Identification of a new insertion in exon 20 of EGFR in a woman with NSCLC

Med Oncol. 2012 Dec;29(5):3198-201. doi: 10.1007/s12032-012-0304-y. Epub 2012 Jul 8.

Abstract

Mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR) gene occur in about 15 % of all NSCLCs in Western Europe and are frequently located in exons 19 and 21, being associated with high sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). By contrast, exon 20 insertions account for up to 10 % of all EGFR mutations and are correlated to EGFR TKI resistance. Herein, we describe a novel mutation in EGFR exon 20 in a female non-smoker bearing a lung adenocarcinoma, characterized by the insertion of a nucleotide triplet GTT, which translates into a protein with an additional Valine between Proline 772 and Histidine 773 (p.P772_H773insV-c.2316_2317insGTT). The patient was treated with cisplatin/pemetrexed 1st-line and docetaxel 2nd-line chemotherapies, reporting a prolonged disease stabilization of 25 months. The identification and the biological and clinical characterization of novel EGFR mutations represent a prerequisite for their wide use as predictive biomarkers for personalized therapy in NSCLC.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Base Sequence
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Exons / genetics
  • Female
  • Genes, erbB-1 / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional