Immunohistochemical detection of epidermal growth factor receptor lacks prognostic significance for breast carcinoma

We sought to determine whether the immunohistochemical detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in primary cancer tissues is of prognostic significance in patients with breast carcinoma.

Paraffin-embedded tissues from 244 study subjects with primary breast carcinomas were tested immunohistochemically for the presence of EGF-R and were compared in a retrospective study with clinical outcome.

Epidermal growth factor receptor was detected in the tumors of 49 (20.1%) of the 244 study subjects. The incidence of EGF-R detection was comparable in subjects with disease-free lymph nodes (T1-4, N0, M0, n = 111; EGF-R present 22.5%) or those whose nodes contained carcinoma (T1-4, N+, M0, n = 133; EGF-R present 18.9%). No reliable correlation was found in either group between EGF-R detection and clinical, functional, or morphologic prognostic indicators that included age, menopausal status, tumor size, tumor grade, nodal status, and hormone receptor status. Relapse-free survival and overall survival (median observation time 62.5 months) did not differ between patients with EGF-R-positive or EGF-R-negative breast carcinoma specimens.

In our experience, the immunohistochemical determination of EGF-R in routine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor specimens fails to provide useful information concerning the prognosis of patients with primary breast carcinoma.