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Immunohistochemical Detection of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Lacks Prognostic Significance for Breast Carcinoma

The University of Cologne Women's Hospital, Köln, Germany; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago Lying-in Hospital, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 34, D-50931 Köln, Germany

André Ahr, MD

Anton Scharl, MD, PhD

Veronika Weisner, MD

Werner Neuhaus, MD

Gerd Crombach, MD, PhD

John A. Holt, PhD

The University of Cologne Women's Hospital, Köln, Germany; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago Lying-in Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Objective: We sought to determine whether the immunohistochemical detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in primary cancer tissues is of prognostic significance in patients with breast carcinoma.

Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 244 study subjects with primary breast carcinomas were tested immunohistochemically for the presence of EGF-R and were compared in a retrospective study with clinical outcome.

Results: Epidermal growth factor receptor was detected in the tumors of 49 (20.1%) of the 244 study subjects. The incidence of EGF-R detection was comparable in subjects with disease-free lymph nodes (T1-4, N0,M0, n = 111; EGF-R present 22.5%) or those whose nodes contained carcinoma (T1-4, N+, M0, n = 133; EGF-R present 18.9%). No reliable correlation was found in either group between EGF-R detection and clinical, functional, or morphologic prognostic indicators that included age, menopausal status, tumor size, tumor grade, nodal status, and hormone receptor status. Relapse-free survival and overall survival (median observation time 62.5 months) did not differ between patients with EGF-R-positive or EGF-R-negative breast carcinoma specimens.

Conclusions: In our experience, the immunohistochemical determination of EGF-R in routine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor specimens fails to provide useful information concerning the prognosis of patients with primary breast carcinoma.

Key Words: Breast cancer • prognosis • epidermal growth factor receptor • immunohistochemistry

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