Abstract Background: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) proto-oncogene is overexpressed or amplified in approximately 15%-25% of invasive breast cancers. Approximately 35% of HER2-amplified breast cancers have coamplification of the topoisomerase II-alpha (TOP2A) gene encoding an enzyme that is a major target of anthracyclines. Hence, the determination of genetic alteration (amplification or deletion) of both genes is considered as an important predictive factor that determines the response of breast cancer patients to treatment. The aims of this study are to determinate TOP2A status gene amplification in a set of Iraqi patients with breast cancer that have had an equivocal (2+) and positive HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry

Breast cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related death in women worldwide. Amplification or over-expression of the ERBB2 (HER/neu) gene occurs in approximately 15-30% of breast cancer cases and it is strongly associated with an increased disease recurrence and a poor prognosis. Determination of HER2/neu status is crucial in the treatment plan as that positive cases will respond to trastuzumab therapy. It has been used to test for HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry as a first step and then to study only the equivocal positive cases (score 2+) by in situ hybridization technique. The aim of our study is to compare between immunohistochemistry and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) in assessment of human epidermal growth factor (HER2/neu)

background: human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (her2/neu) is related to growth factor receptors with alkaline kinase activity and it is regarded as important prognostic and therapeutic factor that can depended on in breast cancer therapy. HER2/neu expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is submitted to a great in terob server inconsistency. Subsequently additional confirmatory tests for assessment of gene alterations and amplification status are needed for patients with early or metastatic breast cancer. In situ hybridization techniques and specifically Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) was arise as a practical, cost-effective, and alternative to fluorescent in situ hybridization in testing for gene alterationAims of the study

Introduction: With the advent of era of targeted cancer therapy, the serious side effects of chemoradiotherapy have been minimised. Considering the success story of anti-HER2/neu drugs in breast cancer oncology, the present study was conducted. The study evaluates the immunohistochemical expression of HER2/neu in endometrioid cancer among Iraqi patients. Aim: To assess the immunohistochemical expression of HER2/neu in endometrioid carcinoma of uterus and to find the relationship of this expression with FIGO stage and grade and with patient age. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 62 hysterectomy specimens that were diagnosed as endometrioid carcinoma in the teaching labora

The present study aimed to examine the concordance between FISH/CISH techniques for assessment of amplification of her2neu gene in Iraqi breast carcinoma patients. Seventy four (74) Iraqi breast cancer patients were involved at the study from the Histopathology Department at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Bagdad, Iraq. Amplification of HER2neu was detected in (33.8%) by fluorescence in situ hybridization and (13.51%) showed high amplification by chromogenic in situ hybridization and (32.43%) showed low amplification. The results of chromogenic in situ hybridization were significantly correlated with the results of two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization with the same tumors. In addition, the study involved the correlation betw

Background: The role of Human papillomaviruses (HPV) in the etiology of ovarian cancer remains unclear and the results are controversial. Several studies have verified the presence of HPV DNA in both malignant and benign ovarian tumors.
Objectives: Determine the percentage of detection of HPV high (16&18) and low risk types (6&11) in surface epithelial ovarian carcinoma compared to benign and control groups.
Materials And Methods: Molecular detection and genotyping of HPV DNA were performed in 76 ovarian tissue blocks by using in situ hybridization (ISH) technique for detecting and localization of high risk HPV (16 and 18) and low risk HPV (6&11) types.
Results: The presence of ISH signals fo

     Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects a wide range of human cells, resulting in both benign and malignant tumors. In the last few decades, proteins and/or nucleic acids of the virus were found to be often highly expressed in in patients with basal cell hyperplasia and prostatic neoplasia.

This research aimed to unravel the rate of HCMV infections among prostatic tissue subsets from Iraqi patients with adenocarcinoma and benign hyperplasia.

One hundred, formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded prostatic tissues were obtained from 40 tissue samples collected from different grades of prostate carcinoma; 40 from benign prostatic hyperplasia and 20 from apparently healthy prostatic tissues. These tissue spe

Background: Breast cancer is one of the common malignancies among women worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have been linked to many human cancers in addition to cervical cancer and one of them is breast cancer.
Objective: To investigate the presence of human papilloma virus type 6 and type 11in breast cancer tissue specimens by in situ hybridization technique.
Patients and Methods: Thirty four formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks from breast cancer patients were obtained from the archives of the pathology laboratory of Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital from January 2011 to July 2012. In addition formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded blocks tissue for twenty fibroadenoma of breast were collected and used as control g

Background: Breast cancer ranks the first among the Iraqi population since three decades and is currently forming a major public health problem being the second cause of death women. Novel management of breast cancer depends upon precise evaluation of their molecular subtypes; identified by Hormone (Estrogen and Progesterone) receptors and HER2 contents of the primary tumor.
Objective: To assess the rates of the different molecular breast cancer subtypes in the examined tissue specimens belonging to females diagnosed with breast cancer in Iraq; correlating the findings with those reported in the literature at the regional and global levels.
Patients and Methods: This retrospective study documented the findings of tissue biopsy exam

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a worldwide distribution and common infections. The presence of HCMV genome and antigens has been detected in many kinds of human cancers. The proto-oncogene Her2/neu is overexpressed in 25% to 30% of human breast cancers and frequently associated with tumor aggressiveness and worse prognosis. Examination was applied to detect different HCMV antigens and to demonstrate their correlation with Her2/neu overexpression in breast cancer. The present study includes samples from 70 women of 60 breast cancer patients and 10 normal breast tissues. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks were obtained from each woman according to ethical approval. Human cytomegalovirus early antigen expression was detected in 5