Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1989 May;59(5):746–749. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1989.156

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in non-small cell lung cancer. Use of archival tissue and correlation of EGF-R with histology, tumour size, node status and survival.

H Dazzi 1, P S Hasleton 1, N Thatcher 1, D M Barnes 1, S Wilkes 1, R Swindell 1, R A Lawson 1
PMCID: PMC2247242  PMID: 2544220

Abstract

A total of 152 non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) were studied retrospectively to determine the relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) status and the histological type, tumour size, nodal status and prognosis. EGF-R status was assessed on routinely embedded paraffin sections with an antibody to the cytoplasmic domain of the tumour (F4 antibody). EGF was demonstrated in all tumour types and every squamous and large cell carcinoma was positive for the antibody. Most tumours showed heterogeneity of staining. EGF expression was seen statistically more frequently in well differentiated tumours. Patients with 50% or more tumour cells showing positivity tended to have an improved survival but this result failed to reach statistical significance. There was no relationship between the size of the primary tumour or the lymph node status. Other cells, such as mucinous glands, bronchial epithelial cells and macrophages stained positively with the monoclonal antibody. EGF receptor status, with the antibodies presently available, adds little to help in either diagnosis or prognosis. Interpretation of data has to be guarded since the antibody was seen in some normal cells.

Full text

PDF
746

Images in this article

747Figure 1
on p.747
747Figure 2
on p.747
747Figure 3
on p.747

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Berger M. S., Gullick W. J., Greenfield C., Evans S., Addis B. J., Waterfield M. D. Epidermal growth factor receptors in lung tumours. J Pathol. 1987 Aug;152(4):297–307. doi: 10.1002/path.1711520408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. COHEN S. Isolation of a mouse submaxillary gland protein accelerating incisor eruption and eyelid opening in the new-born animal. J Biol Chem. 1962 May;237:1555–1562. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carpenter G., Cohen S. Epidermal growth factor. Annu Rev Biochem. 1979;48:193–216. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.48.070179.001205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carpenter G., Zendegui J. G. Epidermal growth factor, its receptor, and related proteins. Exp Cell Res. 1986 May;164(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(86)90449-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cerny T., Barnes D. M., Hasleton P., Barber P. V., Healy K., Gullick W., Thatcher N. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in human lung tumours. Br J Cancer. 1986 Aug;54(2):265–269. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1986.172. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Downward J., Yarden Y., Mayes E., Scrace G., Totty N., Stockwell P., Ullrich A., Schlessinger J., Waterfield M. D. Close similarity of epidermal growth factor receptor and v-erb-B oncogene protein sequences. Nature. 1984 Feb 9;307(5951):521–527. doi: 10.1038/307521a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fitzpatrick S. L., Brightwell J., Wittliff J. L., Barrows G. H., Schultz G. S. Epidermal growth factor binding by breast tumor biopsies and relationship to estrogen receptor and progestin receptor levels. Cancer Res. 1984 Aug;44(8):3448–3453. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gullick W. J., Marsden J. J., Whittle N., Ward B., Bobrow L., Waterfield M. D. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptors on human cervical, ovarian, and vulval carcinomas. Cancer Res. 1986 Jan;46(1):285–292. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gusterson B., Cowley G., Smith J. A., Ozanne B. Cellular localisation of human epidermal growth factor receptor. Cell Biol Int Rep. 1984 Aug;8(8):649–658. doi: 10.1016/0309-1651(84)90045-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hendler F. J., Ozanne B. W. Human squamous cell lung cancers express increased epidermal growth factor receptors. J Clin Invest. 1984 Aug;74(2):647–651. doi: 10.1172/JCI111463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaplan P. L., Anderson M., Ozanne B. Transforming growth factor(s) production enables cells to grow in the absence of serum: an autocrine system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jan;79(2):485–489. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.2.485. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Moses H. L., Proper J. A., Volkenant M. E., Wells D. J., Getz M. J. Mechanism of growth arrest of chemically transformed cells in culture. Cancer Res. 1978 Sep;38(9):2807–2812. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Neal D. E., Marsh C., Bennett M. K., Abel P. D., Hall R. R., Sainsbury J. R., Harris A. L. Epidermal-growth-factor receptors in human bladder cancer: comparison of invasive and superficial tumours. Lancet. 1985 Feb 16;1(8425):366–368. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91386-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ozanne B., Richards C. S., Hendler F., Burns D., Gusterson B. Over-expression of the EGF receptor is a hallmark of squamous cell carcinomas. J Pathol. 1986 May;149(1):9–14. doi: 10.1002/path.1711490104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Real F. X., Rettig W. J., Chesa P. G., Melamed M. R., Old L. J., Mendelsohn J. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in human cultured cells and tissues: relationship to cell lineage and stage of differentiation. Cancer Res. 1986 Sep;46(9):4726–4731. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sainsbury J. R., Farndon J. R., Needham G. K., Malcolm A. J., Harris A. L. Epidermal-growth-factor receptor status as predictor of early recurrence of and death from breast cancer. Lancet. 1987 Jun 20;1(8547):1398–1402. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(87)90593-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sobol R. E., Astarita R. W., Hofeditz C., Masui H., Fairshter R., Royston I., Mendelsohn J. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human lung carcinomas defined by a monoclonal antibody. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1987 Sep;79(3):403–407. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Spitzer E., Grosse R., Kunde D., Schmidt H. E. Growth of mammary epithelial cells in breast-cancer biopsies correlates with EGF binding. Int J Cancer. 1987 Mar 15;39(3):279–282. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910390302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Veale D., Ashcroft T., Marsh C., Gibson G. J., Harris A. L. Epidermal growth factor receptors in non-small cell lung cancer. Br J Cancer. 1987 May;55(5):513–516. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1987.104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES