title: Frequency and type of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in African Americans with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) predict response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Mutations occur more commonly in never smokers and East Asians, but there are conflicting reports on the frequency of EGFR mutations in tumors from African Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumors from 67 African American and 77 white participants in previous case-control studies of lung cancer were selected to determine EGFR mutational status. Mutation analysis was performed using the Sequenom mass array analyzer (Sequenom, San Diego, CA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 13.9% of the study population carried an EGFR mutation. EGFR mutations occurred in 11.9% of tumors from African Americans compared with 15.6% in whites (p = 0.53). All mutations found in African Americans were deletions in exon 19. The majority of mutations were found in nonsmokers among both African Americans (7/8) and whites (8/12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that African Americans with NSCLC harbor somatic EGFR mutations at a frequency similar to whites with NSCLC. Thus, clinicians should not use race as a clinical decision parameter for the use of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Michele L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cote
authors.forename: Ramsi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Govindaraja
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Atikukke
authors.forename: Shirish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gadgeel
authors.forename: Ayman O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Soubani
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lonardo
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bepler
authors.forename: Ann G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ethier
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors