Significance of epidermal growth factor receptor in advanced ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) expression in a group of advanced ovarian carcinomas.


METHODS
The study was conducted on 72 previously untreated patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III-IV disease. The median follow-up was 24 months (range, 4 to 75 months). EGF-R was measured by a radioreceptorial assay. A cutoff of 1.5 fmol per milligram of protein was chosen to define EGF-R positivity. Medians and life tables obtained with the Kaplan and Meier method were analyzed by the log-rank test. The risk of progression was estimated by Cox's proportional hazards model.


RESULTS
EGF-R was detected in 54% of primary tumors. When EGF-R was analyzed in different tissue specimens of the same tumor, consistent findings were noted in 88% (seven of eight) of cases. A lower concordance rate (nine of 15; 60%) was found between primary tumors and omental metastases, with a tendency toward higher EGF-R levels in the latter. The EGF-R expression did not significantly correlate with age, stage, grading, and residual tumor after primary surgery. In the univariate analysis, stage IV disease, postoperative residual tumor diameter greater than 2 cm, presence of ascites, and EGF-R positivity were found to be significantly associated with a greater risk of disease progression. In the multivariate analysis, only the postoperative residual tumor and the EGF-R expression remained significantly associated with a high risk of progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Data reported here suggest that the presence of EGF-R in advanced ovarian tumor at the time of the primary surgery identifies a subset of patients with a particularly poor prognosis.
Scambia
G
G
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Benedetti Panici
P
P
Battaglia
F
F
Ferrandina
G
G
Baiocchi
G
G
Greggi
S
S
De Vincenzo
R
R
Mancuso
S
S
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D015993:Life Tables; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D066246:ErbB Receptors