We found that the proportion of recurrent tumours with changed HER2 status was significant in each of these two groups (n = 131 (35.7%); K = 0.497, 95% CI 0.419–0.575 for distant metastases and n = 60 (41.4%); K = 0.392, 95% CI 0.252–0.532 for local recurrences) but without a significant difference between them (P = 0.303). Here, ERBB2 is linked to neoplasm.