title: Immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR and HER-2 in patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin often raise difficult therapeutic problems. Few data are available about the expression of EGFR and HER-2 in SCC of the skin. Overexpression of EGFR and of HER-2 proteins has been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of EGFR and HER-2 in a series of metastatic SCC of the skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  EGFR and HER-2 expression was studied by immunochemistry on 13 specimens of metastatic recurrence and on 2 primary lesions of these tumours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGFR had a strong membranous expression in all specimens. HER-2 was weakly expressed in 4 specimens, with a membrane expression in 2 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, EGFR was overexpressed in all samples of metastatic SCCs of the skin. Therefore, these metastatic tumours appear to be suitable targets for treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Additional studies are warranted to establish whether or not HER-2 is expressed in SCC of the skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France. eve.maubec@bch.ap-hoparis.fr
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maubec
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duvillard
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crickx
authors.forename: Marie-Françoise
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Avril
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases