title: HER-2, EGFR, COX-2 expression status correlated to microvessel density and survival in resected non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: The incidence of lung cancer is increasing throughout the world and is the most common cause of cancer-related death. Early detection followed by surgery has a reasonable, curative potential, but 30-50% of patients experience relapses. The immunohistochemical expressions of HER-2, EGFR and COX-2 were investigated in 53 resected non-small cell lung carcinomas and correlated to microvessel density and clinical data. HER-2, EGFR and COX-2 overexpressions were demonstrated in 15%, 30% and 40% of the tumours, respectively. In adenocarcinomas, HER-2 and COX-2 overexpression were more common, whereas in squamous cell carcinomas, EGFR overexpression was more common. COX-2 expression correlated with HER-2 expression (p = 0.002), and demonstrated a trend towards a correlation with microvessel density (p = 0.10). None of the markers alone had any impact on survival. However, HER-2+/EGFR- tumours proved to have a poor prognosis. In conclusion, adjuvant treatment with HER-2 antagonists might be a future treatment option in resected non-small cell lung cancer patients, especially when HER-2 is overexpressed without a concomitant overexpression of EGFR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Radiology, Section for Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. daniel.brattstrom@onkologi.uas.lul.se
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brattström
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergqvist
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hesselius
authors.forename: Per-Uno
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Malmström
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nordgren
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wagenius
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Brodin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002196:Capillaries / Q000503:physiopathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human