PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PS2 PROTEIN AND RECEPTORS FOR EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR (EGF-R), INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-I (IGF-1-R) AND SOMATOSTATIN (SS-R) IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST AND OVARIAN-CANCER

The prognostic value of EGF-R, IGF-1-R and SS-R, and of cytosolic estrogen-regulated pS2 protein, was studied in patients (pts) with primary breast and advanced ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer tissues were negative for pS2 (by immunoradiometric assay) IGF-1-R and EGF-R contents (by ligand binding assay, LBA) were of no or moderate prognostic value for breast cancer pts (n = 214). For advanced ovarian cancer pts, EGF-R content determined by LBA (n = 55) showed no prognostic value, whereas EGF-R status (n = 35) determined by immunohistochemistry (MoAb 2E9) significantly correlated with progression of disease (P < 0.05). In breast cancer pts, both SS-R and pS2 showed no association with tumor size, nodal status and grade. For pS2 the best cut-off level with respect to relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was found to be 11 ng/mg protein. Both SS-R (1 g% SS-R +, n = 135; P < 0.04) and pS2 (27% pS2 +, n = 197; P < 0.001), which were mainly positive in ER+ tumors, were of prognostic value, especially within the subgroups with ER +/PgR + tumors. Also within N+ and No pts the 5-yr RFS and OS showed a difference between pS2+ and pS2- (33 and 54% for N+, and 31 and 13% difference for No pts). In summary, SS-R and pS2 are valuable prognosticators in breast cancer pts, and prognostic significance of EGF-R in ovarian cancer pts needs further study.