title: Malignant pleural mesothelioma and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R). Relationship of EGF-R with histology and survival using fixed paraffin embedded tissue and the F4, monoclonal antibody.
abstract: The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in 34 formalin fixed paraffin embedded specimens of malignant mesothelioma was examined using the F4 antibody. Eight samples of reactive pleura showed homogenous cytoplasmic staining with the antibody. EGF-R positive cells (greater than or equal to 5%) were found in 68% of the mesotheliomas examined. EGF-R positivity was more commonly seen in the epithelial histological subtype than in the sarcomatous or mixed subtypes. Patients with less than 5% of mesothelioma cells staining positive for EGF-R had a significantly shorter survival (median 299 days) compared with patients whose tumours had a greater number of cells positive for EGF-R (median 446 days) (P = 0.04). However, when the histological subgroup was also taken into consideration (epithelial type had a significantly longer survival than the sarcomatous or mixed) the survival difference in relation to EGF-R positivity was no longer significant (P = 0.08). EGF-R could not be used to distinguish between malignant and benign mesothelial tissue and was not an independent prognostic factor for survival.
authors.affiliation: CRC Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dazzi
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hasleton
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thatcher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilkes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swindell
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D066246:ErbB Receptors