Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in small cell lung cancer patients who received surgical resection in China.

To know the incidence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients who received surgical resection in mainland China. xTAG technology was used to detect the EGFR exon 19 and exon 21 mutations of 40 patients with SCLC who received surgical treatment in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from 1998 to 2010. 2 of 40 cases were found with mutations in exon 19 of the EGFR gene. The mutation in exon 19 of the EGFR gene is in a female and non smoking patient which pathology is SCLC combined adenocarcinoma, and the other is male and smoking patient which pathology is SCLC combined squamous cell carcinoma. The EGFR mutation is rare in SCLC patients, and EGFR mutation might occur more often in combined SCLCs than conventional patients.