Epidermal growth factor receptor expression and genetic alterations in Iraqi lung adenocarcinoma patients: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v11i6.2063Keywords:
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor, Adenocarcinoma of Lung, Mutation, Immunohistochemistry, High-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingAbstract
Objective: To characterize the molecular profile of Iraqi patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein expression and mutations.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Middle Euphrates Oncology Center (Najaf, Iraq) between January 2022 and December 2023 and involved 28 patients with histologically confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. EGFR IHC positivity was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (Dako/Agilent system), and the mutation status was assessed via targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) (Ion Torrent PGM). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Kufa.
Results: EGFR IHC positivity was observed in 14 (50.0%) cases and was significantly associated with female sex and high-grade tumors (P<0.001). EGFR mutations were detected using NGS in 15 patients (53.6%). Co-occurring Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and tumor protein p53 (TP53) were found in 12 (42.9%) and 8 (28.6%) cases, respectively. Co-occurrences of EGFR and KRAS mutations have been observed in several tumors. The specific prevalent variants included EGFR exon 19 deletions, L858R, and KRAS G12C/G12V.
Conclusion: This study revealed a distinct molecular profile of Iraqi LUAD, characterized by a high frequency of EGFR and KRAS alterations. These findings support the potential utility of EGFR IHC as a cost-effective screening tool and underscore the need for accessible molecular testing and targeted therapies in Iraq.
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