Use of HER2 score correction for putative chromosome 17 (Chr-17) aneusomy to increase eligibility for anti-HER2 therapy.
620 Background: HER2 amplification or overexpression status directs therapy choice in breast carcinoma. HER2/Chr-17 ratio is commonly assessed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) using a CEP17 centromeric reference probe and ASCO/CAP scoring criteria. However, α-centromeric reference probes may underestimate true HER2 status in cases with para-centromeric amplification. Here we present comprehensive algorithmic testing of an alternative Chr-17 reference locus for resolution of putative CEP17-aneusomic cases in a consecutive series, within a single health system. Methods: 150 of 1256 consecutive breast carcinoma cases accessioned in 2011 within the Cleveland Clinic Health System displayed a mean CEP17 copy number greater than 3.0 by FISH (aneusomy). The patients were reflex-HER2 tested by FISH with a reference probe for the D17S122 locus (17p12) and a corrected HER2/Chr-17 ratio was calculated. Cases with equivocal HER2/D17S122 ratio (1.8-2.2) were further reflex tested for HER2 overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Of 117 initially non-amplified cases by HER2/CEP17, 20 (17%) were revised to amplified and 18 (15.3%) to equivocal by HER2/D17S122. Of 3 initially equivocal cases, 1 was revised to amplified and 1 remained equivocal. Of the 19 equivocal cases by HER2/D17S122, 3 were revised to positive by IHC. Overall, for CEP17 aneusomic cases tested using this algorithmic approach, 24 of 120 (20%) patients with initial non-amplified or equivocal HER2 status became eligible for anti-HER2-based therapy, which was also considered in 10 equivocal cases with a HER2/D17S122 ratio of 2.0 - 2.2. A significantly lower proportion of initially amplified cases was revised as non-amplified by HER2/D17S122 (1 of 30, 3.3%, p<0.05). Conclusions: Our data, collected within a single health system for a consecutive case series, underscores the clinical limitations of commonly used FISH probes for HER2 testing and demonstrates that algorithmic use of a non-centromeric Chr-17 reference probe alters HER2 status and increases eligibility for anti-HER2 based therapy in a significant proportion of patients.