Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been identified in ~85% NPCs, however, a previous phase II trial (16) administered erlotinib, which acts on EGFR, as a maintenance treatment in NPC patients with recurrent and/or metastatic disease following a gemcitabine-platinum regimen and revealed that the treatment was not effective as a maintenance or second-line therapy following chemotherapy. The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is nasopharyngeal carcinoma.