EXPRESSION OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR (EGFR) IN BREAST-CANCER AS RELATED TO CLINICAL, PROGNOSTIC AND CYTOMETRIC FACTORS

A series of 213 female breast carcinomas were analysed immunohistochem ically for the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), with special emphasis on its possible prognostic significance. A total of 114/213 rumors (53.5%) were EGFR positive. EGFR was almost exclusi vely expressed in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells, but in a few case s, the cell membranes showed EGFR positive staining as well. EGFR expr ession was related to the histological gr nde of the tumours in that a linear decrease of the staining was found in parallel with the decrea sing tumour differentation (P=0.024). On the other hand, axillary lymp h node status (P=0.95), histological type (P=0.60), tumor size (P=0.87 ), DNA-index (P=0.56), S-phase (P=0.80), mitotic index (P=0.72), or es trogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) content (P=0.45) did not sh ow any statistical correlation with the EGFR expression. EGFR positivi ty as an independent factor, had little (if any) effect on the patient s prognosis. Tumor size (P=0.004), axillary lymph node involvement (P= 0.024) and PR positivity (P=0.008) were the single most significant pr ognostic factors in multivariate survival analysis. The results indica te that, in clinical breast cancer, immunohistochemical assessment of EGFR provides no prognostic information additional to the well establi shed prognostic fa factors.