Heterogeneous HER2 expression is associated with a short survival time in metastatic breast cancer. (a–f) Representative bioluminescence images of mice after intracardiac injection (upper panel). H&E staining of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded metastasized brain sections. Scale bar, 250 μm (lower panel). (a,b) Injected with 231-Luc cells; (c,d) injected with HER2-60 cells; (e,f) injected with HER2-90 cells; (g) survival curves of mice after intracardiac injection of 231-Luc (n = 24), HER2-60 (n = 22), and HER2-90 (n = 13) cells (231-Luc vs. HER2-60; p < 0.001; 231-Luc vs. HER2-90; p = 0.34).