Identifying lung cancer patients who may be eligible for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation testing.

AIM: To characterise patients with non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosed at Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB; South Auckland, New Zealand) to estimate the number who may be eligible for EGFR mutation testing.
METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical records of 206 patients diagnosed at CMDHB with primary lung cancer between 01/07/2011 and 30/06/2012
RESULTS: Of the 206 patients, 141 (68.4%) had non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Of these 141 cases: 87 (62%) were adenocarcinomas; 73 (51.8%) were male; 78 (55.3%) were European, 16 (18.4%) were Pacific Islanders, 22 (15.4%) were Maori and 15 (10.7%) were Asian, with nine being from South East Asia; 28 (19.9%) had never smoked; 103 (73.0%) had advanced cancer (stage IIIA or more advanced); and 112 (79.4%) cases had an ECOG performance score of two or less. There were four patients with advanced adenocarcinoma who were South East Asian females and had never smoked, all of whom had an ECOG performance score of less than two.
CONCLUSION: In a 1-year cohort of primary lung cancer patients, 68% had non-squamous, NSCLC and were potentially eligible for EGFR mutation testing. Patients with advanced stage, non-squamous NSCLC comprised half of all lung cancer patients.