title: Prognostic value of EGFR and TGF-alpha in early laryngeal cancer treated with radiotherapy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the overexpression of both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) (a ligand of EGFR) in early laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, we attempted to evaluate the prognostic values of our findings. Expression of EGFR and TGF-alpha in tumor tissue was examined immunohistochemically in 68 patients who had been treated with radiotherapy for early laryngeal cancer. Overexpression of the two factors was noted in 42.6% and 55.9%, respectively. No significant differences due to age, tumor size, and location or grade of cancer tissues were seen. Higher survival rates, found in patients with EGFR (-) and TGF-alpha (-) tumors as compared with those with EGFR (+) and TGF-alpha (+) (97.4%, 100% and 86.2%, 86.8%, respectively), were not statistically significant. The recurrence rates were similar between EGFR (+) and EGFR (-) (37.9% and 35.9%, respectively). However, the recurrence rate in patients with TGF-alpha (+) was significantly higher (57.9%) than in those with TGF-alpha (-) (10%; P<.01). Therefore overexpression of TGF-alpha may be an important indicator for recurrence in patients with early laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated by irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto-Laryngology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizaki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishijima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D066246:ErbB Receptors