Health News
How genetic mutations affect your risk of lung cancer

DNA gives instructions to your cells according to the order of its nucleotides. When these construction blocks are out of sequence or damaged, a gene mutation can be created.
Mutations in pulmonary cells can cause a proliferation of cells that turn into cancer.
“These mutations can prevent pulmonary cells from responding to clues that would normally control their growth and survival,” said Katerina Politi, PHD, researcher and scientific director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers of the Yale Center Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
The body does not always inherit genetic mutations. He can also acquire them. The inherited changes come from the DNA you have obtained from your parents, while the acquired changes occur at random or due to the exposure to radiation and chemicals.
Mutations can also affect different genes, such as the Kirsten (KRAS) rat virus and genes of the epidermal growth factor (EGFR). These mutations are often called biomarkers.
Kras mutations in lung cancer
Kras genes generally receive and send information that leads to cell growth, and a mutation can mean that cells develop too much, transforming into cancer.
Kras mutation in lung cancer is one of the most common, especially in adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer not with small cells.
About 25% of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer have a KRAS mutation, a number that rises up to 30% for lung adenocarcinomas.
“Kras mutations are associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and resistance to standard therapies,” explains Michael Menefee, MD, medical oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
According to the diagnostic scene, the survival rate could be eight months to four years, according to research.
However, treatment has progressed for certain types of KRAS mutations.
Approved treatments for KRAS-Postix lung cancer include these methods:
Two kras inhibitors, a type of targeted therapy, are approved for patients with Kras G12C mutations:
- Sotorasib (Lumakras)
- About the Aragration
The G12C mutation is the most common Kras mutation in people with lung cancer, says Dr. Menefee, adding that “there are additional mutations in the Kras for which new therapies are developed”.
EGFR mutations in lung cancer
The EGFR gene helps cells develop and multiply. When it lies, it can promote abnormal cellular growth.
Overall, EGFR mutations appear in around 10 to 15% of lung cancers diagnosed in the United States, and researchers estimate that non-smokers with EGFR mutation have about 30% of chances to develop lung cancer.
Lung cancer linked to the EGFR is more common in these groups:
- People who have never smoked
- People assigned to a woman at birth
- People with adenocarcinoma
- Young adults with lung cancer
- People of Asian origin
“There are different types of EGFR mutations, some of which have an impact on prognosis and therapeutic decisions,” explains Menefee.
The management and treatment of this mutation have progressed in recent years, he says. Treatment may include these options:
- EGFR inhibitors such as Osimimertinib (Tagrisso), AFATINIB (Gilotrif), Erlotinib (Tarceva) and Lazertinib (Lazcluze)
- Targeted antibody therapy such as Amivantamab (Rybrevant)
- Combined therapies such as chemotherapy with Osimimertinib or Lazertinib with amivantamab