title: EGFR mutational status in a large series of Caucasian European NSCLC patients: data from daily practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still poor. Activating epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are important genetic alterations with dramatic therapeutical implications. Up to now, in contrast to Asian populations only limited data on the prevalence of those mutations are available from patients with Caucasian and especially European ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this multicentre study, 1201 unselected NSCLC patients from Southern Germany were tested in the daily clinical routine for EGFR mutation status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Activating EGFR mutations were found in 9.8% of all tumours. Mutations in exons 18, 19 and 21 accounted for 4.2%, 61.9% and 33.1% of all mutations, respectively. Non-smokers had a significantly higher rate of EGFR mutations than smokers or ex-smokers (24.4% vs 4.2%; P<0.001). Non-lepidic-non-mucinous adenocarcinomas (G2) accounted for 45.5% of all activating EGFR mutations and 3.5% of all squamous cell carcinomas were tested positive. Thyroid transcription factor 1 protein expression was significantly associated with EGFR mutational status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These comprehensive data from clinical routine in Germany add to the knowledge of clinical and histopathological factors associated with EGFR mutational status in NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: 1] Klinikum Nuernberg, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergology and Sleep Medicine, Nuremberg, Germany [2] Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gahr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stoehr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geissinger
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ficker
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Brueckl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gschwendtner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gattenloehner
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rieker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruemmele
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dietmaier
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012907:Smoking; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: C000614412:NKX2-1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors