Type 1 protein tyrosine kinases in Chinese breast carcinomas - A clinicopathologic study

Immunostaining for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), c-erbB-2, c-erb B-3, c-erbB-4, ER, and PR was performed in 107 cases of primary breast carc inomas from Anyang, China. The expression rates of EGFR, c-erbB-2, c-erbB-3 and c-erbB-4 in this series were 43.9%, 36%, 27%, and 45.8%, respectively, and a stronger c-erbB-4 staining of "normal" glandular structures inside t umors and in tile vicinity of tumor clusters was confirmed. Larger tumor si ze, lymph node metastases, and higher histologic grade in invasive ductal c arcinomas were shown to be statistically valuable negative prognostic facto rs, and c-erbB-2 expression was also weakly associated with a poor prognosi s no matter what the nodal status. The expressions of c-erbB-4 and ER in in vasive ductal carcinomas were inversely associated with histologic grade of the tumors. Associations between the expression of c-erbB-4 and ER (p = 0. 001) and the expression of ER and PR study (p = 0.004) were found in the pr esent study. No significant associations between the expressions of EGFR, c -erbB-3, c-erbB-4, ER, and PR and overall survival were detected. The expre ssion of c-erbB-4 in the node negative group was, however, associated with a better prognosis, indicating a different role of c-erbB-4 protein in brea st tumor development than other EGFR family members have.