Prognostic significance of EGFR-1 and VEGF-A expression in feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 2Vet Cancer Veterinary Oncology, Brooklin, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 3VCLab Pathology, Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 4Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 5School of Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 6Animal and Veterinary Science Research Center (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
Abstract
Introduction
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a prevalent malignancy in cats, and advanced cases remain challenging to manage due to their high potential for local invasion and recurrence. Epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) have emerged as promis- ing prognostic biomarkers in epithelial tumors, given their roles in proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate EGFR-1 and VEGF-A immunoexpression in cats with cSCC treated with electrochemotherapy (ECT) and their associations with clinicopathological variables and survival outcomes.Methods
Immunohistochemical expression of EGFR-1 and VEGF-A was evaluated in tumor samples from 33 cats with cSCC enrolled prospectively (n = 24) and retrospec- tively (n = 9). Associations between immunoexpression scores and clinicopatho- logical variables, overall survival time (OST), disease-free interval (DFI), and time to progression (TTP) were assessed using appropriate statistical tests.Results
EGFR-1 positivity was detected in 78.8% (26/33) of cases and was significantly associated with shorter OST, perineural invasion, and intense inflammatory infiltrate. VEGF-A immunoexpression was detected in 71.9% (23/32) of cases and was significantly associated with previous history of cSCC, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor invasion beyond the subcutaneous fat.Discussion
These findings suggest that EGFR-1 and VEGF-A immunoexpression are associated with clinicopathological variables linked to aggressive tumor behavior in feline cSCC, supporting their potential role as prognostic biomarkers in this species and warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.
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BibTeX
@article{linhares2026prognostic,
title = {{Prognostic significance of EGFR-1 and VEGF-A expression in feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.}},
author = {Laís Calazans Menescal Linhares and Marcelo Monte Mor Rangel and Krishna Duro de Oliveira and Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves and Fernanda Barthelson Carvalho de Moura and Guilherme Andraus Bispo and Felisbina L Queiroga and Andrigo Barboza de Nardi},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fvets.2026.1949867},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948200},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prognostic significance of EGFR-1 and VEGF-A expression in feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
AU - Laís Calazans Menescal Linhares
AU - Marcelo Monte Mor Rangel
AU - Krishna Duro de Oliveira
AU - Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves
AU - Fernanda Barthelson Carvalho de Moura
AU - Guilherme Andraus Bispo
AU - Felisbina L Queiroga
AU - Andrigo Barboza de Nardi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - Frontiers in veterinary science
DO - 10.3389/fvets.2026.1949867
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948200
AB - Introduction Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a prevalent malignancy in cats, and advanced cases remain challenging to manage due to their high potential for local invasion and recurrence. Epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) have emerged as promis- ing prognostic biomarkers in epithelial tumors, given their roles in proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate EGFR-1 and VEGF-A immunoexpression in cats with cSCC treated with electrochemotherapy (ECT) and their associations with clinicopathological variables and survival outcomes.Methods Immunohistochemical expression of EGFR-1 and VEGF-A was evaluated in tumor samples from 33 cats with cSCC enrolled prospectively (n = 24) and retrospec- tively (n = 9). Associations between immunoexpression scores and clinicopatho- logical variables, overall survival time (OST), disease-free interval (DFI), and time to progression (TTP) were assessed using appropriate statistical tests.Results EGFR-1 positivity was detected in 78.8% (26/33) of cases and was significantly associated with shorter OST, perineural invasion, and intense inflammatory infiltrate. VEGF-A immunoexpression was detected in 71.9% (23/32) of cases and was significantly associated with previous history of cSCC, perineural invasion (PNI), and tumor invasion beyond the subcutaneous fat.Discussion These findings suggest that EGFR-1 and VEGF-A immunoexpression are associated with clinicopathological variables linked to aggressive tumor behavior in feline cSCC, supporting their potential role as prognostic biomarkers in this species and warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.
SN - 2297-1769
ER -