Role of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGFR) in Oral Cancer

Abstract

Oral cancer is a pronounced disease and has the sixth-highest incidence among all the cancers occurring worldwide. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGFR) is of most prognostic significance among various markers found in oral squamous cell carcinoma. But no established criterion is universally used to evaluate EGFR expression. EGFR is known to perform a significant role in oral cancer development, and its overexpression dictates the poor clinical course of cancer. It is considered to be not only a valuable prognostic biomarker but also a promising therapeutic target in cancer treatment. Stimulation of EGFR enhances cancer processes, including increased cell division, neovascularization, invasion/metastasis, and escape from apoptosis. Increased EGFR levels are also observed in other cancers of the body. EGFR detection in OSCC can fulfill multiple roles in cancer diagnostics, such as early-stage, prognosis assessment, and treatment plan. The EGFR is a proto-oncogene activated at the cell membrane surface by transforming growth factor-α serves to advance cellular proliferation in cancer tissue.  The literature demonstrates that EGFR is an important target for anti-cancer drugs in an advanced stage of head and neck cancers. Hence, understanding EGFR is essential to learning the development cascade of cancer.