Association of epidermal growth factor receptor with hormone receptor and molecular subtypes in breast cancer patients from South India

Aims: Breast cancer (BC) remains a major global health challenge, characterized by molecular heterogeneity and a complex interplay of risk factors.Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) role in BC underscores the importance of targeted therapies and the need for personalized treatment approaches.This study aimed to examine EGFR expression in tumor samples from BC patients and assess its relationship with molecular subtypes and receptor status.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved female BC patients with confirmed diagnoses.Core-cut biopsy specimens were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, and assessed for EGFR expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC).A chi-square test was performed to assess its association.The patients' records were reviewed for demographic data, and receptor status was determined using IHC as part of routine clinical evaluation.Results: A total of 62 BC patients were included in the study, with ages ranging from 25 to 70 years (mean standard deviation: 49.910.8years).EGFR expression showed predominantly weak staining intensity (61.3%), followed by moderate staining (17.7%), no staining (17.7%), and strong staining (3.3%).Regarding receptor status, weak EGFR expression was prevalent in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (57.9%) and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative (65.8%) patients, whereas strong EGFR expression was observed in the ER-negative, PR-negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu-negative subgroups (2 cases each).Assessment by molecular subtype showed a prevalence of weak and moderate EGFR staining in the Luminal B subtype, whereas strong EGFR expression was observed only in triple-negative BC patients (2 cases, 100%).However, there was no statistically significant association between EGFR expression and molecular subtypes or hormone receptor status.Conclusions: EGFR expression was more common in aggressive subtypes, such as HER2-positive and Luminal B, highlighting its potential role in tumor progression.However, the lack of a significant association suggests that the relevance may be subtype-specific.