Should EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors be used in non-small cell lung cancer in the absence of EGFR mutations? No, EGFR TKIs should be reserved for patients with EGFR mutations.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that block epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) clearly work best in patients who have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations, but are they worth using in patients without these mutations? In this month's Counterpoints, Dr Frances A. Shepherd says that there is a role for EGFR TKIs in patients with wild-type EGFR disease. Dr Gregory J. Riely, however, says that the level of toxicity associated with EGFR TKIs outweighs any slight chance of benefit for these patients, who have multiple other treatment options.