Clinical utility of type 1 growth factor receptor expression in colon cancer

Leung, Sher-Ping; Griffith, Obi L.; Masoudi, Hamid; Gown, Allen; Jones, Steven; Phang, Terry; Wiseman, Sam M.

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.12.032

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 195, Issue 5 , Pages 604-610, May 2008

Clinical utility of type 1 growth factor receptor expression in colon cancer

Sher-Ping Leung, M.D.
- Department of Surgery, St.Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Obi L. Griffith, B.Sc.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hamid Masoudi, M.D.
- Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Allen Gown, M.D.
- Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- PhenoPath Laboratories, Seattle, WA, USA
Steven Jones, Ph.D.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Terry Phang, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
- Department of Surgery, St.Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sam M. Wiseman, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
- Department of Surgery, St.Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Genetic Pathology Evaluation Center at the Prostate Research Center, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-604-806-9108; fax: +1-604-806-9957.

Received 5 November 2007; received in revised form 30 December 2007

Abstract

Background

To evaluate the expression pattern and prognostic significance of the type 1 growth factor receptor (T1GFR) family in colon carcinoma.

Methods

Tissue microarrays were constructed using 127 tumor samples and 47 metastatic lymph nodes and T1GFR family expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined clinicopathologic variables for prognostic significance, and the correlation between primary and lymph node expression was determined by Spearman correlation.

Results

Overexpression of HER-1, HER-2, HER-3, and HER-4 in tumor samples was 32%, 1%, 12%, and 37%, respectively, and 30%, 0%, 11%, and 24% in nodal samples, respectively. On multivariate analysis, positive margins, lymphatic invasion, and HER-3 expression were significant predictors of survival outcome. There was significant correlation between tumor and regional lymph node expression for the T1GFR family members. Tumor HER-3 expression was associated with lymphatic invasion and distant recurrence.

Conclusions

Tumor HER-3 expression has prognostic utility in individuals with colon carcinoma. Correlation between tumor and lymph node expression of T1GFR family members suggests that tumor receptor status may guide targeted therapy selection.

Keywords: Colon cancer, Type 1 growth factor receptor family, Tissue microarray, HER-1, HER-2, HER-3, HER-4