A variant epidermal growth factor receptor protein is similarly expressed in benign hyperplastic and carcinomatous prostatic tissues in black and white men.

Background And Objective: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor strategies are now established in cancer treatment We have recently described the presence of EGFRvIII (a variant EGFR) in prostatic tumours from UK white men and this is now a target for anti-prostate cancer treatments. However, there has been no report on the expression of this abnormal protein in black men.

Materials And Methods: We determined EGFRvIII expression in sections of normal, benign hyperplastic (BPH) and carcinomatous (CaP) prostatic archival tissues from Nigerian men and UK white men using streptavidin immunohistochemical techniques. The EGFRvIII immunoreactivity was scored visually using a semi-quantitative method and the results compared statistically.

Results: EGFRvIII expression increased with increasing malignancy in both study populations (CaP > BPH > Normal p, <0.0001). Furthermore, EGFRvIII expression was similar in both BPH and CaP tissues in black and white men (p, 0.86 and 0.31 respectively).

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that EGFRvIII immunoreactivity in prostatic tumours in black men is similar to that in white men. Anti-cancer treatments directed at the EGFRvIII should be equally effective in men from both subpopulations.