Assessment of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in N0 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: to determine the Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) over-expression in laryngeal carcinoma primary tumor and in first echelon node in N0 neck. Design: A Cross sectional retrospective study. Setting: Otolaryngology and Pathology Departments, Suez Canal University Hospital (Ismailia, Egypt). Participants: Twenty five patients. Main outcome measures: EGFR expression is linked to early neoplastic transformation, cellular proliferation, and the metastatic process in laryngeal cancer. Twenty paraffin preserved primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and their cervical lymph nodes stained with hematoxylin & eosin and EGFR using immunohistochemical technique with scoring system. Results: EGFR expression in occult metastasis was associated with higher T stage (p=<0.001) and higher tumor grade (p=0.001). EGFR expression in occult metastasis was correlated with primary LSCC cartilage invasion (p=0.05), lymphovascular invasion (p=0.028) & muscle invasion (p=0.05). Laryngeal expression of EGFR and cervical lymph node metastasis as evidenced by EGFR immunohistochemical staining (p=0.001). Conclusion: EGFR immunohistopathological analysis of the lymph nodes and the primary tumour is a highly valuable tool for the detection of the cervical metastatic status and the N stage. Key words: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Larynx, N0, Squamous cell Carcinoma, Metastasis