BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Erb-B1 (epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR) and 
Erb-B2 (HER-2) are two of the best-characterized members in the EGFR pathway. In 
many tumor types, overexpression of these proteins is associated with enhanced 
malignant potential. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic 
impact of EGFR and HER-2 protein expression on colorectal cancer.
METHOD: Immunohistochemistry was carried out in paraffin-embedded specimens of 
115 colorectal carcinomas for the assessment of EGFR and HER-2 expression. 
Immunostaining for EGFR was graded negative, weak or strong according to 
extension and staining intensity. The results were correlated with traditional 
clinicopathologic parameters and patients' outcome.
RESULTS: The mean survival time was 64 (range 9-78) months in the EGFR-negative 
group, 166 (range 2-293) months in the group with a low EGFR expression, and 51 
(range 4-71) months in the group with a high EGFR expression. The median 
survival time was 31 (range 2-114) months in the HER-2 negative group, and 30 
(range 4-293) months in the HER-2 positive group. None of the clinicopathologic 
parameters or patient prognoses had statistically significant association with 
EGFR or HER-2 expression.
CONCLUSION: Conventional immunohistochemistry was unable to reveal any 
association between EGFR or HER-2 expression and outcome predicted by the 
biologic role of EGFR in tumor behavior and the established prognostic role of 
HER-2 in breast cancer.