Epidermal growth factor receptor polymorphisms and clinical outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with gefitinib

The-216G/T, -191C/A, intron 1 and Arg497Lys epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) polymorphisms were evaluated in 92 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with gefitinib, an EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Improved progression free survival (PFS) was found in patients homozygous for the shorter lengths of intron 1 polymorphism (S/S; S = 16 or fewer CA repeats; log-rank test (LRT) P = 0.03) and for patients carrying any T allele of the -216G/T polymorphism ( LRT, P = 0.005). When considered together, patients with intron 1 S/S genotype and at least one T allele of -216G/T had improved PFS ( LRT P = 0.0006; adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.60 (95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.98)) and overall survival ( LRT P = 0.02; AHR, 0.60 (0.36-1.00)) when compared with all others. The T allele of -216G/T was also associated with significantly higher rates of stable disease/partial response (P=0.01) and a significantly higher risk of treatment-related rash/diarrhea (P = 0.004, multivariate model). EGFR intron 1 and -216G/T polymorphisms influence clinical outcomes in gefitinibtreated non-small-cell lung cancer patients.