EGFR expression in histopathologically tumor free surgical margins in patients with oral SCC

Abstract

About 40% treatment failure is seen in patients with OSCC, the most common cause of which is local or regional lymph node recurrence. . Even when the surgical margin was diagnosed histopathologically as tumor free 30% local recurrence have been reported . Accumulation of genetic changes in surgical margins may explain the local recurrence rate. EGFR is a receptor tyrosine kinase of ErbB family , is associated with tumor invasion, increased metastasis to cervical lymph nodes and lower histological differentiation of tumor in OSCC .The purpose of this study was to assess EGFR expression in histopathologically tumor free margins. Methods:In this analytic descriptive study 40 parafin- embedded tissue blocks of OSCC which obtained from the pathology department of Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry and Imam Reza hospital were evaluated. All the samples were assessed by immunohistochemistry method for EGFR expression (Dako monoclonal antibody, Denmark). The data were analyzed by descriptive (frequency-percentage) statistics and Fishers exact tests . Results: Strong EGFR staining in the membrane of the tumor cells was seen in 75% tumor tissues and 10% histopathologicaly free margins. Conclusion: Assessment of tumor free surgical margins by conventional histopathologic examination (H&E) is not sufficient and molecular analysis of surgical margins ,could enable the selection of patients at higher risk for tumor recurrence.