title: Association between age at diagnosis and the presence of EGFR mutations in female patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous report showed an association between age and outcome in gefitinib-treated female patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Only limited numbers of molecular studies have been performed with respect to the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations according to age. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate a possible association between age at the time diagnosis and the presence of EGFR mutations in female patients with NSCLC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumor specimens were collected retrospectively from paraffin blocks of 98 female patients with primary NSCLC who underwent surgical resection between January 1992 and December 2002 at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital. To detect EGFR mutations, a Scorpion Amplified Refractory Mutation System was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the study population comprised never smokers (84%) and patients with adenocarcinoma (82%). The age at the time of diagnosis ranged from 34 to 74 years (median, 57 years). When the median age was used as a cutoff value, older patients were more likely to have EGFR mutations than younger patients (70 versus 39%; p = 0.004). After controlling for the effects of histology, smoking history, and stage, age remained a significant predictor for EGFR mutations (odds ratio, 4.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.61-10.09; p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that age at the time of diagnosis in female patients with NSCLC may be associated with the frequency of EGFR mutations, a strong indicator for favorable outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Tae Sup
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye-Ryoun
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Hyeon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Hee Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Jae Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Im Il
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Na
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors