Driver mutation

In oncogenesis, a driver mutation is understood to be a somatic mutation at a crucial site in signal transduction pathways that gives the tumor cell a growth advantage while maintaining a conducive microenvironment, thus promoting tumor cell proliferation.

These subgroups are characterized by molecular alterations such as:

• Mutations
• Translocations
• Amplifications among others.

More and more driver mutations are being discovered, allowing targeted therapy that is more efficient and better tolerated than conventional chemotherapy. One of the biggest problems in cancer research is the prioritization of mutations.

The following mutations act as driver mutations for adenocarcinoma of the lung:

KRAS, KEAP1, STK, EGFR, FGFR, PIK3CA, HER2 (ERBB2), ALK, MET, BRAF, ROS1, RET, MEK1 (MAP2K1), NTRK, NRG1.

For squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, mutations in the following genes act as driver mutations:

FGFR, PIK3CA, PTEN, MET, NTRK, BRAF, EGFR, RET

1. Chu QS (2020) Targeting non-small cell lung cancer: driver mutation beyond epidermal growth factor mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion. Ther Adv Med Oncol12:1758835919895756.
2. Hodis E et al (2012) A landscape of driver mutations in melanoma. Cell150:251-263.