[Frontiers in Bioscience E3, 879-887, June 1, 2011]

EGFR genomic alterations in cancer: prognostic and predictive values

Giuseppe Bronte1, Marianna Terrasi1, Sergio Rizzo1, Nicola Sivestris2, Corrado Ficorella3, Massimo Cajozzo4, Francesca Di Gaudio5, Gaspare Gulotta6, Sergio Siragusa7, Nicola Gebbia1, Antonio Russo1

1Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, 2Medical and Experimental Oncology Unit, Cancer Institute, Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy, 3Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy, 4Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Section of General and Thoracic Surgery, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, 5Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, 6Department of General Surgery, Urgency, and Organ Transplantation, University of Palermo, Italy, 7Chair and Unit of Hematology transplant, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico P. Giaccone, Palermo, Italy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Egfr Protein Expression
4. Egfr Mutations In The Tyrosine Kinase Domain
5. Egfr Mutations In The Extracellular Domain
6. Egfr Gene Copy Number
7. Perspective
8. Acknowledgement
9. References

1. ABSTRACT

The role of EGFR in cancer development and progression has been recognized for long time in a variety of human malignancies including lung, head and neck, colon, breast, ovary and glioma. Recently its role as a target of antineoplastic agents has also been identified and a variety of EGFR-targeted drugs is already being used in a clinical setting and others are at present under investigation. Many data involving EGFR protein expression are now available for the choice of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer and with regard to EGFR gene mutations for the choice of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer. Other EGFR-related molecular factors, including the EGFR gene copy number, are currently under investigation. This review summarizes both preclinical and clinical available data regarding EGFR genomic alterations as prognostic and predictive factors.