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The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a surrogate marker for basal-like breast cancer. A recent study suggested that EGFR may be used as a target for breast cancer treatment.
A total of 706 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) of the breast were immunophenotyped, and 82 cases with EGFR protein expression were studied for
EGFR protein was expressed in 121 of 706 IDCs (17.1%); 5.9% were of luminal type, 25.3% of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) type, and 79.3% of basal-like tumors.
EGFR-directed therapy can be considered in breast cancer patients with EGFR protein overexpression and gene amplification, and its therapeutic implication should be determined in HER-2 type breast cancer patients.
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Activation of the c-Met pathway is involved in cancer progression and the prognosis. We aimed to identify any association of c-Met protein expression with a number of clinicopathologic variables including infection of human papillomavirus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in head and neck carcinomas (HNCa).
Eighty-two cases were enrolled in this study. Expression of c-Met and p16 was investigated immunohistochemically. EBV was detected by
The c-Met protein was expressed in 41.5% (34/82), and gene amplification was found in 1.4% (1/71). High expression of c-Met was associated with the primary location of the tumor; the hypopharynx showed the highest expression, followed by the oral cavity, larynx, and nasal cavity. Squamous cell carcinoma expressed c-Met more frequently than undifferentiated carcinoma. Also, p16 immunoreactivity or EBV infection was associated with the tumor location and well-differentiated histologic type, but were not linked to c-Met expression. The patients with positive c-Met expression showed frequent lymph node metastasis.
Activation of the c-Met pathway might be involved in a subset of HNCa. Cases showing positive c-Met expression should be carefully monitored because of the high probability of lymph node metastasis.
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