HER2 Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
HER2 positivity is uncommon in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma using standard breast criteria
HER2 Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Vulvar cancer is a rare gynecologic malignancy comprising 1-3% of all cases.
We performed a systematic search of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to May 2025.
her2 rarely positive by breast criteria, limiting near-term use of her2-targeted therapy
Of 506 records, nine retrospective studies including 769 patients with predominantly squamous cell carcinoma histology (98%, n = 752) met inclusion criteria.
Median age at diagnosis of vulvar cancer was between 55 and 78, reported in three studies.
Molecular profiling was limited.
Among three studies with known TP53 status (n = 206), 59% of the tumors expressed TP53 (n = 122), and among two studies with known human papilloma virus (human papilloma virus) status (n = 128), 21% (n = 27) were human papilloma virus-positive.
HER2 positivity in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma appears uncommon but it remains to be fully explored.
Standardized assessment using contemporary ASCO/CAP breast, endometrial-specific and/or gastric criteria are needed to clarify the prevalence of HER2-positive versus HER2-low/ultralow disease to inform potential use of HER2-targeted therapy.