There is precedence in that mutations in both ras and EGFR in NSCLC have recently been used in the clinical setting to predict outcome; in fact, patients whose tumours show K-ras mutations, with or without increased EGFR copy number, have been shown to have a >96.5% chance of disease progression (Massarelli et al, 2007; Kalikaki et al, 2008). The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.