Establishing a molecular protocol for detection of EGFR mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer is one of the quickest and most fatal diseases and is divided into two types: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Approximately 50% of NSCLC patients harbour mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, spanning from exon 18 to exon 21, which are responsible for the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR protein. Finally, we applied the molecular protocol to 172 clinical samples and compared these with the Sanger nucleotide sequencing method and the peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamping method. The results of the comparison demonstrate that the molecular protocol constructed for detection of exon 21 mutations can be used in the treatment of NSCLC patients.