Study of TGF-α and EGFR Expression in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid gland is one of the most significant endocrine glands in the human body. This gland may be affected by different diseases including thyroid cancers and benign diseases. Thyroid cancer is the ninth widespread cancer, and women are two to three times more likely to develop it than men. The understanding of molecular events are still unknown yet, this may be because of more complications in this disease. This studies indicated that the genesis, development and progression of thyroid cancer were closely related with some genes. Overexpression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) and its receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has been found in various types of cancer including thyroid cancer, as the increase in the expression of these genes (TGFα and EGFR) are may be able to stimulate normal or benign cell transformation to malignant cells. The aim of this study was to estimate the TGFα and EGFR expression in thyroid cancer in comparison with benign thyroid tumor and control group using immunohistochemical technique, in addition to detection the relationship of TGFα and EGFR expression with clinicopathological variables in thyroid cancer patients.