Gefitinib induced substantial clinical responses and reduced tumour burden in ∼10% of patients with chemotherapy–refractory non-small cell lung cancers; however, the majority of these patients had EGFR mutations that constitutively activated the antiapoptotic protein AKT (Baselga, 2002; Fukuoka et al, 2003; Kris et al, 2003; Giaccone et al, 2004). This evidence concerns the gene EGFR and non-small cell lung carcinoma.