EGFR Mutation in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a malignant tumor of the nasopharynx. However, while radiotherapy is the primary choice of treatment, the treatment may fail due to distant metastasis in most patients at an advanced stage. Treatment agents against some mutations have led to the development of personalized treatment regimens. EGFR is one of the most studied molecules and has played a role in the development of a large number of cancer types. We aimed to demonstrate the EGFR mutation status in nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Twenty-six nasopharyngeal carcinomas were included in the study. EGFR mutation analysis was applied to the cases by the real-time PCR method. The results were evaluated statistically. No EGFR mutation was detected in any of the cases. Although EGFR expression is frequently shown in nasopharyngeal carcinomas immunohistochemically, the same positivity was not shown in genetic analysis. This result shows that the use of anti-EGFR agents in nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment will not be effective.