[Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and its role in cancer invasion].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and explore its role in cancer invasion.


METHODS
Fifty-four patients with pathologically confirmed salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) were divided into invasion group and non-invasion group. The EGFR expression was determined by immunohistochemstry (SP staining). The relations between the EGFR expression and the SACC clinical pathological characteristics were analyzed.


RESULTS
EGFR were mainly expressed in the cell membrane and cytoplasm in the tissue of SACC. The positive rate of EGFR expression in the tumor tissue was 75.9% (41/54), and EGFR was over-expressed in the cytoplasm. The positive rate of EGFR expression in invasion group was higher than that in the non-invasion group (10.0%, P < 0.05). EGFR expression were related with the SACC T stages, histological types, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and nerve invasion (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A higher expression of EGFR gene in the cytoplasm may have important effect on the progression of invasive carcinoma. Further investigations are required to develop new strategy in the treatment of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Department of Surgical Oncology, Zhejiang Province Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, China. gemingh@163.com
Ming-hua
MH
Ge
Zhi-qiang
ZQ
Ling
Zhuo
Z
Tan
Chao
C
Chen
Jia-jie
JJ
Xu
Jiang-liu
JL
Yu
D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors