TITLE:
EGFR Mutation Status and TKI Therapy in Patients with Advanced Vulvar Cancer: Clinical Observations
AUTHORS:
Kun Liu, Yong Yang, Cunde Wang, Yufeng Wang, Ying Zhu
KEYWORDS:
Gefitinib, Prognosis, Response Rate, Survival
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.4 No.10,
October
19,
2017
ABSTRACT: Vulvar cancer is a rare female genital neoplasm representing 5% of all gynecological malignancies, and occurring most frequently in women between the ages of 65 and 75. The most common histological type is squamous cell carcinoma followed by melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. In the early disease stage, surgical treatment can be effective; however, once recurrence and metastasis occur, advanced vulvar cancer is often difficult to be treated. Overexpression, amplification, and mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been found in many types of cancer, including primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and metastatic lesions, and correlate with a poor prognosis. EGFR mutation detection has become a routine molecular test with significant implications for prognosis. Thus, the goal of this study was to learn more about EGFR gene somatic mutations in vulvar cancer and to determine whether EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have different efficacies in patients with and without EGFR mutations. The results showed that targeted therapy based on EGFR mutation status could significantly improve the prognosis of patients. Thus, molecular profiling to determine mutation status may be an initial step towards developing effective therapeutic regimens to treat advanced vulvar cancer.