In non-small cell lung cancer, a gene that is frequently mutated is called EGFR which stands for epidermal growth factor receptor. The EGFR gene provides instructions for making a receptor protein, which spans the cell membrane so that one end of the protein remains inside the cell and the other end projects from the outer surface of the cell. Mutations to the EGFR gene result in a receptor protein that is constantly turned on (constitutively activated), even when it is not bound to a ligand. As a result, cells constantly receive signals to proliferate and survive even when cell division is not appropriate. What type of cancer gene is EGFR and what can be said of a person with mutation in the EGFR gene?
