Anastasia Politi1, Evangelos Tsiambas2, Nicholas S Mastronikolis3, Dimitrios Peschos4, Ioannis Asproudis5, Efthymios Kyrodimos6, Ilianna E Armata7, Aristeidis Chrysovergis6, Asimakis Asimakopoulos8, Vasileios S Papanikolaou6, Anna Batistatou9, Vasileios Ragos10. 1. Department of Oncology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 2. Department of IHC & Molecular Biology, 401 GAH, Athens, Greece tsiambasecyto@yahoo.gr. 3. ENT Department, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. 4. Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 5. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 6. 1ST ENT Department, Hippokration Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. 7. Medical School, Cambridge University Hospital, Cambridge, U.K. 8. ENT Department, Luxembourg Hospital Center, Luxembourg, Luxembourg. 9. Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 10. Department of Maxillofacial, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) acts as an oncogene in malignancies. Our aim was to examine the role of combined EGFR/ anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression as molecular markers in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty (n=50) tissue sections derived from twenty-five (n=25) primary LSCCs were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: EGFR overexpression was observed in 17/25 (68%) cases. Concerning ALK, 23/25 (92%) demonstrated low expression. EGFR expression was associated with grade (p=0.049), whereas ALK expression was correlated with stage (p=0.048). ALK overexpression was detected at advanced-stage EGFR-positive cases. A biphasic EGFR protein expression pattern was observed in five (n=5) LSCC cases, whereas ALK expression was stable in all cases. CONCLUSION: EGFR overexpression is frequently observed in LSCC combined with low ALK expression. LSCC patients with EGFR/ALK protein overexpression should be eligible for targeted therapeutic strategies. Copyright
BACKGROUND/AIM: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) acts as an oncogene in malignancies. Our aim was to examine the role of combined EGFR/ anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression as molecular markers in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty (n=50) tissue sections derived from twenty-five (n=25) primary LSCCs were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS:EGFR overexpression was observed in 17/25 (68%) cases. Concerning ALK, 23/25 (92%) demonstrated low expression. EGFR expression was associated with grade (p=0.049), whereas ALK expression was correlated with stage (p=0.048). ALK overexpression was detected at advanced-stage EGFR-positive cases. A biphasic EGFR protein expression pattern was observed in five (n=5) LSCC cases, whereas ALK expression was stable in all cases. CONCLUSION:EGFR overexpression is frequently observed in LSCC combined with low ALK expression. LSCC patients with EGFR/ALK protein overexpression should be eligible for targeted therapeutic strategies. Copyright