title: EGFR gene amplification is related to adverse clinical outcomes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma, making the EGFR pathway a novel therapeutic target.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression, EGFR gene amplification, and the presence of activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of this gene in squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas of the uterine cervix.
  
  
  METHODS
  The EGFR expression, amplification, and mutation in cervical carcinomas were assessed by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridisation, and PCR-SSCP, respectively, and correlated with clinical data collected by a retrospective chart review. A functional assessment was performed by inactivating EGFR in cervical cancer cells with the potent inhibitor AG1478.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 6 out of 59 (10.2%) cervical squamous cell carcinomas showed significant amplification of the EGFR locus, whereas none of the 52 adeno/adenosquamous cell carcinomas had detectable EGFR amplification (P<0.05). The EGFR amplification significantly correlated with shorter overall survival (P=0.001) in cervical squamous cell carcinomas. Multivariate analysis showed that EGFR gene amplification was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P=0.011). None of the squamous cell carcinomas (0%: 0 out of 32) had detectable oncogenic mutations in EGFR exons 18 through 21. The frequencies of KRAS and BRAF mutations were very low in both squamous and adeno/adenosquamous cell carcinomas. Sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to AG1478 depended on the presence of EGFR overexpression. AG1478-induced EGFR inactivation in cell lines with EGFR overexpression significantly suppressed tumour development and progression in a mouse xenograft model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that EGFR signalling is important in a subset of cervical squamous cell carcinomas and that anti-EGFR therapy may benefit patients who carry the 7p11.2 amplicon in their tumours.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Enyacho 89-1, Izumo, Shimane 6938501, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Iida
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Nakayama
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Rahman
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Rahman
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ishikawa
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Katagiri
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yeasmin
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Otsuki
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kobayashi
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Nakayama
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018773:Genes, erbB-1; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009154:Mutation; D011799:Quinazolines; D020032:Tyrphostins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D011799:Quinazolines; D020032:Tyrphostins; C101044:RTKI cpd; D066246:ErbB Receptors