Serum Epidermal Growth Factor in Cancer Breast

Abstract

Several prognostic factors are evaluated in the breast carcinoma and there is a need for new markers for better discrimination of the biologic differences in the primary tumor. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is presumed to play an important role in the local regulation of breast cell proliferation so, the aim of the current study, was to evaluate the serum level of EGF in breast cancer female patients in comparison with other prognostic parameters. It was carried out on fifty-seven females divided into two groups. A control group of twenty healthy women of comparable age and socioeconomic status with a group of thirty-seven breast cancer patients. All females were chosen non-pregnant, not on contraceptive therapy, not previously exposed to radiation, and have no previous history of cancer. To all patients, thorough clinical examination, plain X-ray for the chest and ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis were done. Preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology was also done for their breast lumps. In addition, blood samples were collected and analyzed for hemoglobin, fasting serum glucose, urea, and creatinine levels, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities, and also the epidermal growth factor level. The breast cancer tissues, removed by surgery, were subjected to histopathologic examination. The median of serum EGF in breast cancer patients group was relatively lower than that in control group but it did not reach the level of significance. No significant differences between the serum EGF levels were found in relation to the change in tumor size, type, grade, and stage. However, there was positive correlations between EGF level and tumor size (r=0.341, p=0.039) and AJCC stages (r=0.354, p=0.032). Also, in patients without lymph node metastasis, there were positive correlations between serum EGF level and both tumor size (r=0.596, p=0.024) and AJCC stages (r=0.596, p=0.024). In patients having lymph node metastasis, there was significant negative correlation between serum EGF level and the number of lymph node metastasis (r=-0.859, p<0.001).There was significant increase in EGF level in patients having lymph node metastasis (3 LN) when compared to patients having no LN metastasis (p=0.004) and its level in patients having (>3 LN) metastasis was significantly decreased than that in both patients having no LN metastasis (p=0.019) and patients having 3 LN metastasis (p<0.001). In addition, EGF level was significantly increased in patients with estrogen receptor (ER) negative than in patients with ER positive (p=0.049). Also, there was a negative correlation between EGF level and ER positivity (r=-0.454, p=0.005). Similar correlation was also found in patients having LN metastasis (r=-0.680, p<0.001). But there was no significant relationship between serum EGF level and the state of progesterone receptor. In conclusion, determination of serum EGF in combination with certain histological parameters could be useful in determining tumor prognosis and in deciding the selection of treatment modality, however...