A COMPARISON OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR LEVELS AND OTHER PROGNOSTIC PARAMETERS IN NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was measured using a competiti ve radioligand binding assay in membrane preparations from 74 primary human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and 20 pathologically normal peripheral lung tissues. The mean EGFR level in tumours was 30 .38 fmol/mg (+/- 41.95 S.D.) of membrane protein (mg . p), significant ly higher (P = 0.00016) than in normal tissues (mean, 10.26 +/- 10.02 fmol/mg . p). The mean EGFR concentration was also significantly highe r in pathological stage IV tissue than in stages I (P = 0.049) and II (P = 0.040), and the mean EGFR concentration was significantly higher in cases with mediastinal involvement than in cases without it (P = 0. 029). The mean EGFR level was higher in DNA aneuploid and multiploid c ases than in DNA diploid cases, but there was no significant differenc e. No significant relationships were found to exist between receptor c oncentrations and pathological tumour size or histological type, or pa tient gender or age. From the above findings, a possible prognostic ro le for EGFR in primary NSCLC should be investigated. Copyright (C) 199 6 Elsevier Science Ltd