Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in advance stage nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma in west Sumatra, Indonesia

subcellular mechanism of the nasopharyngeal confirmed, but in several studies overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor was found. Based on histopathological classification, nonkeratinizing subtypes consisting of differentiated (WHO II) and undifferentiated (WHO III) are the most frequent types in endemic areas, whereas in non-endemic areas the majority of cases are keratinizing subtype (WHO I). The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in advanced stage nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma as well as to evaluate difference in the expression between differentiated nonkeratinizing (WHO II) and undifferentiated (WHO III) nasopharyngeal carcinoma that may affect the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Biopsies from 34 advance stage (stage III and stage IV) nonkeratinizing carcinoma consisting of 17 differentiated nonkeratinizing and 17 undifferentiated carcinomas of epidermal factor in investigated Our results demonstrated that epidermal growth factor receptor in 23 out of 34 subjects in differentiated nonkeratinizing carcinoma of in carcinoma histopathological subtypes (p=0.465). Conclusions: The epidermal growth factor receptor was expressed in most cases of advance stage nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and there was no difference in the expression between differentiated nonkeratinizing (WHO II) and undifferentiated nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (WHO III).