Activated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor is Associated with Cyclooxygenase-2 and Clinical Outcome in Smoking-Related Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

摘要

BackgroundEGFR dysregulation occurs in both smoking-related and non-smoking-related NSCLC. In non-smoking-related NSCLC, dysregulation results primarily from mutation of EGFR while in smoking-related NSCLC the molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Activation of EGFR is associated with auto-phosphorylation of the receptor (p-EGFR) and has been shown in vitro to result in upregulation of cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2). We sought to determine the relationship between activated EGFR (p-EGFR) and COX-2 in vivo and whether these are associated with clinical outcome in smoking-related NSCLC.