title: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR): mutational and protein expression analysis in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) somatic mutations have been demonstrated to influence the response to anti-EGFR therapy in non-small cell lung cancer, EGFR gene mutational analysis of different types of neoplasm is under investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  EGFR protein expression and gene mutations in exons 18, 19 and 21 were investigated in 49 gastric adenocarcinomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  no specific EGFR gene mutations were detected, while EGFR positive staining was detected in 6% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that in gastric adenocarcinoma, specific EGFR gene mutations are very rare or absent and the rate of EGFR protein expression is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. enzo.mammano@unipd.it
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mammano
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belluco
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sciro
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mencarelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michelotto
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchet
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nitti
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors