Lack of prognostic value of EGFR mutations in primary resected non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in a series of Taiwanese patients with primary resected lung adenocarcinomas never treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor.


METHODS
A total of 27 of 35 patients whose EGFR mutational status in exons 18, 19, and 21 of the TK domain had been previously determined using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included in this retrospective study. All 27 patients underwent potentially curative pulmonary resection. Clinicopathological information was obtained from patient records and pathology reports. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
Heterozygous EGFR mutations were detected in 15 of 27 patients (55.5%). There was no significant difference in DFS between patients with wild-type EGFR (median, 16.87 months) and mutant EGFR (median, 18.13 months; P = 0.83). No significant difference in OS was also noted between the wild-type and mutant groups (P = 0.45, median follow-up 22.6 months). Cox regression model and multivariate analysis of survival difference by age, stage, histology, and adjuvant treatment did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
EGFR mutations do not have significant prognostic value in primary resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and further well-designed large prospective studies are warranted to determine the prognostic value of EGFR mutations in NSCLC.
Lim
Ken-Hong
KH
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 92 ChungShan North Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
Huang
Ming-Jer
MJ
Liu
Hung-Chang
HC
Kuo
Hsu-Tah
HT
Tzen
Chin-Yuan
CY
Hsieh
Ruey-Kuen
RK
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D066246:ErbB Receptors