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Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in primary laryngeal cancer: An independent prognostic factor of neck node relapse
Author(s) -
Almadori Giovanni,
Cadoni Gabriella,
Galli Jacopo,
Ferrandina Gabriella,
Scambia Giovanni,
Exarchakos Giorgio,
Paludetti Gaetano,
Ottaviani Fabrizio
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990420)84:2<188::aid-ijc16>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - epidermal growth factor receptor , medicine , oncology , lymph node , proportional hazards model , univariate analysis , metastasis , laryngeal neoplasm , primary tumor , multivariate analysis , cancer , pathology
Specimens of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) were examined for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) content using a radioreceptor method; 140 untreated consecutive patients with primary LSCC undergoing initial surgical resection were followed up for a median of 49 months (range 2–84 months) after surgery. Cox univariate regression analysis using EGFR as a continuous variable showed that EGFR levels were directly associated with the risk of lymph node metastasis. A significant relationship between EGFR status and cervical node metastasis was observed. The cutoff value of 20 fmol/mg protein was the best prognostic discriminator. The 5‐year metastasis‐free survival (MFS) was 66% for patients with EGFR − tumors compared with 15% for patients with EGFR + tumors. By multivariate analysis, the EGFR status appeared to be a significant independent prognostic factor for MFS. Our results suggest that the assessment of EGFR status at the time of diagnosis may identify a subset of LSCC patients highly susceptible to neck node metastases thus defining therapy accordingly. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:188–191, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.