title: Epidermal growth factor receptor in breast cancer: correlation of quantitative immunocytochemical assays to prognostic factors.
abstract: Immunocytochemical assays for EGFR were performed on frozen sections from breast carcinomas (n = 209). Results were evaluated by computer assisted image analysis to accurately define the percentage of immunostained surface and the mean optical densities. Thirty seven percent (n = 77/209) of the tumors were EGFR positive, but about one third of them were faintly reactive (35%). No significant relationship was observed between EGFR tumor content and patient age, tumor size, histological type, histoprognostic grade, or axillary lymph node status. A negative correlation was observed with the results of estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assays and a positive correlation with immunodetectable cathepsin D and Ki 67 antigen evaluated according the same method. No correlation was found with HER-2/neu protein, aneuploidy, nucleolar organizor region distribution, and nuclear morphometry, also assessed by image analysis. These results suggest that immunocytochemical assays assessed on frozen sections and evaluated by image analysis are suitable for current and standardized evaluation of EGFR which has been previously documented as a prognostic indicator in breast carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (Solid Tumor Oncogenesis Unit), Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charpin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devictor
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonnier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andrac
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Lavaut
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allasia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D002402:Cathepsin D