e14599 Background: The human EGFR family is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several solid tumors. However, there is no consensus about the prognostic role of HER2 expression and of other members of EGFR family in gastric cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of members of the EGFR family in gastric cancer. Methods: Retrospective study with 201 patients with gastric and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma stages 0 to IV (AJCC 6th edition) who underwent primary tumor resection between January 2006 and December 2008 at Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil. Tissue from primary tumors were analyzed by tissue microarray technology. IHC scores 0 and 1+ were classified as negative and scores 2+ and 3+ as positive, both for membrane and cytoplasmic expression of HER1, HER2, HER3 and HER4. The HER2 scoring system for gastric cancer was used for classification. Correlations between receptor expression and clinicopathological characteristics were performed according to the chi-square test. Survival analysis was calculated according to a parametric Weibull model with a mixture model incorporating long-term survivors. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors was performed by a regression model incorporating long-term survivors with the Weibull distribution. Results: Membrane expression of HER1, HER2 and HER4 were 9%, 17% and 15%, respectively. No membrane expression of HER3 was observed. Cytoplasmic expression of HER1, HER3 and HER4 were 45%, 62% and 24%, respectively. Expression of HER2 and HER3 correlated with intestinal-type histology (p: 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) and advanced age (p: 0.011 and p: 0.008, respectively). According to a regression model adjusted for age, surgical radicality, surgical modality, Laurén histology, adjuvant therapy, TNM stage and receptors expressions, only TNM stage showed prognostic influence. Conclusions: Expression of HER2 and other members of EGFR family did not have influence on the overall survival in the gastric cancer population studied. The elaboration of a systematic review with meta-analysis or a prospective study could help elucidate this controversial issue.
