Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positivity as assessed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) has been demonstrated to be associated with EGFR mutation status. This study was conducted to compare the responsiveness of CISH-positive and CISH-negative lung adenocarcinomas to erlotinib.
Patients and methods: Patients received erlotinib (150 mg/day) alone until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. EGFR gene status was examined by CISH. The response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicity profiles were assessed.
Results: Thirty-one patients underwent response evaluations and CISH analyses, 12 of whom harboured CISH-positive adenocarcinomas. The overall RR (p=0.035), median PFS (p=0.091) and median OS (p=0.408) were higher in the CISH-positive group. No difference in toxicity profiles was observed between these two groups.
Conclusion: EGFR status as assessed by CISH can predict the response to erlotinib in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.