OBJECTIVESTo investigate the relationship between the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and clinicopathological factors, and to analyze the mutation on the effect in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgery.

METHODSThe NSCLC patients who were resected and detected EGFR gene from March 2009 to March 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The relationship between EGFR mutation status and clinicopathological factors, tumor markers, prognostic was analyzed.

RESULTSThe mutation and the wild group had 169 and 214 patients respectively. EGFR mutation in female, non-smoking, adenocarcinoma and less than 60 years old accounted for 63.91%, 61.54%, 88.76% and 62.13% with statistical significance compared with male (χ(2) = 53.490, P = 0.000), smoking (χ(2) = 48.568, P = 0.000), non-adenocarcinoma (χ(2) = 105.560, P = 0.000) and more than 60 years old (χ(2) = 6.057, P = 0.017). Disease free survival (DFS) of the wild group was better than mutation group (χ(2) = 11.329, P = 0.001). In addition, there were some relations between mutation status and excision repair cross complementing (ERCC1) protein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and Cyfra21-1. ERCC1(+) (χ(2) = 6.739, P = 0.012), SCC(χ(2) = 16.839, P = 0.000) and Cyfra21-1(χ(2) = 6.638, P = 0.013) more than normal value was common in wild group. Increased CEA was common in mutation group (χ(2) = 5.436, P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONSEGFR mutation is commonly found in female, non-smoking, adenocarcinoma and less than 60 years old NSCLC patients. The wild group obtains better DFS than mutation group. Tumor markers may predict the mutation status, which need further research.