Detection of epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation and its clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancers

Objective To investigate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation and related clinicopathological features in patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Tongling region.Methods Amplification refractory mutation system was applied to detect EGFR mutations involving exons 18-21 in paraffin imbedding and refrigeration tissue specimens.The relationship between EGFR mutations and clinicopathological features was analyzed.Results 24 specimens were detected EGFR gene mutation in 42 NSCLC specimens.The overall EGFR mutation detection rate was 57.14％.The EGFR mutation types included L858R mutation (41.67％),19-del E746-A450 mutation (41.67％),L858R combined with 19-del mutation (12.50％),and G719X mutation (4.17％).T790M mutation in exon 21 was not found in this group of patients.EGFR mutation rate was higher in female patients (75.00％) than that in male patients (40.91％,P =0.026).EGFR mutation rate was higher in smoking ＜400 packets · year group (70.37％) than that in smoking ≥400 packets · year group (33.33％,P =0.02).EGFR gene mutation rate was 60.61％ in lung adenocarcinoma,and that was 40.00％ in squamous cell carcinoma (P =0.346).There was no significant difference on EGFR mutation rate between age ＜60 years old patients and age ≥60 years old patients (64.00％ vs 47.06％,P =0.276).There was no significant correlation of EGFR mutation with TNM staging (P =0.9).Conclusions There is a higher EGFR mutation rate in female,non-smoker or less smoker. Key words: Non-small cell lung cancer; Epidermal growth factor receptor; Mutation