Expression of EGFR in colorectal cancer and its significance in clinicopathology

Objective To investigate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR 1) protein in colorectal cancer and to evaluate its clinicopathological significance. Methods The immunohistochemical EnVision method was used to evaluate the expression of EGFR protein in the issue of primary lesion and various metastasis of 260 patients with colorectal cancer (including 260 cases of primary lesion; 52 cases of lymph node metastasis, 7 cases of hepatic metastasis, 6 cases of pulmonary metastasis) and in the 64 cases of normal colorectal tissues. Results ①EGFR protein expression rates in normal colorectal tissues and colorectal cancer were 7.8% (5/64) and 81.5% (212/260), respectively. There was a statistical difference in EGFR protein expression rates between normal colorectal tissues and colorectal cancer tissues (P=0.000). ②EGFR protein expression rates in primary lesion, lymph node metastasis, hepatic metastatic and pulmonary metastasis were 81.5% (212/260), 90.4% (47/52) , 85.7% (6/7) and 83.3% (5/6), respectively, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). ③The expression of EGFR protein was unrelated with the clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer patients (P>0.05). Conclusions The expression of EGFR protein increase in colorectal cancer, and it plays an important role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. Key words: Epidermal growth factor receptor 1; Colorectal cancer; Immunohistochemistry