Gefitinib and erlotinib, two major epithelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs), display promising therapeutic efficacy in patients with NSCLC carrying EGFR‐activating mutations (for example, exon 19 deletion and exon 21 L858R), and these patients regularly receive EGFR‐TKIs as a first‐line treatment.3, 4, 5, 6, 7 However, almost all patients become resistant to gefitinib and erlotinib within a median time period of approximately 10 months.8, 9, 10 However, the mechanisms of EGFR‐TKI resistance are largely unknown. This evidence concerns the gene EGFR and non-small cell lung carcinoma.