Prognostic Impact of EGFR Driver Mutations on Postoperative Disease Recurrence in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) sensitizing mutations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent complete surgical resection.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 164 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery from 2003 to 2010. Seventy-four patients harbored EGFR mutations; two with exon 18 mutations, 27 with exon 19 mutations, and 45 with exon 21 mutations.

Results: There were more female patients and more never-/light smokers among patients with EGFR mutations than among patients without EGFR mutations. Patients with EGFR mutations had a trend for better disease-free survival and overall survival compared to patients without EGFR mutations (p=0.068 and p=0.049, respectively). Patients with exon 21 mutations had significantly better disease-free survival than patients with exon 19 mutations (p=0.027).

Conclusion: Adenocarcinomas harboring EGFR exon 21 mutation were less malignant than adenocarcinomas harboring exon 19 mutation.