title: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression May Correlate with Survival Through Clinical and Radiological Features of Aggressiveness in Glioblastoma Treated with Radiochemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the correlation between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and clinicoradiological features in patients with glioblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Select clinical (age, Karnofsky performance status, neurological performance status) and neuroradiological (multiple tumor incidence, peritumoral edema, response to treatment) prognostic variables were correlated with EGFR expression levels estimated on pathological samples in 144 patients who had undergone postoperative radiochemotherapy treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical and radiological prognostic parameters, including synchronous multiple tumor, extent of edema, and radiological response after therapy, showed a statistically significant correlation with the EGFR expression score. Patients with a high EGFR expression seemed to present worse cliniconeurological status and radiological features of tumor aggressiveness (higher incidence of multiple tumor, major extent of peritumoral edema and poorer radiological response to treatment).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A potential correlation between high EGFR expression and aggressive clinical and radiological features of GB seems to exist, leading to worse prognosis in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, Le Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Italy paolo-tini@libero.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuroradiology, Le Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerase
authors.affiliation: Section of Biomedical Engineering, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cevenini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Diagnostic Radiology, Le Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Section of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miracco
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, Le Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Italy Section of Radiological Sciences, Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pirtoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: EGFR; Glioblastoma; peritumoral edema; radiotherapy; response assessment