Epidermal growth factor receptors in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Oncology, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.Summary The epidermal growth factor receptor is homologous to the oncogene erb-,B and is the receptor for a class of tumour growth factors (TGF-ca). The clinical correlations with its expression were studied in 77 nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLC). They were stained for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) by means of an indirect immunoperoxidase technique using a monoclonal antibody against the receptor. Normal lung tissue and normal bronchus were stained for comparison. Cancer tissue showed significantly increased staining compared to normal lung (P <0.05).Staining for EGFr in 40 squamous carcinomas was significantly stronger than in 37 specimens of other types of NSCLC (P<0.05), and staining in stage three NSCLC was stronger than in stage 1 and 2 (P<0.05).These results suggest that the presence of a high intensity of staining for EGF receptor is associated with spread of human non-small cell lung cancer and this receptor may be a suitable target for therapy.

Altered E-cadherin and epidermal growth factor receptor expressions are associated with patient survival in lung cancer: a study utilizing high-density tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry

“…However other studies had reported a relationship between EGFR expression and patient survival, 28 as well as a relationship between this expression and tumor pathogenesis progression. 29 In our cohort, there was no statistical correlation between diffuse membranous expression of EGFR and patient survival (P40.05). However, all EGFR( þ ) tumors, markedly SCCs, had a neoplastic distribution of the marker beyond its basal localization in benign respiratory epithelium; this finding, which was also observed by others, 29 suggests that a correlation between diffuse EGFR expression and tumor progression may exist.…”

Lack of prognostic significance of epidermal growth factor receptor and the oncoprotein p185HER-2 in patients with systemically untreated non-small-cell lung cancer: an immunohistochemical study on cryosections

“…These receptors are important in the regulation of normal cell growth, they are connected to the carcinogenic process and they are potential prognostic factors in a variety of human malignant tumours (Gullick, 1991;Prigent and Lemoine, 1992). (Veale et al, 1987;Hendler and Ozanne. 1984: Sobol et al.…”

Tyrosine phosphorylation of 100-130 kDa proteins in lung cancer correlates with poor prognosis

“…By histochemical analysis, amplification of EGF receptor (Cerny et al, 1986;Veale et al, 1987;Dazzi et al, 1989;Berger et al, 1987;Haeder et al, 1989;Siegfried, 1987) and c-erbB-2 (Kern et al, 1990;Schneider et al, 1989;Weiner et al, 1990) in human lung cancer tissues has been reported. However, we found no clear correlation between the levels of EGF receptor of c-erbB-2 expression and the levels of tyrosine phosphorylation in cancer tissues (data not shown).…”

“…To identify signalling pathways specific for tumour, tyrosine kinases that showed tumour-specific expression have been studied. Elevated expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors (Cerny et al, 1986;Veale et al, 1987;Dazzi et al, 1989;Berger et al, 1987;Haeder et al, 1988;Siegfried, 1987) and c-erbB-2 genes (Kern et al, 1990;Schneider et al, 1989;Weiner et al, 1990) in non-small-cell lung cancer have been reported. Autocrine growth by insulinlike growth factor I was observed in small-cell lung cancer cells (Macaulay et al, 1988(Macaulay et al, , 1990.…”