EGF receptor expression in primary laryngeal cancer: correlation with clinico-pathological features and prognostic significance.
Epidermal-growth-factor-receptor(EGFR) expression was evaluated in 103 primary laryngeal tumors and in 42 normal laryngeal tissue specimens. Significantly higher EGFR levels were found in cancer specimens than in normal mucosa (p = 0.0053). EGFR expression did not correlate with age, tumor localization, T classification, cervical-lymph-node involvement or type of surgery, whereas it was higher in poorly differentiated tumors (G3) than in well/moderately differentiated (G1-G2) tumors (p < 0.05). Follow-up data were available for 74 patients. When EGFR status and the most important clinico-pathological characteristics were submitted to univariate analysis, tumor localization, type of surgery and EGFR status were found to be significantly correlated with disease-free survival. The 24-month disease-free survival rate was 58% for EGFR+ cancer patients and 82% for EGFR- ones. With multivariate analysis, only EGFR status and tumor localization were identified as significant independent prognostic parameters. Data reported here suggest that high EGFR levels may identify a sub-set of laryngeal-cancer patients with a particularly unfavorable prognosis.
Maurizi
M
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Scambia
G
G
Benedetti Panici
P
P
Ferrandina
G
G
Almadori
G
G
Paludetti
G
G
De Vincenzo
R
R
Distefano
M
M
Brinchi
D
D
Cadoni
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D066246:ErbB Receptors