The EGFR rs2233947 polymorphism is associated with lung cancer risk: a study from Jordan

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a tyrosine kinase cell surface protein that plays a role in the process of carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the association between EGFR rs2233947 and rs884225 SNPs and the risk of lung cancer. A total of 258 participants (129 lung cancer patients and 129 healthy controls) took part in the study. Restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) technique was used to genotype EGFR SNPs. A strong association was detected between rs2233947 and lung cancer (P<0.01). Compared with the rs2293347 GG genotype, the AA/AG genotypes were associated with a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer (adjusted OR = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.13-0.61, P<0.01). EGFR rs2233947 correlated with lung cancer in males, smokers, and in the squamous cell carcinoma lung cancer subtype (P<0.01). Haplotype analysis of rs2233947 and rs884225 showed that the AA haplotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer (P<0.01). The data presented in the current study support a protective role for the rs2233947 A allele against the development of lung cancer. This result, however, requires further validation in a larger population.