EGFR mutations and testing in lung cancer

Understanding the role of EGFR mutations and the importance of testing for these in lung cancer

The growth of healthy tissue is regulated by specific receptors.

Mutations of receptors can affect important communications about growth, which can become uncontrolled and give rise to cancer.

Recently we've identified that patients who have an abnormal EGFR protein on the cancer cell surface due to mutation in the gene have the receptor constitutively activated, which means it's always switched on rather than being controlled.