ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate EGFR gene mutations in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and their correlation with clinicopathologic features and clinical characteristics in Chinese NSCLC patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>To analyse EGFR mutations of exons 19 and 21 in NSCLCs by PCR amplification and sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Somatic mutations in TK domain of EGFR were found in 13 cases (17.3%), the majority of mutations were in-frame exon 19 (9.3%) and 6 cases missense mutation in exon 21 (8.0%). The mutation rate was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma (12/31, 38.7%), than in bronchioloalveolar cancer (1/10, 10. 0%), adeno-squamous carcinoma (0/5), pulmonary blastoma (0/2), large cell carcinoma (0/1) and squamous cell carcinoma (0/26). Moreover, mutations were more frequently observed in females (30.0%) than in males (8.9%), and significantly higher in non-smokers (28.2%) than in smokers (5.6%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EGFR gene mutation is significantly higher related to adenocarcinomas, females and never-smokers. The results may suggest that a lager portion of adenocarcinomas in Chinese patients, females and non-smokers could be associated with favorable response to gefinib.</p>