Relationships of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Receptor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression to Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluated the prognostic implications of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Our subjects were 91 patients who underwent surgery and subsequently received fluoropyrimidines. Expressions of IGF-1R, EGFR and HER-2 in primary lesions were analyzed immunohistochemically to determine the prognostic significance of these biomarkers. RESULTS: Overexpression was found for IGF-1R in 48 tumors (53%), EGFR in 57 (63%) and HER-2 in 2 (2%). Overexpression of IGF-1R was significantly correlated with shorter survival from the start of first-line chemotherapy (p = 0.033). Overexpression of EGFR was a significant predictor of clinical response to fluoropyrimidines (p = 0.032). Multivariate analysis of potential prognostic factors showed that IGF-1R expression and worsened performance status were independent predictors of poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that anti-IGF-1R strategies may offer a useful approach in molecular therapy for CRC, which has the potential to improve outcomes.