EGFR and non-small cell lung carcinoma: Somatic alterations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) lead to abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) signaling and occur in approximately 50% of Asian non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 15% (10–16.6%) of Caucasian NSCLC patients (1–6).