Epidermal growth factor receptor gene amplification as a prognostic marker in glioblastoma multiforme: results of a meta-analysis.

Amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene occurs in approximately 40% of cases of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and is considered a possible marker of poor prognosis. This report presents the results of a meta-analysis of the available data addressing this issue. Using a prospective protocol, a meta-analysis was designed to assess the possible prognostic importance of EGFR gene amplification in GBM. One-year survival data derived from seven published studies were analyzed using a general variance based method employing confidence intervals described by Greenland. The outcome of interest was a summary relative risk (RRs) reflecting the risk of death at 1 year from diagnosis associated with EGFR amplification-positive versus -negative disease. Prior to calculation of a RRs, an analysis for homogeneity (Q) showed Q to equal 9.21. With 6 df this yielded a P value of 0.12, indicating that the data were homogenous and could be combined in a meta-analysis. Pooling all available studies gave a RRs of 1.13 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.71-1.80, a nonstatistically significant result. The data suggest that the available studies are insufficient for determining whether EGFR gene amplification is of prognostic value in GBM. Important potential confounding factors are the influence of underlying EFGR gene mutation on patient survival and lack of control for important known clinical prognostic indicators in many studies. Future work must incorporate these parameters in multivariate analyses to determine whether EGFR gene alterations are truly associated with poor clinical outcome.