Clinicopathological data and the expression of direct cellular growth, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and tumor suppressor gene p27 were studied by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded sections of 50 cases of primary colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in Egyptian patients, to evaluate their role in predicting patient's prognosis. EGFR was expressed in 26 out of 50 cases (52%). There is a significant correlation between expression of EGFR and tumor differentiation (p < 0.001) and 5-year survival rate (p < 0.001). EGFR expression had no statistically significant correlation with clinicopathological parameters including histological type, size, site, and stage. Lack or low p27 expression was noted in 15 out of 50 (30%) cases of CRC (p < 0.05). This altered expression was significantly higher in proximal cancer (p < 0.05), mucinous tumors (p < 0.001), poorly differentiated histololgy (p < 0.01). Overall survival was better in the patient group with altered level of p27 expression, although the difference does not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). In conclusion, EGFR overexpression has been found to be related to a poor prognosis of CRC, and loss or p27 protein expression was associated with poorly differentiated CRC and may be part of the genetic pathway, which is responsible for the development of some CRC. |
