively, not respond as well to certain treatments and respond more favourably to other treatments. There is also a new form of treatment available which only has effect in tumours with too much Her 2.

At the Western Infirmary our team hopes to use the money raised by BREAST CANCER 2000 to look for this protein in women we have treated with breast cancer. This test was not routinely performed in the past. We are very lucky in Glasgow to have treated large numbers of women with breast cancer and have good follow up information on the treatment received and the wellbeing of each woman. We hope to correlate the results of Her 2 staining with the treatment each individual woman has received and the outcome of that treatment.

We are most grateful to BREAST CANCER 2000 for providing us with the large sum of money required to perform these tests. We hope that the results produced by this study will enable us to treat cases more effectively in the future.

Dr Elizabeth Mallon
Consultant Pathologist