Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Biology

Abstract

Approximately 13-15% of breast cancer patients have tumors that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), making HER2-targeting therapies highly effective. However, resistance to these therapies remains a significant clinical challenge, partially due to mechanisms of intra-tumor HER2 heterogeneity. This study analyzed 99 pre-treatment HER2-positive tumors using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a diagnostic technique that measures HER2 expression in tumor cells. The degree of intra-tumor heterogeneity was quantified using the Shannon Entropy Index, an ecological diversity metric, and categorized as high or low. Kaplan-Meier modeling was then employed to assess the impact of HER2 heterogeneity on treatment outcomes. Although the analysis indicated an association between higher intra-tumor HER2 heterogeneity and increased mortality rates, this relationship did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.1251). These findings suggest that the initial HER2 heterogeneity does not influence breast cancer outcomes, highlighting the need for further research into post-treatment HER2 heterogeneity to improve HER2-targeted therapies and reduce reliance on more aggressive treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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