LACK OF PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR IN A SERIES OF 229 T1/T2, N0/N1 BREAST CANCERS, WITH WELL-DEFINED PROGNOSTIC PARAMETERS

The prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) was prospectively assessed in a series of 229 clinical T1-T2, N0-N1 breast carcinomas diagnosed between May 1987 and October 1989. EGF-R expression was determined by measuring the specific Bmax of I-125 EGF to tumor plasma membrane preparations. Tumor with a Bmax greater than or equal to 3 fmol/mg of protein were considered positive with regard to EGF-R expression. With a median follow-up of 34 months, the 3-year overall and disease-free survivals are respectively 92% and 88% for EGF-R less than or equal to 3, and 91% and 86% EGF-R > 3 fmol, showing no significant difference, even when comparing axillary lymph node status. We did not succeed in finding an EGF-R cut-off value which might be significant in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis of our data indicates that pT (p = 0.001), pN (p = 0.04), and Scarff Bloom grade (p = 0.04) are the only significant predictors of disease-free survival among the parameters investigated in this study.