ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mutations in exon 19 of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in non-small cell lung cancer from Chinese patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA was extracted from 72 lung cancer tissues. Then the exon 19 of EGFR gene was amplified by nested PCR and sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 13 tumor tissues, multi-nucleotide in-frame deletion mutations at the exon 19 of EGFR gene, had been detected. There were 4 mutation types. The mutation rate was 18.1%. The mutations were all heterozygous. There was association of the exon 19 mutation of EGFR gene with adenocarcinoma, female patients and non-smokers.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were multi-nucleotide in-frame deletion mutations in exon 19 of EGFR gene. Mutations of the exon 19 of EGFR gene were higher in female, non-smoking and adenocarcinoma patients.</p>