Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in breast cancer, from early stages to advanced disease

Epidermal growth factor receptor was determined in 106 newly diagnosed brea st cancer patients, using the biochemical method. The group consisted of 58 patients in stage I-II, and 48 patients in stage III-IV. Although a signif icant inverse correlation was found between EGF-R status, and ER or PR stat us, quantitative content of EGFR did not correlate either with quantitative ER, or PR levels. The ER/PR content was similar in all clinical stages, su ggesting their stability during the clinical course of the disease. EGF-R c ontent was significantly higher in stage IV, compared to stage I, while int ermediate clinical stages and all substages did not differ according to the EGFR content EGF-R was confirmed as a weak prognostic factor within clinic al stages. However. in a whole group, the overall survival was significantl y better in patients whose tumors EGF-R content was lower than 26 fmol/mg, compared to those with higher ERF-R content. EGF-R content was highly predi ctive for the response to systemic endocrine treatment, in metastatic breas t cancer patients. In locally advanced breast cancer a trend towards higher levels of EGF-R was found in inflammatory breast cancers, compared to non- inflammatory ones. Slightly higher levels were found in responders to local non-endocrine primacy treatments (radiotherapy with or without chemotherap y), compared to non-responders, suggesting the possible predictive role of EGF-R for the response to such treatments. Our results emphasized the usefu lness of quantitative receptor determination suggesting the relative stabil ity of EGF-R content during thp clinical course of breast cancer its: indep endence from ER its significant predictive and weak prognostic values, and a possible correlation with the aggressiveness of the disease, and response to non-endocrine treatments.