BACKGROUND: The majority of @entity1 with @entity2971 ( @entity2971 ) are curable with standard therapy. The molecular differences between curable and incurable disease are unknown. We have studied the expression of @entity2467 and the @entity470 ( @entity470 ) to determine their incidence in @entity66 . @entity1 AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 23 @entity1 with chemorefractory non-seminomatous @entity2971 (15 late relapse and eight transformed @entity44 ). None of these 23 @entity1 were cured by their initial chemotherapy and/or surgery. Immunohistochemical analysis of @entity2467 and @entity470 was performed on the most recently available specimen from a metastatic site. PCR amplimers of @entity2467 exon 17 were screened for mutations by a combination of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing. RESULTS: @entity2467 was expressed (>/=10% of the @entity5 displaying membranous or cytoplasmic staining) in 11 of 23 @entity1777 @entity1 [48%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 26% to 68%]. There were no activating @entity2467 mutations in the phosphoryltransferase domain (exon 17) in 21 @entity1 analyzed. @entity470 was expressed (1+ to 3+) in 15 of 23 @entity1777 @entity1 (65%; 95% CI 41% to 82%). CONCLUSIONS: @entity2467 and @entity470 are expressed in a significant proportion of refractory @entity2971 . The significance of these findings will be determined by ongoing clinical trials.

Expression of XXXX and @entity470 in chemotherapy refractory non-seminomatous @entity2971 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['chemorefractory disease'] @entity2971 :: ('MESH:D009373', 'Disease') :: ['GCTs', 'germ-cell tumors'] @entity470 :: ('1956', 'Gene') :: ['EGFR', 'epidermal growth factor receptor'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor'] @entity1777 :: ('MESH:C537296', 'Disease') :: ['GCT'] @entity2467 :: ('3815', 'Gene') :: ['KIT'] @entity44 :: ('MESH:D013724', 'Disease') :: ['teratomas']
@entity2467 :: (3815,Gene) :: ['KIT']
