Clinical Course of Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Exon 19 and Exon 21 Mutations Treated with Gefitinib or Erlotinib

Abstract

EGFR mutations in exons 19 or 21 are correlated with clinical factors predictive of response to gefitinib and erlotinib. Those with EGFR exon 19 deletion mutations had a longer median survival than patients with EGFR L858R point mutation. These observations warrant confirmation in a prospective study and exploration of the biological mechanisms of the differences between the two major EGFR mutations.