Premium
Prognostic implications of epidermal growth factor receptor immunoreactivity in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral mucosa
Author(s) -
Maiorano Eugenio,
Favia Gianfranco,
Maisonneuve Patrick,
Viale Giuseppe
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199806)185:2<167::aid-path70>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - epidermal growth factor receptor , basal cell , oral mucosa , epidermal growth factor , pathology , cancer research , medicine , biology , receptor , oncology
To evaluate the clinical significance of the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 100 formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded cases of this tumour and ten samples of normal oral mucosa were immunostained with a monoclonal anti‐EGFr antibody using an immunoalkaline phosphatase (APAAP) technique. EGFr immunoreactivity was detected in 36 of 100 tumours and in all samples of normal mucosa. Tumour cells demonstrated distinct membrane staining in 14 cases and predominantly cytoplasmic staining in 22 additional cases. EGFr was exclusively localized on the cell membrane of normal epithelial cells. Kaplan–Meyer survival curves and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess overall survival and disease‐free survival. A significant positive correlation was shown between EGFr membranous immunoreactivity and prolonged survival, in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Accordingly, patients with oral SCC showing down‐regulated expression of membranous EGFr, who are more likely to suffer recurrence and death, should be strictly followed up and possibly treated with more aggressive therapeutic regimens. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.