Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and HER2-neu mRNA Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Is Correlated with Survival

• Published in: Clinical cancer research 2001-07, Vol.7 (7), p.1850-1855
• Main Authors: Brabender, J, Danenberg, K D, Metzger, R, Schneider, P M, Park, J, Salonga, D, Hölscher, A H, Danenberg, P V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - genetics; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes, erbB-2 - genetics; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Pneumology; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Survival Analysis; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

The prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2-neu remains controversial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We studied the association between the mRNA expression of EGFR, HER2-neu, and survival in primary tumor and matching nonmalignant tissues from 83 patients with NSCLC. Analysis was performed using a quantitative real-time PCR system (Taqman). EGFR and HER2-neu mRNA expression was detectable in all (100%) specimens analyzed. Twenty-nine (34.9%) patients had high HER2-neu expression, and 28 (33.7%) patients had high EGFR expression. A high HER2-neu and EGFR coexpression was detectable in 14 (16.9%) patients. High HER2-neu expression was associated with inferior survival ( P = 0.004), whereas high EGFR expression showed a trend toward inferior survival ( P = 0.176). The impact of HER2-neu and EGFR coexpression on patients’ survival was additive ( P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis determined high HER2-neu expression ( P = 0.041), and high EGFR/HER2-neu coexpression ( P = 0.030) as significant and independent unfavorable prognostic factors. These findings indicate that HER2-neu and EGFR play a crucial role in the biological behavior of NSCLCs. Testing of molecular marker coexpression (EGFR and HER2-neu) improves the estimation of prognosis and appears to define low- and high-risk groups for treatment failure in curatively resected NSCLC.