title: [Association between the survival time and high-expression of EGFR and HER-2 in breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the survival time and the high-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer patients, and assess the feasibility of using the two markers either alone or in combination for predicting the prognosis of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast cancer samples were obtained from 185 patients and measured for the expressions of EGFR and HER-2 by way of immunohistochemistry, and 120 patients (64.9%) were followed up and their survival time recorded. Sixty-five patients (35.1%) failed to be followed for various reasons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 120 patients followed up, death occurred in 28 (15%). Positive HER2 expression was detected in 57.8% and EGFR expression in 40.5% of the all the samples examined. The over-expression of either HER2 or EGFR was in inverse correlation with the survival time (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), and the over-expression of both related to the survival time in similar manner (P<0.05 and P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high expression of HER2 or/and EGFR suggests a short survival time and an unfavorable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Center, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zhangjunyi@csco.org.cn
authors.forename: Jun-yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guo-feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Rong-cheng
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hai-zhu
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jing-xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Chen-yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yan-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases