Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Undifferentiated Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx

OBJECTIVES: To determine the expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its prognostic value in undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) of the nasopharynx. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of 75 patients diagnosed with UC over a 4-year period in a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postnasal space biopsies were obtained and processed, and immunohistochemical staining was performed. The over-expression of EGFR was measured, and the expression levels were statistically analyzed with the clinical and pathologic variables. Disease-free and overall survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: There were 62 (82.7%) specimens that showed over-expression of EGFR levels. Over-expression of EGFR correlated significantly only with primary tumor size (P =.007). Age, sex, positive smoking and family history, presence of nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, and Epstein-Barr virus serology titers were not significantly correlated with over-expression of EGFR. Both 54-month disease-free and 56-month overall survivals were not associated with EGFR over-expression. CONCLUSION: The frequency of over-expression of EGFR in UC is similar to other squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck region. Only primary tumor size is independently correlated with over-expression of EGFR. EGFR over-expression does not affect disease-free and overall survival.