To show feasibility of laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) for analysis of zinc content and concentration in breast cancer tissue and to correlate this with validated prognostic and predictive markers, i.e. histological grading and expression of steroid receptors (estrogen receptor, ER; progesterone receptor, PR) and human epidermal growth-factor receptor 2 (Her2). Here, ERBB2 is linked to breast carcinoma.