title: Aberrations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in 958 patients with diverse advanced tumors: implications for therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are associated with the response to EGFR inhibitors in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sought to investigate EGFR aberrations in patients with diverse advanced cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to the phase I clinic were evaluated for the presence of EGFR mutations and response to therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGFR aberrations were detected in 34 of 958 patients (3.5%). Though EGFR mutations were most frequent in NSCLC (21 of 131, 16%), they were also present in a variety of other solid tumors (13 of 827 patients, 1.6%) including adrenocortical (1/10 patients), skin (1/24), breast (1/55), carcinoid (1/8), cholangiocarcinoma (1/20), head and neck (1/61), ovarian (1/84), parathyroid (1/1), salivary gland (1/20), renal (1/17), sarcoma (2/38), and thymic carcinomas (1/7). Of the 13 EGFR aberration-positive non-NSCLC patients (median number of prior systemic therapies = 3), 6 had treatment with an EGFR inhibitor. Two patients (diagnosis = parathyroid tumor and basal cell carcinoma) achieved stable disease (SD), lasting 6 and 7 months, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found EGFR aberrations in 1.6% of a large group of patients with diverse tumors other than NSCLC, and treatment with an EGFR inhibitor could be associated with prolonged SD.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics--a Phase I, Clinical Trials Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, TX, USA. jjwheler@mdanderson.com
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wheler
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Falchook
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tsimberidou
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naing
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Piha-Paul
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Fok
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Janku
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurzrock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D000068818:Cetuximab; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009154:Mutation; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000068818:Cetuximab