Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 20, 2018
Prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis
Xiaoli Zhu1, Fengmei Zhang, Wei Zhang
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, PR China.
Background And Objectives:
To evaluate the predicting value of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).
Methods:
Data were collected from studies comparing overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with higher or lower EGFR levels. Studies were pooled and combined hazard ratios (HRs) of EGFR for survival were calculated.
Results:
A total of 68 studies involving 6,781 patients were included for meta-analysis. Either EGFR protein expression or gene copy number had prognostic value in HNC patients. EGFR overexpression could predict worse outcome, with HRs of 1.65 (95% CI: 1.45, 1.86) for OS and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.37) for PFS. Increased EGFR copy number was also associated with reduced survival, with HRs of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.96) for OS and 1.35 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.61) for PFS. Furthermore, EGFR overexpression could predict poorer OS in both eastern and western countries. Particularly, EGFR was considered a strong predictor in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (HR > 2).
Conclusion:
Elevated EGFR expression and gene copy number could predict poor survival in HNC patients.
