Epidermal growth factor receptor expression and gene copy number in sinonasal intestinal type adenocarcinoma.
Sinonasal intestinal type adenocarcinoma (ITAC) is a rare subtype of adenocarcinoma strongly associated with professional exposure to wood or leather dusts. It is an aggressive tumor, with an estimated 5-year survival of 40%. Herein, we report a series of 55 cases tested for epidermal growth factor receptor protein expression and epidermal growth factor receptor gene copy gains, through immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Eighteen tumors (32.7%) showed EGFR positivity, seven of which exhibited high expression levels of the receptor. The frequency of EGF-R overexpression was significantly higher in tumors from woodworkers (6 of 14, 42.8%) than in tumors from leatherworkers (2 of 21, 9.5%), or arising in subjects with no known occupational history (0 of 8) (P=0.015, Pearson chi square). No correlation was found with other clinico-pathological parameters, including histologic subtype, stage, overall, and disease free survival. In cases with EGFR overexpression, fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis revealed disomy in three adenocarcinomas, chromosome 7 polysomy in two, and EGFR gene amplification in three. In conclusion, a subset of ITAC, mostly occurring in woodworkers, express high levels of EGFR and this is often associated with either gene amplification or chromosome 7 polysomy. EGFR targeted therapies could therefore be investigated prospectively in this group of tumors.
Franchi
Alessandro
A
Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy. Franchi@unifi.it
Fondi
Cristina
C
Paglierani
Milena
M
Pepi
Monica
M
Gallo
Oreste
O
Santucci
Marco
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D018773:Genes, erbB-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014934:Wood / Q000009:adverse effects
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors