TY - JOUR AB - Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world based on incidence, reaching more than 2 million new cases in 2018, while continuing to increase. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of this cancer, making up approximately 70‑80% of all breast cancer diagnoses. In particular, the type of breast cancer overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has potential of strong proliferation, migration and invasion and early treatment is necessary. The authors identified and studied a single patient displaying complete therapeutic resistance to monoclonal anti‑HER2 antibody therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A patient who exhibited resistance to postoperative adjuvant therapy after mastectomy was selected from HER2‑positive breast cancer, and this patient had the grade of T4bN2aM0, Stage IIIB. The patient samples, blood serum and cancer tissue, were analyzed by metabolome and immunostaining technique, respectively. The characteristics of peripheral blood serum and solid tumor were investigated, aiming to find new serum biomarker(s) using the metabolomics technique. A correlation between the appearance of HER2‑positive cancer tissue and serum concentration of the sphingomyelin family was found. In addition, HER2‑positive tumor tissue in both the primary and recurrent cancer express the sphingomyelinase. These results suggest that sphingomyelins from this cancer tissue leads to therapy resistance, induction of invasion and strong proliferation. AD - Department of Radiation Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki, Aomori 036‑8564, Japan Department of Glycotechnology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori 036‑8562, Japan Department of Radiology, Mutsu General Hospital, Mutsu, Aomori 035‑0071, Japan Department of Bioscience and Laboratory Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki, Aomori 036‑8564, Japan Centre for Radiation Protection Research, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner‑Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden AU - Monzen,Satoru AU - Tatara,Yota AU - Mariya,Yasushi AU - Chiba,Mitsuru AU - Wojcik,Andrzej AU - Lundholm,Lovisa DA - 2020/12/01 DO - 10.3892/mco.2020.2140 IS - 6 JO - Mol Clin Oncol KW - HER2-positive breast cancer postoperative adjuvant therapy resistant metabolomics analysis sphingomyeline PY - 2020 SN - 2049-9450 2049-9469 SP - 70 ST - HER2‑positive breast cancer that resists therapeutic drugs and ionizing radiation releases sphingomyelin‑based molecules to circulating blood serum T2 - Molecular and Clinical Oncology TI - HER2‑positive breast cancer that resists therapeutic drugs and ionizing radiation releases sphingomyelin‑based molecules to circulating blood serum UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2020.2140 VL - 13 ER -