Epidermal growth factor receptor expression has no independent prognostic significance in advanced ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study was undertaken to evaluate whether overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was of possible prognostic and/or predictive significance in advanced ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Tumor specimens from 185 patients with stage III ovarian cancer, treated at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology of the Norwegian Radium Hospital, were examined immunohistochemically for overexpression of EGFR. Response was verified with second look laparotomy in 149 patients after 4 courses of platinum/anthracyclin chemotherapy. Correlations between EGFR status and classical clinicopathological parameters were examined, and uni- and multivariate survival analysis was performed.


RESULTS
EGFR membrane immunostaining was observed in 22% of the cases. EGFR overexpression correlated positively with residual disease after first surgery (P = 0.048) and tended to correlate with increasing FIGO substage (P = 0.058). No correlation was found with response to chemotherapy. In univariate analysis age below the median, FIGO substage, residual disease, histology, differentiation grade and the presence of ascites correlated with disease-related survival. A tendency towards correlation was found for EGFR (P = 0.0669). In muitivariate analysis only residual disease, histological type, differentiation grade and the presence of ascites retained independent prognostic significance.


CONCLUSIONS
EGFR status was found to be of no independent prognostic or predictive significance in this large group of uniformly treated stage III ovarian cancer patients.
Baekelandt
M
M
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
Kristensen
G B
GB
Tropé
C G
CG
Nesland
J M
JM
Holm
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
D066246:ErbB Receptors