In attempt to quantify the extent to which aggressive cancer cells are predisposed to PM damage, MCF7 breast cancer cells of an invasive phenotype (ectopically expressing a truncated form of the oncogene ErbB2/HER2 that mimics the constitutively active form) were fivefold more likely to present signs of membrane damage under Ca2+-free condition as compared to their less invasive counterparts. The gene discussed is ERBB2; the disease is breast carcinoma.