Does the EGFR and VEGF expression predict the prognosis in colon cancer?

Background/Aim: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are frequently encountered with aggressive tumor phenotype and poor prognosis, but the relationship between EGFR/VEGF expression and survival remains unclear. The aim of our study was to further investigate the prognostic value of EGFR and VEGF expression in colon cancer. Materials and Methods: The pathological specimens of 60 colon carcinoma patients were retrospectively evaluated and grouped according to EGFR and VEGF staining intensity and percentage of stained neoplastic cells. A final score was assigned to each case by multiplying percentage and staining score. The patients were stratified into the following categories: negative (score 0), low expression (score 1 or 2), and high expression (score 4). The remaining patient data were filtered out from the institutional cancer database. Results: The mean survival time was 28.93 +/- 14.1 (range 2-52) months in the EGFR-negative group, 23.92 +/- 14.0 (range 6-46) months in the group with a low EGFR expression, and 17.00 +/- 12.8 (range 10-40) months in the group with a high EGFR expression. The median survival time was 27.50 +/- 14.7 (range 4-52) months in the VEGF-negative group, 29.33 +/- 12.8 (range 6-48) months in the group with a low VGEF expression, and 14.50 +/- 14.2 (range 2-40) months in the group with a high VGEF expression. The expression of EGFR and VEGF was not an independent factor that affects survival. Conclusions: The EGFR and VEGF expression rates of colon tumors do not predict the survival. In addition, the EGFR expression in the primary tumor was not predictive of metastatic lymph nodes. The prognostic value of EGFR/VEGF staining may be further questioned. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.