This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kim, G. E. Articles by Suh, C. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kim, G. E. Articles by Suh, C. O.

Synchronous Coexpression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Cyclooxygenase-2 in Carcinomas of the Uterine Cervix

A Potential Predictor of Poor Survival

Departments of¹ Radiation Oncology, ² Medical Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, ³ Pathology, ⁴ Nuclear Medicine, ⁵ Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, and ⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, Ajou University, College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of the new prognostic information gained by analyzing the coexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cervical cancer patients.

Experimental Design: Sixty-eight patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy between 1993 and 1996, were divided into the following four groups according to their immunoreactivities for EGFR and COX-2 in paraffin-embedded sections: (a) the EGFR-negative/COX-2-negative group (n = 11); (b) the EGFR-negative/COX-2-positive group (n = 8); (c) the EGFR-positive/COX-2-negative group (n = 27); and (d) the EGFR-positive/COX-2-positive group (n = 22). The clinical features, patterns of treatment failure, and survival data in the four groups were compared.

Results: Positive immunoreactivity for EGFR and COX-2 was observed in 49 of 68 (72%) and 19 of 68 (28%), respectively. However, no strong correlation was found between the levels of EGFR and COX-2 immunopositivity (R² = 0.05, P = 0.07). Patients in the EGFR-positive/COX-2-positive group had a higher likelihood of locoregional recurrence than those in the other three groups (P = 0.02). Of the patients in the four groups, patients positive for both oncoproteins were found to have the worst prognosis with an overall 5-year disease-free survival rate of 55% compared with 91% for the EGFR-negative/COX-2-negative patients, 88% for the EGFR-negative/COX-2-positive patients, and 69% for the EGFR-positive/COX-2-negative patients (P = 0.05, log-rank test). In addition, the synchronous coexpression of the EGFR and COX-2 oncoproteins was found to be an independent prognostic factor by univariate and multivariate analyses (relative risk = 4.0, P = 0.03).

Conclusions: Given these observations, we conclude that the coexpression of EGFR and COX-2 immunoreactivity may be used as a potent molecular risk factor for predicting the poor survival of patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. L. Van Dyke, M. L. Cote, G. M. Prysak, G. B. Claeys, A. S. Wenzlaff, V. C. Murphy, F. Lonardo, and A. G. Schwartz COX-2/EGFR expression and survival among women with adenocarcinoma of the lung Carcinogenesis, September 1, 2008; 29(9): 1781 - 1787. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Eiblmaier, L. A. Meyer, M. A. Watson, P. M. Fracasso, L. J. Pike, and C. J. Anderson Correlating EGFR Expression with Receptor-Binding Properties and Internalization of 64Cu-DOTA-Cetuximab in 5 Cervical Cancer Cell Lines J. Nucl. Med., September 1, 2008; 49(9): 1472 - 1479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Reckamp, K. Krysan, J. D. Morrow, G. L. Milne, R. A. Newman, C. Tucker, R. M. Elashoff, S. M. Dubinett, and R. A. Figlin A phase I trial to determine the optimal biological dose of celecoxib when combined with erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Clin. Cancer Res., June 1, 2006; 12(11): 3381 - 3388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Soo, T. Putti, Q. Tao, B.-C. Goh, K.-H. Lee, L. Kwok-Seng, L. Tan, and W.-S. Hsieh Overexpression of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Association With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, February 1, 2005; 131(2): 147 - 152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Tuccillo, M. Romano, T. Troiani, E. Martinelli, F. Morgillo, F. De Vita, R. Bianco, G. Fontanini, R. A. Bianco, G. Tortora, et al. Antitumor Activity of ZD6474, a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2 and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Small Molecule Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Combination with SC-236, a Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor Clin. Cancer Res., February 1, 2005; 11(3): 1268 - 1276. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]