Epidermal growth factor receptor as a target in cancer therapy. 
Epithelial cancers have been found to overexpress the receptor to epidermal growth factor (EGFR).  These include head and neck, breast, colon, lung, prostate, kidney, ovary, brain, pancreas, and bladder.  A number of strategies to block EGFR have been developed to inhibit tumor proliferation and to improve overall clinical outcome because overexpression of the receptor has been associated with a poorer prognosis in cancer patients.  Strategies include using monoclonal antibodies to EGFR, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, ligand-linked toxins, and antisense approaches.  Antibodies such as IMC-C225 specifically target EGFRs, whereas tyrosine kinase inhibition by many small molecules is less specific but is also effective.  This report focuses on EGFR and novel compounds that target it.