title: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Gene Amplification in Patients with Advanced-stage NSCLC.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) represent novel, effective tools in the management of advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to evaluate the incidence and predictive role of EGFR gene amplification in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 290 patients with advanced-stage (IIIB or IV) NSCLC. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for detection of EGFR gene amplification and EGFR mutations, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGFR amplification was detected in 26 (9.0%) patients. EGFR amplification was found more frequently in patients harboring the EGFR mutation (p<0.001). No significant corelation between EGFR gene amplification and survival was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGFR gene amplification is associated with EGFR gene mutation. EGFR gene amplification is not a feasible predictive biomarker for treatment with EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic fiala.o@centrum.cz.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fiala
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesek
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jindrich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finek
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Genomics of Solid Tumours, Genomac Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minarik
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Genomics of Solid Tumours, Genomac Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benesova
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sorejs
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svaton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostatistics and Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zbynek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bortlicek
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Radek
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kucera
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School and Teaching Hospital Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Topolcan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Non-small cell lung cancer; epidermal growth factor gene; gene amplification; tyrosine kinase inhibitors