ERBB2/HER2/NEU, a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family, is overexpressed in more than 25 % of non-small cell lung cancer and is considered to be a significant and independent prognostic factor in lung cancer.
(64)Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab showed a very clear image of a Her2/neu positive tumor and appeared to be effective as a PET tracer for imaging of Her2/neu gene expression in NSCLC, suggesting its potential clinical use for identifying patients that might benefit from trastuzumab-based therapy.
As determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, the high degree of HER2/neu gene expression and gene amplification seen in breast cancer is lower in NSCLC.
High levels of expression of the c-erbB-2/neu gene have been reported in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and primary tumors from the United States.