Serial HER-2/neu determinations after surgery seem to be useful in the early diagnosis of recurrence, mainly in patients with HER-2/neu overexpression in tissue, but additional studies are necessary to confirm these results. HER-2/neu assay sensitivity in patients with untreated primary loco-regional breast cancer is <10% and seems to be related to overexpression in tissue as well as to the most important prognostic factors: tumor size and nodal involvement. Likewise, the highest concentrations of this oncoprotein are found in patients with breast cancer, but lower concentrations may be found in other malignancies, particularly ovarian, prostate and lung cancer (mainly adenocarcinomas). HER-2/neu in serum is a specific tumor marker and only slight elevations may be found in the absence of malignancy, mainly in association with liver diseases. The external domain of this protein is released by the cell and can be studied in serum by immunoassay. HER-2/neu, also known as c-erbB-2/neu, is an oncogene located in chromosome 17 which encodes HER-2/neu, a transmembrane protein belonging to the EGFR family.

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