[Immunohistochemical studies on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in gynecological malignant tumor]

The expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGF-R) in gynecological malignant tumors was investigated immunohistochemically. 1) With respect to the expression of EGF-R in the uterine cervix, it was seen in 20.0% with benign lesion. In cases of dysplasia, it was expressed in 62.5% of the cases with mild dysplasia, 81.8% with moderate dysplasia and 53.3% with severe dysplasia. In cases of CIS, it was seen in 46.7% and in cases of invasive cancer, it was seen in 22.2%. By hystological type, the expression rates were 27.3% for keratinized squamous cell carcinoma and 33.3% for large cell non-keratinized squamous cell carcinoma. No expression was seen in three cases of small cell non-keratinized squamous cell carcinoma or four cases of adenocarcinoma. In cases of benign lesions, EGF-R was localized in the cell walls of the basal layer, but in cases with dysplasia, it was found in the cell walls and also in the cytoplasm in all layers of the epithelium. 2) The expression rate in endometrial carcinoma was 14.3% and all of these cases were well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. There was no reverse correlation with estrogen receptors. 3) The expression rate for advanced malignant ovarian tumors was 31.4% and there was no clear correlation with the histological type. The prognosis tended to be better in cases expressing EGF-R than in those not. These results indicated that EGF-R appears to be related to the degree of advance of cervical dysplasia, but it was clear that the frequency of expression of EGF-R decreased when the cancer became invasive. In cases of malignant ovarian tumors, the expression of EGF-R tended to be related to the prognosis.