title: [Detection and significance of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in esophageal, esophagogastric junction and gastric cancers].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been reported to be effective in the treatment of esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers. The aim of this study was to detect the frequency of EGFR mutation and expression in Chinese patients with esophageal, esophagogastric junction and gastric cancers, and to clarify the value of EGFR mutation and expression in predicting the efficacy of TKI in the treatment of these tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 180 tumor samples with histologically confirmed esophageal cancer (39 cases), cancer of the esophagogastric junction (92 cases) and gastric cancer (49 cases) were collected. Twenty-nine different EGFR mutations in exons 18-21 were assessed by real-time PCR-optimized oligonucleotide probe method. EGFR protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 89 tumor samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mutation analysis for EGFR (exons 18-21) showed no mutations in any of the hotspots of the gene in the 180 tumor samples analyzed. EGFR expression was negative in 12 tumor samples, 1+ in 31 tumor samples, 2+ in 24 tumor samples, and 3+ in 22 tumor samples. EGFR expression was 2+ or 3+ in 12 (92.3%) of the 13 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, 29 (47.5%) of the 61 esophagogastric junction cancers, and 5 (33.3%) of the 15 gastric adenocarcinomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that EGFR mutation in exons 18-21 is absent in the examined samples of esophageal, esophagogastric junction and gastric cancers. More studies are warranted to explore the predictive biological markers for the therapeutic response to EGFR TKI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Email: huangjingwg@163.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wenna
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yiqun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yongkun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Jinwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors