GENETIC ALTERATIONS IN LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA CELLS AND THEIR CLINICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a study assessing the frequency of activating somatic mutations in the gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR  Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) gene) among patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, as well as their association with demographic characteristics. The study included 120 patients with identified EGFR mutations out of a total of 507 patients who were referred to the Molecular Oncology Laboratory of the National Oncology Center between 2014 and 2024, where EGFR testing was performed on paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples. Among the 120 included patients, 57.5% were female (n=69) and 42.5% were male (n=51). Additionally, 66.7% were non-smokers (n=80), while 33.3% were smokers (n=40). Of the detected mutations, 69.2% were classical (Del19 and L858R), whereas 30.8% were rare variants. The median survival was 27.8 months for patients with classical mutations and 21.2 months for those with rare mutations. The results indicate that EGFR mutations in the Azerbaijani population are more frequently observed among women and nonsmokers, consistent with trends reported in Asian populations.