Expression of keratinocyte growth factor receptor compared with that of epidermal growth factor receptor and erbB-2 in endometrial adenocarcinoma

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of keratinocyte growth facto r receptor (KGFR) was performed in human endometrial carcinomas from 18 pat ients and in normal proliferative and secretory endometrium. The level of i mmunostaining was correlated with the clinico-pathological characteristics of the endometrial carcinoma patients and with the parallel expression of t he epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and erbB-2. The results showed t hat KGFR expression increased with the stage of the tumor and that the simu ltaneous overexpression of the three growth factor receptors appeared to be related to the depth of myometrial invasion. Taken together, these observa tions suggest that KGFR may represent an additional prognostic indicator in endometrial cancer.