Combination of phosphorylated and truncated EGFR correlates with higher tumor and nodal stage in head and neck cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a target in head and neck cancer. High EGFR expression and phosphorylated EGFR predicts poor survival in head and neck cancer patients, but does not correlate with advanced stage disease. The aim of this study is to determine if clinical biological correlates are more accurate when different aspects of EGFR are evaluated in combination. We analyzed the EGFR phosphorylation, expression, and mutations in 60 primary head and neck tumors. We not only found that head and neck tumors with either truncated or activated EGFR tend to have higher tumor and nodal stage but also discovered two novel EGFR truncations.