title: Epidermal growth factor receptor in undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its prognostic value in undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) of the nasopharynx.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 75 patients diagnosed with UC over a 4-year period in a tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postnasal space biopsies were obtained and processed, and immunohistochemical staining was performed. The over-expression of EGFR was measured, and the expression levels were statistically analyzed with the clinical and pathologic variables. Disease-free and overall survival analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 62 (82.7%) specimens that showed over-expression of EGFR levels. Over-expression of EGFR correlated significantly only with primary tumor size (P =.007). Age, sex, positive smoking and family history, presence of nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, and Epstein-Barr virus serology titers were not significantly correlated with over-expression of EGFR. Both 54-month disease-free and 56-month overall survivals were not associated with EGFR over-expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of over-expression of EGFR in UC is similar to other squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck region. Only primary tumor size is independently correlated with over-expression of EGFR. EGFR over-expression does not affect disease-free and overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National University Hospital, Head and Neck Tumor Group, The Cancer Institute, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Jern-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Kwok Seng
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Thomas Choudhary
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Putti
authors.forename: Boon Cher
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Luke Kim Siang
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors