Somatic mutations of EGFR gene in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, the kinase domain mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene have been identified in non-small-cell lung cancer, and these mutations have been related to the clinical response to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib. Gefitinib treatment has also shown clinical benefits in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The aim of this study was to explore the possibility that SCCHN harbored the EGFR mutations.


METHODS
In this study, we analyzed EGFR gene in 41 SCCHN for the detection of the somatic mutations by PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis.


RESULTS
Overall, we detected three EGFR mutations (7.3%), and all of the mutations were the same in-frame deletion mutation in exon 19 (E746_A750del).


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicated that in addition to non-small-cell lung cancer, SCCHN harbors the EGFR gene mutations, and suggested the rationale for the clinical applicability of gefinitib to SCCHN patients.
Lee
Jong Woo
JW
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Soung
Young Hwa
YH
Kim
Su Young
SY
Nam
Hyo Kyung
HK
Park
Won Sang
WS
Nam
Suk Woo
SW
Kim
Min Sik
MS
Sun
Dong Il
DI
Lee
Youn Soo
YS
Jang
Ja June
JJ
Lee
Jung Young
JY
Yoo
Nam Jin
NJ
Lee
Sug Hyung
SH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors