title: Expression of p16 protein and epidermal growth factor receptor in patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: an immunohistochemical analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study assessed the expression of p16 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix to determine their influence on prognosis and to evaluate a possible association between their expression and various clinicopathologic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  p16 and EGFR expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry from paraffin-embedded tissue in 39 patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. The immunohistochemical findings were correlated with different clinicopathologic parameters of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  p16 was expressed in 56% of the patients. A trend towards increased lymph vascular space invasion was observed in p16 positive tumors (p = 0.06). There was no statistically significant association between p16 expression and clinical stage, age, histology, tumor size, tumor grade, lymph node status and recurrence disease (p > 0.05). p16 expression did influence neither disease-free nor overall survival (p > 0.05). EGFR was expressed in 44% of the patients. There was no statistically significant correlation between EGFR expression and clinical stage, age, histology, tumor size, tumor grade, lymph vascular space invasion, lymph node status and recurrence disease (p > 0.05). EGFR expression did influence neither disease-free nor overall survival (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  p16 and EGFR are frequently expressed in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. Our study observed a trend towards increased lymph vascular space invasion in p16 positive tumors. Otherwise, the expression of the investigated parameters did not correlate with any clinicopathologic parameters and had no influence on overall and disease-free survival. So far, the investigation of p16 and EGFR is of limited use to assess patients' prognosis and guide clinical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria. klausbodner@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laubichler
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kimberger
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Czerwenka
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeillinger
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodner-Adler
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000614131:CDKN2A protein, human; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors