Prognostic value of a solubilized fraction of EGF receptors in primary breast cancer using an immunoenzymatic assay--a retrospective study.

In a retrospective study of 319 primary breast cancers, we show that an immunoenzymatic assay of a solubilized fraction of EGF receptors indicates a prognostic value for EGFR which is in contradiction with some (but not all) other studies. It appears that different methodological approaches of measuring EGFR are not equivalent in terms of prognostic power. We emphasize the need for rigorous multicentric standardization and quality control of assays, followed by multistep validation of parameters oriented towards clinical use.