INVESTIGATION OF HER-2 GENE MUTATIONS AND CHANGES IN SOME BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS IN BREAST CANCER

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study investigating the levels of matrix proteins in the blood serum and HER-2 gene mutations in HER-2 negative type breast cancer tissues in women with breast cancer (BC). The study included results from 74 women aged 30-75 who applied to the National Oncology Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2023-2024. The control group consisted of 15 healthy women aged 25-38. According to the study results, no HER-2 gene mutations were detected in the HER-2 negative BC patients. Among the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) tested, MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in the serum of BC patients compared to healthy women (p<0.001). MMP-7 levels, however, did not show a significant change when compared to healthy women (p=0.464). No statistically significant differences were found between the subgroups. The decrease in MMP-9 levels in the serum during BC is related to processes occurring in the tissue and is primarily associated with its increased consumption in the extracellular environment.