Imaging , Diagnosis , Prognosis EpidermalGrowthFactorReceptorProteinDetection inHead and Neck Cancer Patients : A Many-Faceted Picture

Purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite intensive biomarker studies, a consensual method for assessing EGFR protein expression is still lacking. Here we set out to compare three EGFR detection methods in tumor specimens from HNSCC patients. Experimental Design: Tumors were prospectively excised from a series of 79 high-risk HNSCC patients enrolled in a GORTEC-sponsored clinical trial. EGFR expression was determined using a ligand-binding assay on membranes, Western blotting (WB) on membranes and total homogenates, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissuemicroarrays. In addition, phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR) wasmeasured byWB