The Prognostic Value of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Primary Breast Cancer

Park, Bong Geun; Cha, Sung Jae; Park, Sung Joon

Abstract

PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to ascertain the relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) status and estrogen receptor(ER) and other prognostic factors in primary human breast cancer patients. We tried to evaluate the value of EGFR as a prognostic factor.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
EGFR and ER were measured by immunohistochemical staining. It was performed on section from paraffin blocks of 60 primary breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy at Chung-Ang University Hospital. And we evaluate the relationship between EGFR and ER and other prognostic factors.
RESULTS
In 20 of 60 patients(33.3%), the staining was positive for the expression of EGFR. Of the 60 patients, 6 were both positive for EGFR and ER, 25 were both negative, 14 were EGFR positive and ER negative, 15 were EGFR negative and ER positive. Between EGFR and estrogen receptor(ER) status, previously known clear inverse relationship was not observed in our study. The EGFR status was not correlated with axillary lymph node involvement, histologic type, and histologic grading. But it was correlated with tumor size(p=0.049), and there was a high tendency of recurrence rate of patients with EGFR-positive tumors as compared with those with EGFR-negative tumors(p=0.078).
CONCLUSION
EGFR status may be valuable as a prognostic factor in determining the prognosis of breast cancer. However, the study of more cases will be needed for the significance of the information about the EGFR as an independent prognostic factor.