Abstract
Background: Cancer is still among the major causes of morbidity and mortality across the world. Detection of stable biomarkers by histopathologic analysis is significant in early diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy management. Histopathology, or tissue examination with the microscope, is still the gold standard in cancer diagnosis, which is complemented by molecular and immune-histochemical methods.
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the expression patterns of certain cancer biomarkers in different tumors and their diagnostic and predictive value through histopathological and immune-histochemical examination.
Methods: Specimens of different cancers were obtained and assessed for the expression of Ki-67, p53, HER2, and EGFR biomarkers. Immuno-histochemical stain intensity and percentage positivity were measured and correlated with clinical and pathological features.
Results: Expression of biomarkers was extremely heterogeneous among the different cancers. Ki-67 and p53 were associated with poor histologic grade, whereas HER2 and EGFR overexpression were associated with poor prognosis in breast and lung cancer, respectively.
Conclusion: Histopathological evaluation of biomarkers is an important aspect in the understanding of tumor biology and behavior. Integration of biomarker profiling into standard diagnostics improves detection of cancer and personalizes therapy.
Keywords: Histopathology, Cancer biomarkers, Immunohistochemistry, Ki-67, p53, HER2, EGFR, Prognosis, Tumor grading, Molecular pathology