EGFR targeted therapy resistance: current status, challenges, and future outlook

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Recent progress has improved outcomes for many lung cancer patients. In particular, activating genetic alterations in the oncogenic driver genes such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are now successfully targeted with agents such as the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib. Despite progress, drug resistance remains a barrier to complete and long-term tumor responses. Indeed, most patients do not survive with EGFR mutant lung cancer as a chronic disease and instead succumb to the disease within a few years due to the emergence of resistance