RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Somatic mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor and non-small-cell lung cancer
JF Journal of Medical Genetics
JO J Med Genet
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 166
OP 172
DO 10.1136/jmg.2006.046102
VO 44
IS 3
A1 Xiaozhu Zhang
A1 Alex Chang
YR 2007
UL http://jmg.bmj.com/content/44/3/166.abstract
AB Frequent overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) makes EGFR a new therapeutic target. Two specific EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gefitinib (ZD1839, Iressa) and erlotinib (OSI-774, Tarceva), have been developed and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for second-line and third-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Clinical trials have shown considerable variability in the response rate between different patients with NSCLC, which led to the discovery of somatic EGFR-activating mutations. This brief review summarises the discovery and functional consequences of the mutations, their clinicopathological features and significant implications in the treatment and prognosis of NSCLC.