Top Genetic Drivers in Never-Smokers

Lung cancer in never-smokers is biologically distinct, driven by specific genomic alterations rather than tobacco-induced DNA damage.

The top 3

  1. EGFR: The Most Common Driver: EGFR mutations appear in over 50% of lung adenocarcinoma samples from never-smokers, making them the primary target for precision therapy.
  2. The 'Piano' Tumor Subtype: Genomic studies identified slow-growing 'piano' tumors in never-smokers that feature fewer mutations and remain latent for roughly a decade.
  3. Beyond EGFR: The GPC5 Connection: Earlier research identified the GPC5 gene variant as an uncommon but significant link in approximately 30% of never-smokers with lung cancer.

Sources

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