EGFR and non-small cell lung carcinoma: In the early 2000s, the median overall survival of patients with incurable non-small cell lung cancer with palliative chemotherapy was 14-16 months.29 A randomised controlled trial of 556 patients with previously untreated EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer demonstrated a response rate of 80%, and median duration of response of 17.2 months.21