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Focus on HER1/EGFR evaluation

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Phosphorylated HER1/EGFR in NSCLC

This sample of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue is positive for phosphorylated HER1/EGFR, demonstrating the use of proteomic assays.⁸ Adapted from Sonnweber et al, J Clin Pathol. 2006;59:255-259.

How is HER1/EGFR detected in cancer cells?

HER1/EGFR expression can be detected in a number of different ways, including genomic and proteomic assays.

Genomic assays quantify the number of copies of the EGFR gene or the number of receptors on the cell surface. Types of genomic assays include:
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), which measure amplification of the EGFR gene by quantifying the number of copies of the gene⁹
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC), which measures the number of receptors the cell possesses and thus quantifies receptor overexpression¹⁰
Genomic assays can also assess for the presence of mutations to EGFR and related genes, such as KRAS⁷
Proteomic assays are used to determine not only the presence of proteins (such as the HER1/EGFR receptor and its ligands), but also the ways in which they interact with each other¹¹
- Proteomic assays can show the changes that occur in HER1/EGFR when it is stimulated and activated
- The phospho-EGFR assay is used to measure the amount of HER1/EGFR on the cell surface that has been phosphorylated, or activated in the tyrosine kinase domain⁸

Next Section: HER1/EGFR as a prognostic factor

References

Research HER Pathways

HER1/EGFR