To investigate the significance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in thyroid carcinoma, the expression of EGFR in 81 samples of thyroid carcinoma were determined by immunohistochemical SP method and comparison among thyroid carcinoma, thyroid adenomas and normal thyroid tissue adjacent to the cancer were made. The results showed: EGFR expression was positive in 45 cases (55.6%) of thyroid carcinoma with no positive expression either in thyroid adenomas or normal thyroid tissue adjacent to the cancer (P<0.01). There were no statistical differences between EGFR positive rate and thyroid carcinomatous pathological type, clinical stage, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis or patients′ postoperative survival time (P>0.05). This data suggests that expression of EGFR in thyroid carcinoma is associated with its autonomous growth and malignant phenotype, but it is probably not a useful index for assessing the biological behavious and prognosis of thyroid carcinoma.
Citation: Chen Yanchang,Chen Daliang,Yin Fengshi.. EXPRESSION OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR IN HUMAN THYROID CARCINOMAS. CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY, 1999, 6(5): 290-291. doi: Copy