The IRESSA Pan-Asia Study as well as the OPTIMAL and WJTOG3405 trials demonstrated that EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) could significantly prolong the median progression of patients with NSCLC.6, 7, 8, 9 However, EGFR-TKIs are effective for cases of NSCLC with EGFR mutations,10, 11 and almost all of the patients who initially present dramatic responses to EGFR-TKIs inevitably develop resistance to these inhibitors within ~6–12 months.12, 13. The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.