ERCC1 expression correlated with EGFR and clinicopathological variables in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. An immunocytochemical study on fine-needle aspiration biopsies samples.

Expression of ERCC1 has not been well described in fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated the expression of ERCC1 in correlation with EGFR expression and clinicopathological factors in patients with NSCLC in order to determine if these play a role in the prognosis of the disease. We studied 45 patients, 34 with adenocarcinoma and 11 with squamous cell carcinoma. Of these 45 patients, 35 were males and 10 females, aged between 45 and 83 years, 30 smokers and 15 non-smokers. Eighteen (18) tumors were of stage I, twelve (12) stage II and fifteen (15) stage III. To investigate the expression of ERCC1 and EGFR (scores 0, 1, 2, 3), immunocytochemistry was performed on air dried specimens (FNABs) using monoclonal antibodies by alkaline-phosphatase (APAAP) method. ERCC1 expression was detected in tumors from 27 patients (60%) and EGFR in 10 patients (22.2%). ERCC1 was expressed more frequently in males (65.7%) in patients >65 years old (64%), in smokers (66.7%) and in stage I (66.7%). Negative ERCC1 expression was significantly associated with the presence of EGFR. EGFR was expressed only in adenocarcinomas and more frequently in women (70%) and non smokers (53.3%). ERCC1 expression was identified as positive (scores 2+ and 3+) in the majority of NSCLCs and seems to be an independent prognostic marker of longer survival. In addition EGFR expression was positive (scores 2+ and 3+) in the minority of NSCLCs and only in adenocarcinomas, more frequently in ERCC1-negative (scores 0 and 1+) tumors, suggesting that it is not an independent prognostic marker for the outcome of the patients suffering from NSCLC.