title: Significance of epidermal growth factor receptor in advanced ovarian cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti Panici
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greggi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Vincenzo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D066246:ErbB Receptors