EGFR and KRAS mutations in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung.
OBJECTIVE
Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) are important in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, and recent reports have revealed racial and geographical differences in mutation expression.


METHODS
This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of EGFR and KRAS mutations and their correlation with clinical variables in Korean patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Formalin-fixed adenocarcinoma specimens from 104 randomly selected patients diagnosed at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from October 1996 to January 2005 were used for the study.


RESULTS
We found a high prevalence of EGFR mutations and a low prevalence of KRAS mutations. EGFR mutations were present in 24% (25 of 104) of the samples: one mutation in exon 18, 13 in exon 19, one in exon 20, and 10 in exon 21. The presence of an EGFR mutation was not associated with gender, smoking history, histological grade, age, bronchioalveolar components, or cancer stage in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung.


CONCLUSIONS
Mutations of KRAS were present in 9.6% (9 of 94) of the samples: eight in codon 12 and one in codon 13. EGFR mutations were never found in tumors with KRAS mutations, suggesting a mutually exclusive relationship.
Jang
Tae Won
TW
Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea. jangtw@ns.kosinmed.or.kr
Oak
Chul Ho
CH
Chang
Hee Kyung
HK
Suo
Soon Jung
SJ
Jung
Mann Hong
MH
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins