Epidermal growth factor receptor: Promising targets for non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

Cancer-related mortality is a worldwide health issue; among those, lung cancer is devastatingly caused by regular smoking. It is quite surprising that a considerable category of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has never had a habit of smoking. In these patients, an elevated level of small drifts or mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is observed. The genetic makeup and development of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are considered as promising drug candidates for the treatment of wild-type NSCLC. The aim of this chapter is to summarize EGFR and its physiological and pathological roles, including the acquired resistance of various generations of TKIs with future perspectives of EGFR-targeted therapeutic approaches.