Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in primary laryngeal cancer: An independent prognostic factor of neck node relapse

Specimens of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) were examined for epi dermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) content using a radioreceptor method; 140 untreated consecutive patients with primary LSCC undergoing initial sur gical resection were followed up for a median of 49 months (range 2-84 mont hs) after surgery. Cox univariate regression analysis using EGFR as a conti nuous variable showed that EGFR levels were directly associated with the ri sk of lymph node metastasis, A significant relationship between EGFR status and cervical node metastasis was observed. The cutoff value of 20 fmol/mg protein was the best prognostic discriminator. The 5-year metastasis-free s urvival (MFS) was 66% for patients with EGFR(-) tumors compared with 15% fo r patients with EGFR(+) tumors. By multivariate analysis, the EGFR status a ppeared to be a significant independent prognostic factor for MFS. Our resu lts suggest that the assessment of EGFR status at the time of diagnosis may identify a subset of LSCC patients highly susceptible to neck node metasta ses thus defining therapy accordingly. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:188 -191, 1999. in 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.