Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in thymoma and its clinical significance / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective　To study the effect of epidermal growt h factor receptor(EGFR) on the development and progress of thymoma. Me thods Expression of EGFR was detected by immunohistochemical stain in t he tissues of 11 cases of normal thymus and 29 cases of thymoma. Result s　 The positive expression of EGFR was 75.9%(22/29) in thymomas and 18.2%(2/11) in normal thymus. The difference was significant(P<0.01). The positive rate of EGFR was higher in invasive thymomas than in non-invasive ones (P<0.01). T he positive rate of EGFR increased with Masaoka stage with a significant increm ent in Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage compared with I stage (P<0.01). EGFR was strongly expre ssed in 5 cases of invasive thymomas, in which recurrence or metastasis occurred in 3 during the follow-up period after operation. But there was no statistical correlation with whether complicated with myasthenia gravis (MG) and histolog ical type. Conclusion　EGFR might be related to the tumori genesis and development of thymoma. There is high risk of recurrence and metast asis in case of EGFR over-expression and radiotherapy, chemotherapy and follow up should be enhanced.