The median overall survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has increased from 12 months to approximately 24 months over the past decade as a result of improvements in systemic therapies, including new chemotherapeutic agents such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin and monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is metastatic colorectal cancer.