title: The EGF A61G polymorphism is associated with disease-free period and survival in malignant melanoma.
abstract: An earlier study reported that a common polymorphism in the 5' untranslated region of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) gene is associated with increased risk for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) and Breslow thickness. Since then, several independent studies have reported conflicting results that have challenged this hypothesis. However, none of the previous studies examined survival as the primary outcome. We therefore sought to study the association between this polymorphism and survival. One hundred and thirty patients diagnosed with MM with a Breslow thickness of >1.5 mm were included in this study. In our collective, the G/G genotype represented a significant risk factor for both shorter disease-free period (hazard ratio of 2.246, 95% CI: 1.06-4.78, P=0.036) and overall MM-specific survival (hazard ratio of 3.8, 95% CI: 1.5-9.5, P=0.004) compared with the A/A genotype, while the heterozygous A/G genotype showed an intermediate risk. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that the EGF A61G polymorphism is associated with survival. Our data suggest that this polymorphism is a potential marker for disease severity that predicts earlier progression of MM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Center of Excellence and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. ichiro.okamoto@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roka
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krögler
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Endler
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tockner
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marsik
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jilma
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mannhalter
authors.forename: Oswald
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pehamberger
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor