EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HYPOPHARYNX

Expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been dem onstrated in normal and malignant squamous epithelia. Its presence has been suggested to be important in the pathophysiology and prognosis o f epithelial cancers. Archival tumour specimens from 57 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx were studied using OM-11-95 1, a new murine anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody which recognizes the rec eptor on deparaffinized tissue. By visual inspection, 28 (49%) tumours were EGFR negative; 29 (51%) tumours were EGFR positive. While patien ts whose tumours were EGFR positive were younger, there was no signifi cant correlation with other clinical or pathological variables (includ ing grade and stage). Patients whose tumours were EGFR negative had a median survival of 21 (95% CI 4.3-37.7) months compared with a median survival of 17 (95% CI 11.4-22) months for patients whose tumours were EGFR positive. The difference was not statistically significant. A mu ltiple regression analysis did not demonstrate EGFR status to be impor tant in predicting survival. These data cast doubt on the prognostic s ignificance of EGFR expression in this neoplasm.