Immunohistochemical Study of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Colorectal Cancer

Etsuji Shimada, Tomoaki Urakawa, Kiyoshi Uematsu

Department of Surgery, Kobe Rosai Hospital

Expression of Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) was examined immunohistochemically in a total of 62 freshly frozen specimens of colorectal cancer, and correlations between their expression and clinicopathological variables were analyzed. The rate of positive immunostaining among the total of 62 cases was 46.7%. A significantly higher rate of expression was found in larger sized tumors of the right colon, those exhibiting extraserosal spreading, venous invasion, lymphatic invasion and in the most advanced stage (Dukes D). These results suggest that EGFR may serve as a biological marker of the degree of malignant potential of colorectal cancer.

Key words
epidermal growth factor receptor, colorectal cancer, immunohistochemistry

Reprint requests
Etsuji Shimada Department of Surgery, Kobe Rosai Hospital
4-1-23 Kagoikedori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 651 JAPAN

Accepted
December 9, 1992

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.