title: Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in breast cancer, from early stages to advanced disease.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor was determined in 106 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, using the biochemical method. The group consisted of 58 patients in stage I-II, and 48 patients in stage III-IV. Although a significant inverse correlation was found between EGF-R status, and ER or PR status, quantitative content of EGF-R did not correlate either with quantitative ER, or PR levels. The ER/PR content was similar in all clinical stages, suggesting their stability during the clinical course of the disease. EGF-R content was significantly higher in stage IV, compared to stage I, while intermediate clinical stages and all substages did not differ according to the EGF-R content. EGF-R was confirmed as a weak prognostic factor within clinical stages. However, in a whole group, the overall survival was significantly better in patients whose tumors EGF-R content was lower than 26 fmol/mg, compared to those with higher ERF-R content. EGF-R content was highly predictive for the response to systemic endocrine treatment, in metastatic breast cancer patients. In locally advanced breast cancer a trend towards higher levels of EGF-R was found in inflammatory breast cancers, compared to non-inflammatory ones. Slightly higher levels were found in responders to local non-endocrine primary treatments (radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy), compared to non-responders, suggesting the possible predictive role of EGF-R for the response to such treatments. Our results emphasized the usefulness of quantitative receptor determination suggesting the relative stability of EGF-R content during the clinical course of breast cancer, its independence from ER, its significant predictive and weak prognostic values, and a possible correlation with the aggressiveness of the disease, and response to non-endocrine treatments.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Medical Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Jugoslavia. konsta@eunet.yu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nesković-Konstantinović
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nikolić-Vukosavljević
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Branković-Magić
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanjer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gavrilović
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mitrović
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borojević
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vukotić
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spuzić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D066246:ErbB Receptors