The Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of the country’s leading treatment centers for malignant mesothelioma. Among the many innovative discoveries that have helped the center treat patients with lung cancers is the discovery of the EGFR gene mutation. The center is marking the 20th anniversary of that breakthrough and the development of several targeted therapy drugs that followed.
Impact of EGFR Mutation on Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Treatment
Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer are extremely challenging diseases to treat, but the innovations in precision medicine have made a remarkable difference. Precision medicine matches the treatment offered to the specific DNA and protein profile extracted from the patient’s tumor. Physicians identify a unique characteristic or genetic error that is exclusive to the specific cancer and then create a drug that targets that characteristic.
According to Grace Dy, MD, Director of Translational Research for Thoracic Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, “The discovery of the EGFR mutation was the start of precision medicine for lung cancer treatment. It meant that we could now choose a specific drug for a patient based on their cancer’s unique molecular profile, which increases the likelihood of treatment response compared to conventional chemotherapy.”
EGFR Mutation Causes Mesothelioma Cells to Grow
EGFR stands for epidermal growth factor receptor, a protein on the surface of cells that helps cells grow. Dr. Dy explains that because lung cancers typically have a lot of EGFR, drugs that target the protein would be effective. When they found the drugs didn’t work well on most patients but worked on some, they went back to look at the tumors of those exceptions and discovered an error in the gene that provided instructions for making the protein. Realizing this was what was causing cancer to grow, they proved that testing for the mutation could predict patients’ responses to therapy.
The center’s researchers have identified dozens of types of EGFR mutations, including in malignant mesothelioma, which reports EGFRR overexpression between 44 and 97%. As a result, several anti-EGFR agents have been trialed in mesothelioma treatment, and it is considered a valid target.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, precision medicine research offers hope. For information on medical and other resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
