title: Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor in vaginal squamous cell cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina is a rare neoplasm. Investigations concerning the potential of new therapeutic targets are limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 34 patients with primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina was identified, who were treated at our institution between 1994 and 2008. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGFR was expressed in 33 of 34 (97.1%) and VEGF was expressed in 12 of 34 cases (35.3%). There was no statistically significant relationship between clinicopathologic parameters (clinical stage, grading, tumor size), patient survival, and EGFR and VEGF expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF was moderate and EGFR was frequently expressed in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina. In our sample size, immunohistochemical staining was not statistically significantly associated with prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. andreas.brunner@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polterauer
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hefler
authors.forename: Josefine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stani
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dudek
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horvat
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D066246:ErbB Receptors