Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation incidence in Caucasian ovarian cancer patients

Aims: The EGFR is over expressed in 55% to 98% of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Different studies demonstrated EGFR status as an independent prognostic factor for ovarian cancer. Recent studies in non small cell lung cancer suggest that the presence of the clinical response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g. ZD 1839) correlates with the somatic mutations in the kinase domain of EGFR, exons 18–21. For patients with ovarian cancer data are not available on EGFR gene mutation. Material and Methods: Shock-frozen samples from 32 patients with primary of ovarian cancer were stratified in two groups according…