Immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR and HER-2 in patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
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.
Maubec
Eve
E
Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France. eve.maubec@bch.ap-hoparis.fr
Duvillard
Pierre
P
Velasco
Valérie
V
Crickx
Béatrice
B
Avril
Marie-Françoise
MF
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
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases