[Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary]

Abstract

Objective: To determine the expression of EGFR expression in endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary and its relationship to clinicopathologic features and prognosis.

Methods: Expression of EGFR oncoprotein was studied by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from 28 patients with endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary.

Results: Tissues from 13 patients (46.4%) were stained positively with EGFR polyclonal antibody (1005). The staining was membranous and/or cytoplasmic. There was no relationship between EGFR expression and age at diagnosis, preoperative CA125 titer, clinical stage, histologic grade, and lymph node metastases. A higher expression rate was observed in patients with residual tumors (56.3% versus 33.3%). The mortality rate was higher in patients with EGFR expression than in those without EGFR expression (46.2% versus 14.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: EGFR expression was not related to the clinicopathologic features in endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary, but was related to the poor prognosis of this disease.