Diffuse EGFR staining is associated with reduced overall survival in locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (SCCO) is still a pathology of bad prognosis. Specific therapies are now developed against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, c-kit receptor (CD117), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and p53 protein. This study was aimed at assessing their expression in a large series of SCCO, as well as their potential therapeutic interest in this pathology. Immunohistochemical expression of these factors was assessed retrospectively in 107 cases of SCCO with primary surgery, as well as their relationships to recurrence, metastasis and overall survival on a long-term follow-up. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and CD117 were expressed in less than 3% of the cases. Epidermal growth factor receptor and p53 were overexpressed in 68.2 and 66.4% of the cases, and VEGF in 38.3%. Epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression was significantly related to vascular invasion (P=0.023). Its diffuse positivity was significantly related in multivariate analysis to higher local recurrence (P=0.006) and lower overall survival (P=0.003), in a subgroup of patients of poor outcome who had received postoperative adjuvant treatment. These results highlight the great potential prognostic and therapeutic interest of evaluating EGFR diffuse positivity in locally advanced SCCO.
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Hepato-Gastroenterology, La Cavale Blanche Hospital, Boulevard Tanguy Prigent, 29609 Brest Cedex, France.
L
L
Gibault
J-P
JP
Metges
V
V
Conan-Charlet
P
P
Lozac'h
M
M
Robaszkiewicz
C
C
Bessaguet
N
N
Lagarde
A
A
Volant
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit