Immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND

Molecular-targeting drugs able to treat breast cancer expressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) would be clinically valuable. The aim of the current study was to determine the further significance of immunohistochemical expression of EGFR in breast cancer.

METHODS

The immunohistochemical expression of EGFR was examined in 37 women with breast cancer who had been treated with surgical resection. Relationship of EGFR expression and clinicopathological characteristics was investigated.

RESULTS

EGFR expression proved to be comparatively more frequent among triple-negative (estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative) breast cancers (P = 0.067).

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of a patient's immunohistochemical EGFR expression, which could be one of the key molecular findings related to molecular-targeting therapy, might be useful information to treat triple-negative breast cancer.